Ac 


^  +.* 


'j     Return  this  book  on  or  before  the 
Latest  Date  stamped  below. 

University  of  Illinois  Library 


ch  19 

, 

tCT  14  ii 

162 

APR  13 

1971 

AUG  2  5  198 

o 

OCT  0  7  18 
JUL2 

g 

51998 

•§^ir^^,BinH 

wnu^mi^^m<^t*m 

L161—  H41 

RECORD 


#! 


—OF— 


MACON  COUNTY, 

ILLINOIS, 


CONTAINING 


Biographical  Sketches  of  Prominent  and  Representative  Citizens, 

* 

SovBHiors  of  the  Itate,  and  of  ne  Iresidents 


OF=  THE  UNITED  STMTES. 


CHICAGO: 

LAKE  CITY  PUBLISHING   CO. 
1893 


<?  £0/077358 


ME  greatest  of  English  historians,  MACAULAY,  and  one  of  the  most  brilliant  writers  of 
the  present  century,  has  said :  "The  history  of  a  country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the 
lives  of  its  people."   In  conformity  with  this  idea  the  PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAI 
RECORD  Of  tujg  county  has  been  prepared.     Instead  of  going  to  musty  records,  and 
taking  therefrom  dry  statistical  matter  that  can  be  appreciated  by  but  few,  ouj 
corps  of  writers  have  gone  to  the  people,  the  men  and  women  who  have,  by  their 
enterprise  and  industry,  brought  the  county  to  rank  second  to  none  among  those 
comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of  their  life 
struggles.     No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelli- 
gent public.     In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the 
imitation  of   coming  generations.     It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  poverty,  by 
industry  and   economy   have   accumulated  wealth.     It  tells  how  others,  with  limited 

J!3|j?|||k9  advantages  for  securing  an  education,  have  become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an 
JH JUv^.'  influence  extending  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who 
have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and  whose  names  have 
become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in  every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and 
records  how  that  success  has  usually  crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  of  many,  very 
many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the  world,  have  pursued  "the  even  tenor  of  their  way,"  conten^ 
to  have  it  said  of  them  as  Christ  said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy — "they  have  done  what 
they  could."  It  tells  how  that  many  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood  left  the  plow  and  the 
anvil,  the  lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country's 
call  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the  Union  was  restored  and  peace 
once  more  reigned  in  the  land.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every  woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not 
be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from  the  fact 
that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which  would  otherwise  be 
inaccessible.     Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work  and  every  opportunity  possible 
ijiven  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has  been  written,  and  the  publishers  flatter  them 
selves  that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with  few  errors  of  consequence.     In  addition  to  the  biograpb 
ical  sketches,  portraits  of  ;i  number  of  representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volume.  For  this  the 
publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some  refused  to  give  the 
information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent.  Occasionally  some  member  of 
the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such  opposition  the  support  of  the  interested 
one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  could  never  be  found,  though  repeated  calls  were  made 
at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 

September,   1893.  LAKE  CITY  PUBLISHING  Co. 


u 


OF  THE 


OF  ILLINOIS, 


AND  OF  THE 


OF  THE 


- 


V 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
IffiBAAM 


" 


FJJtST  PRESIDENT. 


I  <          ' 


M 


HE  Father  of  our  Country  was 
born  in  Westmorland  Co.,  Va., 
Feb.    22,   1732.     His  parents 
were    Augustine    and    Mary 
(Ball)  Washington.  The  family 
to  which  he  belonged  has  not 
,been    satisfactorily  traced    in 
England.      His    great-grand- 
father, John  Washington,  em- 
igrated to  Virginia  about  1657, 
and    became     a     prosperous 
planter.      He  had   two   sons, 
Lawrence    and    John.      The 
former   married    Mildred    Warner 
and    had    three    children,    John, 
Augustine  and  Mildred.      Augus- 
tine,  the   father  of   George,  first 
married    Jane   Butler,    who    bore 
him  four  children,  two  of  whom, 
Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.     Of  six  children  by  his 
second  marriage,  George  was  the 
eldest,   the    others    being    Betty, 
Samuel,  John   Augustine,  Charles 
and  Mildred. 

Augustine  Washington,  the  father  of  George,  died 
in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed  property.  To  his 
eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an  estate  on 
the  Patomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mount  Vernon, 
and  to  George  he  left  the  parental  residence.  George 
received  only  such  education  as  the  neighborhood 
schools  afforded,  save  for  a  short  time  after  he  left 
school,  when  he  received  private  instruction  in 
mathematics.  His  spelling  was  rather  defective. 


Remarkable  stories  are  told  of  his  great  physica= 
strength  and  development  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
an  acknowledged  leader  among  his  companions,  and 
was  early  noted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fair- 
ness and  veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  1 4  years  old  he  had  a  desire  to  go  to 
sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant  was  secured  for  him, 
but  through  the  opposition  of  his  mother  the  idea  was 
abandoned.  Two  years  later  he  was  appointed 
surveyor  to  the  immense  estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  In 
this  business  he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier 
life,  gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  very 
essential  to  him.  In  1751,  though  only  19  years  of 
age,  he  was  appointed  adjutant  with  the  rank  of 
major  in  the  Virginia  militia,  then  being  trained  fot 
active  service  against  the  French  and  Indians.  Soon 
after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West  Indies  with  his  brother 
Lawrence,  who  went  there  to  restore  his  health.  They 
soon  returned,  and  in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence 
died,  leaving  a  large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter 
who  did  not  long  survive  him.  On  her  demise  the 
estate  of  Mount  Vernon  was  given  to  George. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddie,  as  Lieutcn- 
ant-Governor  of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia  wae 
reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into  four  mili- 
tary districts,  of  which  the  northern  was  assigned  to 
Washington  as  adjutant  general.  Shortly  after  this 
a  very  perilous  mission  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cepted, which  others  had  refused.  This  was  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  French  post  near  Lake  Erie  in  North- 
western Pennsylvania.  The  distance  to  be  traversed 
was  between  500  and  600  miles.  Winter  was  at  hand, 
and  the  journey  was  to  be  made  without  railitan 
escort,  through  a  territory  occupied  by  Indians.  Th* 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 


trip  was  a  perilous  one,  and  several  limes  he  came  near 
losing  his  life,  yet  he  returned  in  safety  and  furnished 
a  full  and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  300  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and  put  in  com- 
mand of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Major  Washington  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel.  Active  war  was 
then  begun  against  the  French  and  Indians,  in  which 
Washington  took  a  most  important  part.  In  the 
memorable  event  of  July  9,  1755,  known  as  Brad- 
dock's  defeat,  Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer 
of  distinction  who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor.  The  other  aids  of  Braddock 
were  disabled  early  in  the  action,  and  Washington 
alone  was  left  in  that  capacity  on  the  field.  In  a  letter 
to  his  brother  he  says :  "  I  had  four  bullets  through 
my  coat,  and  two  horses  shot  under  me,  yet  I  escaped 
unhurt,  though  death  was  leveling;  my  companions 
on  every  side."  An  Indian  sharpshooter  said  he  was 
not  born  to  be  killed  by  a  bullet,  for  he  had  taken 
direct  aim  at  him  seventeen  times,  and  failed  to  hit 
him. 

After  having  been  five  years  in  the  military  service, 
and  vainly  sought  promotion  in  the  royal  army,  he 
look  advantage  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Duquesne  and  the 
expulsion  of  the  French  from  the  valley  of  the  Ohio, 
10  resign  his  commission.  Soon  after  he  entered  the 
Legislature,  where,  although  not  a  leader,  he  took  an 
active  and  important  part.  January  17,  1759,  he 
married  Mrs.  Martha  (Dandridge)  Custis,  the  wealthy 
widow  of  John  Parke  Custis. 

When  the  British  Parliament  had  closed  the  port 
of  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the  provinces 
that  "The  cause  of  Boston  is  the  cause  of  us  all." 
It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Virginia,  that  a  Con- 
gress of  all  the  colonies  was  called  to  meet  at  Phila- 
delphia.Sept.  5,  1774,  to  secure  their  common  liberties, 
peaceably  if  possible.  To  this  Congress  Col.  Wash- 
ington was  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
Congress  re-assembled,  when  the  hostile  intentions  of 
England  were  plainly  apparent.  The  battles  of  Con- 
cord and  Lexington  had  been  fought.  Among  the 
first  acts  of  this  Congress  was  the  election  of  a  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  colonial  forces.  This  high  and 
responsible  office  was  conferred  upon  Washington, 
who  was  still  a  member  of  the  Congress.  He  accepted 
it  on  June  19,  but  upon  the  express  condition  that  he 
receive  no  salary.  He  would  keep  an  exact  account 
of  expenses  and  expect  Congress  to  pay  them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch  to 
trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom  the 
fortunes  and  liberties  of  the  people  of  this  country 
were  so  long  confided.  The  war  was  conducted  by 
him  under  ever)-  possible  disadvantage,  and  while  his 
forces  often  met  with  reverses,  yet  he  overcame  every 
obstacle,  and  after  seven  years  of  heroic  devotion 
and  matchless  skill  he  gained  liberty  for  the  greatest 
nation  of  earth.  On  Dec.  23,  1783,  Washington,  in 
a  parting  address  of  surpassing  beauty,  resigned  his 


commission  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  to 
to  the  Continental  Congress  sitting  at  Annapolis.  He 
retired  immediately  to  Mount  Vernon  and  resumed 
his  occupation  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning  all 
connection  with  public  life. 

In  February,  1 7 89,  Washington  was  unanimously 
elected  President.  In  his  presidential  career  he  was 
subject  to  the  peculiar  trials  incidental  to  a  new 
government ;  trials  from  lack  of  confidence  on  the  part 
of  other  governments;  trials  from  want  of  harmony 
between  the  different  sections  of  our  own  country; 
trials  from  the  impoverished  condition  of  the  country, 
owing  to  the  war  and  want  of  credit;  trials  from  the 
beginnings  of  party  strife.  He  was  no  partisan.  His 
clear  judg.nent  could  discern  the  golden  mean  ;  and 
while  perhaps  this  alone  kept  our  government  from 
sinking  at  the  very  outset,  it  left  him  exposed  to 
attacks  from  both  sides,  which  were  often  bitter  and 
very  annoying. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  he  was  unani- 
mously re-elected.  At  the  end  of  this  term  many 
were  anxious  that  he  be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely 
refused  a  third  nomination.  On  the  fourth  of  March, 
1797,  at  the  expiraton  of  his  second  term  as  Presi- 
dent, he  returned  to  his  home,  hoping  to  pass  there 
his  few  remaining  years  free  from  the  annoyances  of 
public  life.  Later  in  the  year,  however,  his  repose 
seemed  likely  to  be  interrupted  by  war  with  France. 
At  the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  armies.  He  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate officers  and  left  to  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  the  field,  which  he  superintended  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command  he  made  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  preparations 
his  life  was  suddenly  cut  off.  December  1 2,  he  took 
a  severe  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain,  which,  settling 
in  his  throat,  produced  inflammation,  and  terminated 
fatally  on  the  night  of  the  fourteenth.  On  the  eigh- 
teenth his  body  was  borne  wi'h  military  honors  to  its 
final  resting  place,  and  interred  in  the  family  vault  at 
Mount  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible  to 
speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and  ad- 
miration. The  more  we  see  of  the  operations  of 
our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel  the 
difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common  interest, 
the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the  force  of  his  tal- 
ent and  character,  which  have  be"n  able  to  challenge 
the  reverence  of  all  parties,  and  principles,  and  na- 
tions, and  to  win  a  fame  as  extended  as  the  limits 
of  the  globe,  and  which  we  cannot  but  believe  will 
be  as  lasting  as  the  existence  of  man. 

The  person  of  Washington  was  unusally  tali,  erect 
and  well  proportioned.  His  muscular  strength  was 
great.  His  features  were  of  a  beautiful  symmetry. 
He  commanded  respect  without  any  appearance  of 
haughtiness,  and  ever  serious  without 


URBANA 


ILLIN 


•*.  - 

• 


>>.*• 


* 


SECOND 


Igfa^et 


»^i.^;<^."«^^^ 


A,t.*t.,t«.t~t«4A&j^ 


OHN  ADAMS,  the  second 
President  and  the  first  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  in  Braintree  ( now 
Quincy),Mass.,  and  about  ten 
miles  from  Boston,  Oct.  19, 
1735.  His  great-grandfather,  Henry 
Adams,  emigrated  from  England 
about  1 640,  with  a  family  of  eight 
,  sons,  and  settled  at  Braiatree.  The 
parents  of  John  were  John  and 
Susannah  (Boylston)  Adams.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  of  limited 
means,  to  which  he  added  the  bus- 
iness of  shoemaking.  He  gave  his' 
eldest  son,  John,  a  classical  educa- 
tion at  Harvard  College.  John 
graduated  in  1755,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  the 
school  in  Worcester,  Mass.  This  he  found  but  a 
''school  of  affliction,"  from  which  he  endeavored  to 
gain  relief  by  devoting  himself,  in  addition,  to  the 
study  of  law.  For  this  purpose  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town.  He 
had  thought  seriously  of  the  clerical  profession 
but  seems  to  have  been  turned  from  this  by  what  he 
termed  "  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesiastical  coun- 
jils,  of  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvanistic  good  nature/' 
of  the  operations  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness  in 
his  native  town.  He  was  well  fitted  for  the  legal 
profession,  possessing  a  clear,  sonorous  voice,  being 
ready  and  fluent  of  speech,  and  having  quick  percep- 
tive powers.  He  gradually  gained  practice,  and  in 
1764  married  Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister, 
and  a  lady  of  superior  intelligence.  Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  (1765),  the  attempt  of  Parliamentary  taxa- 
tion turned  him  from  law  to  politics.  He  took  initial 
steps  toward  holdir.B  a.  town  meeting,  and  the  resolu- 


tions he  offered  on  the  subject  became  very  populai 
throughout  the  Province,  and  were  adopted  word  for 
word  by  over  forty  different  towns.  He  moved  to  Bos 
ton  in  1768,  and  became  one  of  the  most  courageous 
and  prominent  advocates  of  the  popular  cause,  and 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
lislature)  in  1770. 

Mr.  Adams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  delegates 
from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continental  Congress, 
which  met  in  1774.  Here  he  distinguished  himselt 
by  his  capacity  for  business  and  for  debate,  and  ad- 
vocated the  movement  for  independence  against  th° 
majority  of  the  members.  In  May,  1776,  he  moved 
and  carried  a  resolution  in  Congress  that  the  Colonies 
should  assume  the  duties  of  self-government.  He 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  nvej 
appointed  June  n,  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. This  article  was  drawn  by  Jefferson,  but 
on  Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it  through 
Congress  in  a  three  days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  passed,  while  his  soul  was  yet  warm  with  th; 
glow  of  excited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wile 
which,  as  we  read  it  now,  seems  to  have  been  dictated 
by  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  "Yesterday,"  he  says,  "the 
greatest  question  was  decided  that  ever  was  debated 
in  America;  and  greater,  perhaps,  never  was  or  wil 
be  decided  among  men.  A  resolution  was  passed 
without  one  dissenting  colony,  '  that  these  United 
States  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  inde- 
pendent states.'  The  day  is  passed.  The  fourth  of 
July,  1776,  will  be  a  memorable  epoch  in  the  history 
of  America.  I  am  apt  to  believe  it  will  be  celebrated 
by  succeeding  generations,  as  the  great  anniversary, 
festival.  It  ought  to  be  commemorated  as  the  day  of' 
deliverance  by  solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  Almighty 
God.  It  ought  to  be  solemnized  with  pomp,  shows- 


24 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


games,  sports,  guns,  bells,  bonfires,  and  illuminations 
from  one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  from  this 
lime  forward  for  ever.  You  will  think  me  transported 
with  enthusiasm,  but  I  am  not.  I  am  well  aware  of 
the  toil,  and  blood  and  treasure,  that  it  will  cost  to 
maintain  this  declaration,  and  support  and  defend 
these  States;  yet,  through  all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the 
rays  of  light  and  glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is 
worth  more  than  all  the  means;  and  that  posterity 
will  triumph,  although  you  and  I  may  rue,  which  I 
hope  we  shall  not." 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed  a 
delegate  to  France  and  to  co-operate  with  Bemjamin 
Franklin  and  Arthur  Lee,  who  were  then  in  Paris,  in 
the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in  arms  and  money 
from  the  French  Government.  This  was  a  severe  trial 
to  his  patriotism,  as  it  separated  him  from  his  home, 
compelled  him  to  cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  ex- 
posed him  to  great  peril  of  capture  by  the  British  cruis- 
ers, who  were  seeking  him.  He  left  France  June  17, 
1779.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was  again 
cuosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  himself  in  readi- 
ness to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and  of  commerce 
with  Great  Britian,  as  soon  as  the  British  Cabinet 
might  be  found  willing  to  listen  to  such  pioposels.  He 
sailed  for  France  in  November,  from  there  he  went  to 
Holland,  where  he  negotiated  important  loans  and 
formed  important  commercial  treaties. 

Finally  a  treaty  of  peace  with  England  was  signed 
Jan.  21,  1783.  The  re-action  from  the  excitement, 
toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr.  Adams  had  passed 
threw  him  into  a  fever.  After  suffering  from  a  con- 
tinued fever  and  becoming  feeble  and  emaciated  he 
was  advised  to  goto  England  to  drink  the  waters  of 
Bath.  \Vhilein  England,  still  drooping  anddespond- 
ing,  he  received  dispatches  from  his  own  government 
urging  the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Amsterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health  was 
delicate,  yet  he  immediately  set  out,  and  through 
storm,  on  sea,  on  horseback  and  foot.he  made  the  trip. 

February  24,  1785,  Congress  appointed  Mr.  Adams 
envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here  he  met  face 
to  face  the  King  of  England,  who  had  so  long  re- 
garded him  as  a  traitor.  As  England  did  not 
condescend  to  appoint  a  minister  to  the  United 
States,  and  as  Mr.  Adams  felt  that  he  was  accom- 
plishing but  little,  he  sought  permission  to  return  to 
nis  own  country,  where  he  arrived  in  June,  T788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President,  John 
Adams,  rendered  illustiious  by  his  signal  services  at 
home  and  abroad,  was  chosen  Vice  President.  Again 
at  the  second  election  of  Washington  as  President, 
Adams  was  chosen  Vice  President.  In  1796,  Wash- 
ington retired  from  public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was 
elected  President, though  not  without  much  opposition. 
Serving  in  this  office  four  years,he  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  Jefferson,  his  opponent  in  politics. 

TVhile   Mr.  Adams  was  Vice  President  the  great 


French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of  Europe, 
and  it  was  upon  this  point  which  he  was  at  issue  wall 
the  majority  of  his  countrymen  led  by  Mr.  Jefferson. 
Mr.  Adams  felt  no  sympathy  with  the  French  people 
in  their  struggle,  for  he  had  no  confidence  in  their 
power  of  self-government,  and  he  utterly  abhored  the 
class  of  atheist  philosophers  who  he  claimed  caused  it. 
On  the  other  hand  Jefferson's  sympathies  were  strongly 
enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  French  people.  Hence  or- 
iginated the  alienation  between  these  distinguished 
men,  and  two  powerful  parties  were  thus  soon  organ- 
ized, Adams  at  the  head  of  the  one  whose  sympathies 
were  with  England  and  Jefferson  led  the  other  in 
sympathy  with  France. 

The  world  has  seldom  seen  a  spectacle  of  more 
moral  beauty  and  grandeur,  than  was  presented  by  the 
old  age  of  Mr.  Adams.  The  violence  of  party  feeling 
had  died  away,  and  he  had  begun  to  receive  that  just 
appreciation  which,  to  most  men,  is  not  accorded  till 
after  death.  No  one  could  look  upon  his  venerable 
form,  and  think  of  what  he  had  done  and  suffered, 
and  how  he  had  given  up  all  the  prime  and  strength 
of  his  life  to  the  public  good,  without  the  deepest 
emotion  of  gratitude  and  respect.  It  was  his  peculiar 
good  fortune  to  witness  the  complete  success  of  the 
institution  which  he  had  been  so  active  in  creating  and 
supporting.  In  1824,  his  cup  of  happiness  was  filled 
to  the  brim,  by  seeing  his  son  elevated  to  the  highest 
station  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  which  completed  the  half 
century  since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, arrived,  and  there  were  but  three  of  the 
signers  of  that  immortal  instrument  left  upon  the 
earth  to  hail  its  morning  light.  And,  as  it  is 
well  known,  on  that  day  two  of  these  finished  their 
earthly  pilgrimage,  a  coincidence  so  remarkable  as 
to  seem  miraculous.  For  a  few  days  before  Mr. 
Adams  had  been  rapidly  failing,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  he  found  himself  too  weak  to  rise  from 
his  bed.  On  being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the 
customary  celebration  of  the  day,  he  exclaimed  "  IN- 
DEPENDENCE FOREVER."  When  the  day  was  ushered 
in,  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing  of  cannons, 
he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  attendants  if  he  knew 
what  day  it  was?  He  replied,  "O  yes;  it  is  the  glor- 
ious fourth  of  July — God  bless  it — God  bless  you  all." 
In  the  course  of  the  day  he-  said,  "  It  is  a  great  and 
glorious  day."  The  last  words  he  uttered  were, 
"Jefferson  survives."  But  he  had,  at  one  o'clock,  re- 
signed his  spirit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 

The  personal  appearance  and  manners  of  Mr. 
Adams  were  not  particularly  prepossessing.  His  face, 
as  his  portrait  manifests.was  intellectual  ard  expres- 
sive, but  his  figure  was  low  and  ungraceful,  and  h>s 
manners  were  frequently  abrupt  and  uncourteons. 
He  had  neither  the  lofty  dignity  of  Washington,  nor 
the  engaging  elegance  and  gracefulness  which  marked 
the  manners  and  address  of  Jefferson, 


UBRNRY 

Of  ILLINOIS 
URBAAW 


THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


HOMAS  JEFFERSON  was 
born  April  2,  1743,  at  Shad- 
well,  Albermarle  county,  Va. 
His  parents  were  Peter  and 
Jane  (  Randolph)  Jefferson, 
the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  the  latter  born  in  Lon- 
don. To  them  were  born  six 
daughters  and  two  sons,  of 
whom  Thomas  was  the  elder. 
When  14  years  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  received  a 
most  liberal  education,  hav- 
ing been  kept  diligently  at  school 
from  the  time  he  was  five  years  of 
age.  In  1760  he  entered  William 
rnd  Mary  College.  Williamsburg  was  then  the  seat 
of  !he  Colonial  Court,  and  it  was  the  obodeof  fashion 
avid  splendor.  Young  Jefferson,  who  was  then  17 
years  old,  lived  somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine 
horses,  and  much  caressed  by  gay  society,  yet  he 
was  earnestly  devoted  to  his  studies,  and  irreproacha- 
able  in  his  morals.  It  is  strange,  however,  under 
such  influences,that  he  was  not  ruined.  In  the  sec- 
ond year  of  his  college  course,  moved  by  some  un- 
explained inward  impulse,  he  discarded  his  horses, 
society,  and  even  his  favorite  violin,  to  which  he  had 
previously  given  much  time.  He  often  devoted  fifteen 
hours  a  day  to  hard  study,  allowing  himself  for  ex- 
ercise only  a  run  in  the  evening  twilight  of  a  mile  out 
of  the  city  and  back  again.  He  thus  attained  very 
high  intellectual  culture,  alike  excellence  in  philoso- 
phy and  the  languages.  The  most  difficult  Latin  and 
Greek  authors  he  read  with  facility.  A  more  finished 
scholar  has  seldom  gone  forth  from  college  halls;  and 


there  was  not  to  be  found,  perhaps,  in  all  Virginia,  a 
more  pureminded,  upright,  gentlemanly  young  man. 

Immediately  upon  leaving  college  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  For  the  short  time  he  continued  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly  and  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  energy  and  accuteness  as  a 
lawyer.  But  the  times  called  for  greater  action. 
The  policy  of  England  had  awakened  the  spirit  of 
resistance  of  the  American  Colonies,  and  the  enlarged 
views  which  Jefferson  had  ever  entertained,  soon  led 
him  into  active  political  life.  In  1769  he  was  chosen 
a  member  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses.  In 
1772  he  married  Mrs.  Martha  Skelton,  a  very  beauti- 
ful, wealthy  and  highly  accomplished  young  widow 

Upon  Mr.  Jefferson's  large  estate  at  Shadwell,  thare 
was  a  majestic  swell  of  land,  called  Monticello,  which 
commanded  a  prospect  of  wonderful  extent  and 
beauty.  This  spot  Mr.  Jefferson  selected  lor  his  new 
home;  and  here  he  reared  a  mansion  of  modest  yet 
elegant  architecture,  which,  next  to  Mount  Vernon 
became  the  most  distinguished  resort  in  our  land. 

In  1775  ne  was  sent  to  tne  Cclonial  Congress, 
where,  though  a  silent  member,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  he 
was  placed  upon  a  number  of  important  committees, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed  for  the  draw- 
ing up  of  a  declaration  of  independence.  This  com- 
mittee consisted  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  Adams, 
Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger  Sherman  and  Robert  R. 
Livingston.  Jefferson,  as  chairman,  was  appointed 
to  draw  up  the  paper.  Franklin  and  Adams  suggested 
a  few  verbal  changes  before  it  was  submitted  to  Con- 
gress. On  June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made 
in  it  by  Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July 
4,  1776,  What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  that 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


man — what  the  emotions  that  swelled  his  breast — 
who  was  charged  with  the  preparation  of  that  Dec- 
laration, which,  while  it  made  known  the  wrongs  of 
America,  was  also  to  publish  her  to  the  world,  free, 
soverign  and  independent.  It  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable papers  ever  written  ;  and  did  no  other  effort 
of  the  mind  of  its  author  exist,  that  alone  would  be 
sufficient  to  stamp  his  name  with  immortality. 

In  1779  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henry,  as  Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one  time 
the  British  officer,  Tarleton,  sent  a  secret  expedition  to 
Monticello,  to  capture  the  Governor.  Scarcely  five 
minutes  elapsed  after  the  hurried  escape  of  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson and  his  family,  ere  his  mansion  was  in  posses- 
sion of  the  British  troops.  His  wife's  health,  never 
very  good,  was  much  injured  by  this  excitement,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1782  she  died. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  Minister.  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United  States 
in  September,  1789,  he  became  Secretary  of  State 
in  Washington's  cabinet.  This  position  he  resigned 
Jan.  i,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was  chosen  Vice  Presi- 
dent, and  four  years  later  was  elected  President  over 
Mr.  Adams,  with  Aaron  Burr  as  Vice  President.  In 
1804  he  was  re-elected  with  wonderful  unanimity, 
and  George  Clinton,  Vice  President. 

The  early  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  adminstra- 
tion  was  disturbed  by  an  event  which  threatened  the 
tranquility  and  peace  of  the  Union;  this  was  the  con- 
spiracy of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated  in  the  late  election 
to  the  Vice  Presidency,  and  led  on  by  an  unprincipled 
ambition,  this  extraordinary  man  formed  the  plan  of  a 
military  expedition  into  the  Spanish  territories  on  our 
•southwestern  frontier,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  there 
a  new  republic.  This  has  been  generally  supposed 
was  a  mere  pretext ;  and  although  it  has  not  been 
generally  known  what  his  real  plans  were,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far  more  dangerous 
character. 

In  1809,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  term  for 
which  Mr.  Jefferson  had  been  elected,  he  determined 
to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period  of  nearly 
forty  years,  he  had  been  continually  before  the  pub- 
lic, and  all  that  time  had  been  employed  in  offices  of 
the  greatest  trust  and  responsibility.  Having  thus  de- 
voted the  best  part  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his 
•  country,  he  now  felt  desirous  of  that  rest  which  his 
declining  years  required,  and  upon  the  organization  of 
the  new  administration,  in  March,  1809,  he  bid  fare- 
well forever  to.  public  life,  and  retired  to  Monticello. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  profuse  in  his  hospitality.  Whole 
families  came  in  their  coaches  with  their  horses, — 
fathers  and  mothers,  boys  and  girls,  babies  and 
nurses, — and  remained  three  and  even  six  months. 
Life  at  Monticello,  for  years,  resembled  that  at  a 
fashionable  watering-place. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  being  the  fiftieth  anniver- 


sary of  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence, 
great  preparations  were  made  in  every  part  of  ths 
Union  for  its  celebration,  as  the  nation's  jubilee,  and 
the  citizens  of  Washington,  to  add  to  the  solemnity 
of  the  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jefferson,  as  the  framer. 
and  one  of  the  few  surviving  signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion, to  participate  in  their  festivities.  But  an  ill- 
ness, which  had  been  of  several  weeks  duration,  and 
had  been  continually  increasing,  compelled  him  to 
decline  the  invitation. 

On  the  second  of  July,  the  disease  under  which 
he  was  laboring  left  him,  but  in  such  a  reduced 
state  that  his  medical  attendants,  entertained  nc 
hope  of  his  recovery.  From  this  time  he  was  perfectly 
sensible  that  his  last  hour  was  at  hand.  On  the  next 
day,  which  was  Monday,  he  asked  of  those  around 
him,  the  day  of  the  month,  and  on  being  told  it  was 
the  third  of  July,  he  expressed  the  earnest  wish  tha" 
he  might  be  permitted  to  breathe  the  air  of  the  fiftieth 
anniversary.  His  prayer  was  heard — that  day,  whose 
dawn  was  hailed  with  such  rapture  through  our  land, 
burst  upon  his  eyes,  and  then  they  were  closed  for- 
ever. And  what  a  noble  consummation  of  a  noble 
life !  To  die  on  that  day,— the  birthday  of  a  nation,-  - 
the  day  which  his  own  name  and  his  own  act  had 
rendered  glorious;  to  die  amidst  the  rejoicings  and 
festivities  of  a  whole  nation,  who  looked  up  to  him, 
as  the  author,  under  God,  of  their  greatest  blessings, 
was  all  that  was  wanting  to  fill  up  the  record  his  life. 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin- 
dred spirit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  bear 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors. 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  the  champions  of 
freedom  ;  hand  in  hand,  during  the  dark  and  desper- 
ate struggle  of  the  Revolution,  they  had  cheered  and 
animated  their  desponding  countrymen;  for  half  a 
century  they  had  labored  together  for  the  good  of 
the  country;  and  now  hand  in  hand  they  depart. 
In  their  lives  they  had  been  united  in  the  same  great 
cause  of  liberty,  and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not 
divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and  thin,  rather 
above  six  feet  in  height,  but  well  formed;  his  eyes 
were  light,  his  hair  originally  red,  in  after  life  became 
white  and  silvery ;  his  complexion  was  fair,  his  fore- 
head broad,  and  his  whole  countenance  intelligent  and 
thoughtful.  He  possessed  great  fortitude  of  mind  as 
well  as  personal  courage ;  and  j.:s  command  of  tem- 
per was  such  that  his  oldest  and  most  intimate  friends 
never  recollected  to  have  seen  him  in  a  passion. 
His  manners,  though  dignified,  were  simple  and  unr 
affected,  and  his  hospitality  was  so  unbounded  that 
all  found  at  his  house  a  ready  welcome.  In  conver- 
sation he  was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic;  and 
his  language  was  remarkably  pure  and  correct.  He 
was  a  finished  classical  scholar,  and  in  his  writings  is 
discernable  the  care  with  which  he  formed  his  style 
upon  the  best  models  of  antiquity. 


LIBRARY 

WVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBAAW 


FOURTH  PRESIDENT. 


AMES    MADISON,    "Father 
of  the  Constitution,"  and  fourth 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  March  16,  1757,  and 
died  at  his  home  in  Virginia, 
June  28,  1836.     The  name  of 
James  Madison  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  most  of  the  important 
events  in  that  heroic  period  of  our 
country  during  which  the  founda- 
tions of  this  great   republic  were 
laid.  He  was  the  last  of  the  founders 
of  the   Constitution   of  the    United 
States  to   be   called   to   his   eternal 
reward. 

The  Madison  family  were  among 
the  early  emigrants  to  the  New  World, 
landing  upon  the  shores  of  the  Chesa- 
peake but  15  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.  The  father  of 
James  Madison  was  an  opulent 
planter,  residing  upon  a  very  fine  es- 
tate called  "Montpelier,"  Orange  Co., 
Va.  The  mansion  was  situated  in 
the  midst  of  scenery  highly  pictur- 
esque and  romantic,  on  the  west  side 
of  South-west  Mountain,  at  the  foot  of 
Blue  Ridge.  It  was  but  25  miles  from  the  home  of 
Jefferson  at  Monticello.  The  closest  personal  and 
jwlitical  attachment  existed  between  these  illustrious 
men,  from  their  early  youth  until  death. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  conducted 
mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At  the  age  of 
1 8  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  College,  in  New  Jersey. 
Here  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  the  most  im- 


prudent zeal;  allowing  himself,  for  months,  but  three 
hours'  sleep  out  of  the  24.  His  health  thus  became  so 
seriously  impaired  that  he  never  recovered  any  vigor 
of  constitution.  He  graduated  in  1771,  with  a  feeble 
body,  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and  with  a 
mind  highly  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with  learning 
which  embellished  and  gave  proficiency  to  his  subsc  • 
quent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
law  and  a  course  of  extensive  and  systematic  reading. 
This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of  the  times  in 
which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with  which  he  asso- 
ciated, all  combined  to  inspire  him  with  a  strong 
love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for  his  life-work  ot 
a  statesman.  Being  naturally  of  a,  religious  turn  of 
mind,  and  his  frail  health  leading  him  to  think  that 
his  life  was  not  to  be  long,  he  directed  especial  atten- 
tion to  theological  studies.  Endowed  with  a  mind 
singularly  free  from  passion  and  prejudice,  and  with 
almost  unequalled  powers  of  reasoning,  he  weighed 
all  the  arguments  for  and  against  revealed  religion, 
until  his  faith  became  so  established  as  never  to 
be  shaken. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  26  years  of  age,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention,  to 
frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The  next  year 
(1777),  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  General  Assembly. 
He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky-loving  voters,  and 
consequently  lost  his  election ;  but  those  who  had 
witnessed  the  talent,  energy  and  public  spirit  of  the 
modest  young  man,  enlisted  themselves  in  his  behalf, 
and  he  was  appointed  to  the  Executive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Governors  of  Virginia  while  Mr.  Madison  remained 
member  of  the  Council ;  and  their  appreciation  of  his 


JAMES  MADISON. 


,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  worth,  contributed  not 
a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence.  In  the  year 
1780,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress.  Here  he  met  the  most  illustrious  men  in 
our  land,  and  he  was  immediately  assigned  to  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  positions  among  them. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Madison  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  members. 
In  the  year  1784,  his  term  having  expired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  than  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no  na- 
tional government,  with  no  power  to  form  treaties 
which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law.  There 
was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than  Virginia  in 
the  declaration,  that  an  efficient  national  government 
must  be  formed.  In  January,  1786,  Mr.  Madison 
carried  a  resolution  through  the  General  Assembly  of 
Virginia,  inviting  the  other  States  to  appoint  commis- 
sioners to  meet  in  convention  at  Annapolis  to  discuss 
this  subject.  Five  States  only  were  represented.  The 
convention,  however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  Madison,  urging  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadelphia,  in  May,  1787,  to. .draft 
a  Constitution  for  the  United  States,  to  take  the  place 
of  that  Confederate  League.  The  delegates  met  at 
the  time  appointed.  Every  State  but  Rhode  Island 
was  represented.  George  Washington  was  chosen 
president  of  the  convention ;  and  the  present  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  was  then  and  there  formed. 
There  was,  perhaps,  no  mind  and  no  pen  more  ac- 
tive in  framing  this  immortal  document  than  the  mind 
and  the  pen  of  James  Madison. 

The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  81  to  79,  was 
to  be  presented  to  the  several  States  for  acceptance. 
But  grave  solicitude  was  felt.  Should  it  be  rejected 
we  should  be  left  but  a  conglomeration  of  independent 
States,  with  but  little  power  at  home  and  little  respect 
abroad.  Mr.  Madison  was  selected  by  the  conven- 
tion to  draw  up  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  expounding  the  principles  of  the  Constitution, 
and  urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  opposition 
to  it  at  first,  but  it  at  length  triumphed  over  all,  and 
went  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  Madison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became  the 
avowed  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  While  in 
New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs.  Todd,  a 
young  widow  of  remarkable  power  of  fascination, 
whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person  and  character 
queenly,  and  probably  no  lady  has  thus  far  occupied 
so  prominent  a  position  in  the  very  peculiar  society 
which  has  constituted  our  republican  court  as  Mrs. 
Madison. 

Mr.  Madison  served  as  Secretary  of  State  under 
Jefferson,  and  at  the  close  of  his  administration 
was  chosen  President.  At  this  time  the  encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of  war. 


British  orders  in  council  destioyed  our  commerce,  and 
our  flag  was  exposed  to  constant  insult.  Mr.  Madison 
was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in  his  taste,  retiring 
in  his  disposition,  war  had  no  charms  for  him.  But  the 
meekest  spirit  can  be  roused.  It  makes  one's  blood 
boil,  even  now,  to  think  of  an  American  ship  brought 
to,  upon  the  ocean,  by  the  guns  of  an  English  cruiser. 
A  young  lieutenant  steps  on  board  and  orders  the 
crew  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With  great  nonchal- 
ance he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may  please  to 
designate  as  British  subjects  ;  orders  them  down  the 
ship's  side  into  his  boat ;  and  places  them  on  the  gun- 
deck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by  compulsion,  the 
battles  of  England.  This  right  of  search  and  im- 
pressment, no  efforts  of  our  Government  could  induce 
the  British  cabinet  to  relinquish. 

On  the  i8th  of  June,  1812,  President  Madison  gave 
his  approval  to  an  act  of  Congress  declaring  war 
against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the  bitter 
hostility  of  the  Federal  party  to  the  war,  the  country 
in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison,  on  the  4th 
of  March,  i8'3>  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority, 
and  entered  upon  his  second  term  of  office.  This  is 
not  the  place  to  describe  the  various  adventuras  of 
this  war  on  the  land  and  on  the  water.  Our  infant 
navy  then  laid  the  foundations  of  its  renown  in  grap- 
pling with  the  most  formidable  power  which  ever 
swept  the  seas.  The  contest  commenced  in  earnest 
by  the  appearance  of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  February, 
1813,  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole 
coast  of  the  United  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  offered  his  services  as  me 
dilator.  America  accepted ;  England  refused.  A  Brit- 
ish force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  the  banks 
of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  and  marched  rapidly,  by  way  of  Bladens- 
burg,  upon  Washington. 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was  thrown 
into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the  brief  conflict 
at  Bladensburg  echoed  through  the  streets  of  the 
metropolis.  The  whole  population  fled  from  the  city. 
The  President,  leaving  Mrs.  Madison  in  the  White 
House,  with  her  carriage  drawn  up  at  the  doer  to 
await  his  speedy  return,  hurried  to  meet  the  officers 
in  a  council  of  war.  He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed, 
and  he  could  not  go  back  without  danger  of  being 
captured.  But  few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidentinf 
Mansion,  the  Capitol,  and  all  the  public  buildings  in 
Washington  were  in  flames. 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and  on 
Feb.  13,  1815,  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Ghent. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  his  second  term  of 
office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the  Presidential  chair 
to  his  friend,  James  Monroe.  He  retired  to  his  beau- 
tiful home  at  Montpelier,  and  there  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  On  June  28,  1836,  then  at  the 
age  of  85  years,  he  fell  asleep  in  death.  Mrs.  Madi- 
son died  July  12,  1849. 


OF  ,LL/NO/S 


'FIFTH  PRESIDENT. 


AMES  MONROE,  the  fifth 
Presidentof  The  United  States, 
was  born  in  Westmoreland  Co., 
Va.,  April  28,  1758.  His  early 
life  was  passed  at  the  place  of 
nativity.  His  ancestors  had  for 
many  years  resided  in  the  prov- 
ince in  which  he  was  born.  When, 
at  17  years  of  age,  in  the  process 
of  completing  his  education  at 
William  and  Mary  College,  the  Co- 
lonial Congress  assembled  at  Phila- 
delphia to  deliberate  upon  the  un- 
just and  manifold  oppressions  of 
Great  Britian,  declared  the  separa- 
tion of  the  Colonies,  and  promul- 
gated the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence. Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the  signers 
of  that  celebrated  instrument.  At  this  time  he  left 
school  and  enlisted  among  the  patriots. 

Ho  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked  hope- 
less and  gloomy.  The  number  of  deserters  increased 
from  day  to  day.  The  invading  armies  came  pouring 
in ;  and  the  lories  not  only  favored  the  cause  of  the 
mother  country,  but  disheartened  the  new  recruits, 
who  were  sufficiently  terrified  at  the  prospect  of  con- 
tending with  an  enemy  whcm  they  had  been  taught 
to  deem  invincible.  To  such  brave  spirits  as  James 
Monroe,  who  went  right  onward,  undismayed  through 
difficulty  and  danger,  the  United  States  owe  their 
political  emancipation.  The  young  cadet  joined  the 
ranks,  and  espoused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
with  a  firm  determination  to  live  o:  lie  with  her  strife 


for  liberty.  Firmly  yet  sadly  he  shared  in  the  mel- 
ancholy retreat  from  Harleam  Heights  and  White 
Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited  army  as  it  fled 
before  its  foes  through  New  Jersey.  In  four  months 
after  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  patriots 
had  been  beaten  in  seven  battles.  At  the  battle  of 
Trenton  he  led  the  vanguard,  and,  in  the  act  of  charg- 
ing upon  the  enemy  he  received  a  wound  in  the  left 
shoulder. 

As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was  pro-) 
moted  a  captain  of  infantry;  and,  having  recovered, 
from  his  wound,  he  rejoined  the  army.  He,  however, 
receded  from  the  line  of  promotion,  by  becoming  an 
officer  in  the  staff  of  Lord  Sterling.  During  the  cam- 
paigns of  1777  and  1778,  in  the  actions  of  Brandy 
wine,  Germantown  and  Monmouth,  he  continued 
aid-de-camp;  but  becoming  desirous  to  regain  his 
position  in  the  army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a 
regiment  for  the  Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed 
owing  to  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon 
this  failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued,  with  considerable 
ardor,  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did  not,  however, 
entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for  the  green  bag; 
but  on  the  invasions  of  the  enemy,  served  as  avolun 
teer,  during  the  two  years  of  his  legal  pursuits. 

In  1782,  he  was  elected  from  King  George  county, 
a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Virginia,  and  by  tha! 
body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the  Executive 
Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with  the  confidence 
of  his  fellow  citizens  at  23  years  of  age  ;  and  having 
at  this  early  period  displayed  some  of  that  ability 
and  aptitude  for  legislation,  which  were  afterwards 
employed  with  unremitting  energy  for  the  public  good, 


JAMES  MONROE. 


he  was  in  the  succeeding  year  chosen  a  member  of 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 
Ueeplyas  Mr.  Monroefelt  the  imperfections  of  the  old 
Confederacy,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new  Constitution, 
ihinking,  with  many  others  of  the  Republican  party, 
lhat  it  gave  too  much  power  to  the  Central  Government, 
and  not  enough  to  the  individual  States.  Still  he  re- 
tained the  esteem  of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm 
supporters,  and  who,  notwithstanding  his  opposition 
secured  its  adoption.  In  1789,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  United  States  Senate ;  which  office  he  held  for 
four  years.  Every  month  the  line  of  distinction  be- 
tween the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the  nation, 
the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was  growing  more 
distinct.  The  two  prominent  ideas  which  now  sep- 
arated them  were,  that  the  Republican  party  was  in 
sympathy  with  France,  and  also  in  favor  of  such  a 
strict  construction  of  the  Constitution  as  to  give  the 
Central  Government  as  little  power,  and  the  State 
Governments  as  much  power,  as  the  Constitution  would 
warrant.  The  Federalists  sympathized  with  England, 
and  were  in  favor  of  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, which  would  give  as  much  power  to  the 
Central  Government  as  that  document  could  possibly 
authorize. 

The  leading  Federalists  and  Republicans  were 
alike  noble  men,  consecrating  all  their  energies  to  the 
good  of  the  nation.  Two  more  honest  men  or  more 
pure  patriots  than  John  Adams  the  Federalist,  and 
James  Monroe  the  Republican,  never  breathed.  In 
building  up  this  majestic  nation,  which  is  destined 
to  eclipse  all  Grecian  and  Assyrian  greatness,  the  com- 
bination of  their  antagonism  was  needed  to  create  the 
tight  equilibrium.  And  yet  each  in  his  day  was  de- 
nounced as  almost  a  demon. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had  es- 
poused the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the  princi- 
ples of  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe  was  drawn 
into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and  far  away. 
Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality  be- 
tween these  contending  powers.  France  had  helped 
us  in  the  struggle  for  our  liberties.  All  the  despotisms 
of  Europe  were  now  combined  to  prevent  the  French 
from  escaping  from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse 
than  that  which  we  had  endured  Col.  Monroe,  more 
magnanimous  than  prudent,  was  anxious  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
their  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  generous 
and  noble  nature.  He  violently  opposed  the  Pres- 
ident's proclamation  as  ungrateful  and  wanting  in 
magnanimity. 

Washington,  who  could  appreciate  such  a  character, 
developed  his  calm,  serene,  almost  divine  greatness, 
by  appointing  that  very  James  Monroe,  who  was  de- 
nouncing the  policy  of  the  Government,  as  the  minister 
of  that  Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Convention 
in  France  witft  the  most  enthusiastic  demonstiAtions. 


Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  country,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  held  the 
office  for  three  yeais.  He  was  again  sent  to  France  to 
co-operate  with  Chancellor  Livingston  in  obtaining 
the  vast  territory  then  known  as  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  which  France  had  but  shortly  before  ob- 
tained from  Spain.  Their  united  efforts  were  suc- 
cessful. For  the  comparatively  small  sum  of  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars,  the  entire  territory  of  Orleans  and 
district  of  Louisiana  were  added  to  the  United  States. 
This  was  probably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate 
which  was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  the  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to  ob- 
tain from  that  country  some  recognition  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against  those 
odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  but  Eng- 
land was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to  Eng- 
land on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive  no 
redress.  He  returned  to  his  home  and  was  again 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon  resigned 
to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State  under 
Madison.  While  in  this  office  war  with  England  was 
declared,  the.  Secretary  of  War  resigned,  and  during 
these  trying  times,  the  duties  of  the  War  Department 
were  also  put  upon  him.  He  was  truly  the  armor- 
bearer  of  President  Madison,  and  the  most  efficient 
business  man  in  his  cabinet.  Upon  the  return  ol 
peace  he  resigned  the  Department  of  War,  but  con- 
tinued in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  until  the  ex- 
piration of  Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  At  the  elec- 
tion held  the  previous  autumn  Mr.  Monroe  himself  had 
been  chosen  President  with  but  little  opposition,  and 
upon  March  4,  1817,  was  inaugurated.  Four  years 
later  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presidency 
were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United  States;  the 
Missouri  Compromise,  and  the  "  Monroe  doctrine.' 

This  famous  doctrine,  since  known  as  the  "  Monroe 
doctrine,"  was  enunciated  by  him  in  1823.  At  that 
time  the  United  States  had  recognized  the  independ- 
ence of  the  South  American  states,  and  did  not  wish 
to  have  European  powers  longer  attempting  to  sub- 
due portions  of  the  American  Continent.  The  doctrine 
is  as  follows:  "That  we  should  consider  any  attempt 
on  the  part  of  European  powers  to  extend  their  sys- 
tem to  any  portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous 
to  our  peace  and  safety,"  and  "that  we  could  not 
view  any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing 
or  controlling  American  governments  or  provinces  in 
any  other  light  than  as  a  manifestation  by  European 
powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition  toward  the  United 
States."  This  doctrine  immediately  affected  the  course 
of  foreign  governments,  and  has  become  the  approved 
sentiment  of  the  United  States. 

At  the  end  of  his  f  econd  term  Mr.  Monroe  retired 
to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  uniil  1830 
when  he  went  to  New  York  to  live  with  his  son-in- 
law.  In  that  city  he  died.on  the  4th  of  July  1831 


j, 


SIXTH  PRESIDENT. 


N^^ 


OHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the 
sixth  President  of  the  United 
States,  was  bom  in  the  rural 
home  of  his   honored   father, 
John  Adams,  in  Quincy,  Mass., 
on  the  nth  cf  July,  1767.  His 
mother,  a  woman  of  exalted 
worth,  watched  over  his  childhood 
during   the  almost   constant   ab- 
sence of  his  father.      When    but 
eight  years  of  age,  he  stood  with 
his  mother  on  an  eminence,  listen- 
ing to  the  booming  of  the  great  bat- 
tle on  Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  on 
upon  the  smoke  and  flames  billow- 
ing up  from    the   conflagration   of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he 
took  a  tearful  adieu  of  his.  mother, 
to  sail  with  his  fattier  for  Europe, 
through  a  fleet  ot  hostile  British  cruisers.  The  bright, 
animated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  Paris,  where 
his  father  was  associated  with  Franklin  and  Lee  as 
minister  plenipotentiary.  His  intelligence  attracted 
the  notice  of  these  distinguished  men,  and  he  received 
from  them  flattering  marks  of  attention. 

Mr.  John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
country,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad  Again 
ior.n  Quincy  accompanied  his  father.  At  Paris  he 
applied  himself  with  great  diligence,  for  six  months, 
to  .-,*udy;  then  accompained  his  father  to  Holland, 
v/nere  lie  entered,  first  a  school  in  Amsterdam,  then 
the  University  at  Leyden.  About  a  year  from  this 
time,  in  i78r,  when  the  manly  boy  was  but  fourteen 
yea-s  of  age,  he  was  selected  by  Mr.  Dana,  our  min- 
ister to  the  Russian  court,  as  his  private  secretary. 

In  this  school  of  incessant  labor  and  of  enobling 
culture  he  spent  fourteen  months,  and  then  returned 
to  Holland  thiough  Sweden,  Denmark,  Hamburg  and 
Bremen.  This  long  journey  he  took  alone,  in  the 
winter,  when  in  his  sixteenth  year.  Again  he  resumed 
ms  studies,  under  a  pri"*te  tutor,  at  Hague.  Thence, 


in  the  spring  of  1782,  he  accompanied  his  father  u 
Paris,  traveling  leisurely,  and  forming  acquaintance 
with  the  most  distinguished  men  on  the  Continent 
examining  architectural  remains,  galleries  of  ]  aintings 
and  all  renowned  works  of  art.  At  Paris  he  again 
became  associated  with  the  most  illustrious  men  of 
all  lands  in  the  contemplations  of  the  loftiest  temporal 
themes  which  can  engross  the  human  mind.  After 
a  short  visit  to  England  he  returned  to  Paris,  and 
consecrated  all  his  energies  to  study  until  May,  1785, 
when  he  returned  to  America.  To  a  brilliant  young 
man  of  eighteen,  who  had  seen  much  of  the  world, 
and  who  was  familiar  with  the  etiquette  of  courts,  a 
residence  with  his  father  in  London,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, must  have  been  extremely  attractive 
but  with  judgment  very  rare  in  one  of  his  age,  he  pre- 
ferred to  return  to  America  to  complete  his  education 
in  an  American  college.  He  wished  then  to  study 
law,  that  with  an  honorable  profession,  he  might  be 
able  to  obtain  an  independent  support. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
he  studied  law  for  three  years.  In  June,  1794,  be- 
ing then  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Washington,  resident  minister  at  the 
Netherlands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in  July,  he  reached 
London  in  October,  where  he  was  immediately  admit- 
ted to  the  deliberations  of  Messrs.  Jay  and  Pinckncy; 
assisting  them  in  negotiating  a  commercial  treaty  with 
Gieat  Britian.  After  thus  spending  a  fortnight  i». 
London,  he  proceeded  to  the  Hague. 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  the  Hague  logo  to  Portugal  as 
minister  plenipotentiary.  On  his  way  to  Portugal 
upon  arriving  in  Ixjndon,  he  met  with  despatches 
directing  him  to  the  court  of  Benin,  but  requesting 
him  to-remain  in  London  until  he  should  receive  his 
instructions.  While  waiting  he  was  married  to  ar 
American  lady  to  whom  he  had  been  previously  en- 
gaged, — Miss  Louisa  Catherine  Johnson,  daughtei 
of  Mr.  Joshua  Johnson,  American  consul  In  London 
a  lady  endownd  with  that  beauty  and  those  accom- 
plishment which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  ti«t 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  was 


JOHN  0_U1NCY  ADAMS. 


He  reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1797  ; 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  having  ful- 
filled all  the  purposes  of  his  mission,  he  solicited  his 
recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  Senate  of  Massachusetts,  from  Boston,  and  then 
was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for  six  years, 
from  the  4th  of  March,  1804.  His  reputation,  his 
ability  and  his  experience,  placed  him  immediately 
among  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members 
of  that  body.  Especially  did  he  sustain  the  Govern- 
ment in  its  measures  of  resistance  to  the  encroach- 
ments of  England,  destroying  our  commerce  and  in- 
sulting our  flag.  There  was  no  man  in  America  more 
familiar  with  the  arrogance  of  the  British  court  upon 
these  points,  and  no  one  more  resolved  to  present 
a  firm  resistance. 

In  1809,  Madison  succeeded  Jefferson  in  the  Pres- 
idential chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated  John 
Quincy  Adams  minister  to  St.  Petersburg.  Resign- 
ing his  professorship  in  Harvard  College,  he  embarked 
at  Boston,  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Russia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense  stu- 
dent. He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  language  and 
history  of  Russia;  to  the  Chinese  trade;  to  the 
European  system  of  weights,  measures,  and  coins  ;  to 
the  climate  and  astronomical  observations  ;  while  he 
kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  Greek  and 
Latin  classics.  In  all  the  universities  of  Europe,  a 
more  accomplished  scholar  could  scarcely  be  found. 
All  through  life  the  Bible  constituted  an  importart 
part  of  his  studies.  It  was  his  rule  to  read  five 
chapters  every  day. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  Mr.  Monroe  took  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  appointed  Mr. 
Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave  of  his  num- 
erous friends  in  public  and  private  life  in  Europe,  he 
sailed  in  June,  1819,  for  the  United  States.  On  the 
i8th  of  August,  he  again  crossed  the  threshold  of  his 
home  in  Quincy.  During  the  eight  years  of  Mr.  Mon- 
roe's administration,  Mr.  Adams  continued  Secretary 
of  State. 

Some  time  before  ';he  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's  second 
term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be  presented 
for  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr.  Adams  brought 
forward  his  name.  It  was  an  exciting  campaign. 
Party  spirit  was  never  more  bitter.  Two  hundred  and 
sixty  electoral  votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jackson  re- 
ceived ninety  nine;  John  Quincy  Adams,  eighty-four; 
William  H.  Crawford,  forty -one;  Henry  Clay,  thirty- 
se«ren.  As  there  was  no  choice  by  the  people,  the 
question  went  to  the  House  of  Representatives.  Mr. 
Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to  Mr.  Adams,  and 
be  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates  now 
:ombined  in  a  venomous  and  persistent  assault  upon 
Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more  disgraceful  in 
«>>«  past  history  of  our  country  than  the  abuse  which 


was  poured  in  one  uninterrupted  stream,  upon  this 
high-minded,  upright,  patriotic  man.  There  never  was 
an  administration  more  pure  in  principles,  more  con- 
scientiously devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  coun- 
try, than  that  of  John  Quincy  Adams ;  and  never,  per- 
haps,  was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupu- 
lously and  outrageously  assailed. 

Mr.  Adams  was,  to  a  very  remarkable  degree,  ab- 
stemious and  temperate  in  his  habits;  always  rising 
early,  and  taking  much  exercise.  When  at  his  home  in 
Quincy,  he  has  been  known  to  walk,  before  breakfast, 
seven  miles  to  Boston.  In  Washington,  it  was  said 
that  he  was  the  first  man  up  in  the  city,  lighting  his 
own  fire  and  applying  himself  to  work  in  his  library 
often  long  before  dawn. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1820,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  Andrew 
Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected  Vice  Presi- 
dent. The  slavery  question  now  began  to  assume 
portentous  magnitude.  Mr.  Adams  returned  to 
Quincy  and  to  his  studies,  which  he  pursued  with  un- 
abated zeal.  But  he  was  not  long  permitted  to  re- 
main in  retirement.  In  November,  1830,  he  was 
elected  representative  to  Congress.  For  seventeen 
years,  antil  his  death,  he  occupied  the  post  as  repre- 
sentative, towering  above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to 
do  brave  battle'  for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of 
"the  old  man  eloquent."  Upon  taking  his  seat  in 
the  House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  him- 
self bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never  was  a 
member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He  was  usually 
the  first  in  his  place  in  the  morning,  and  the  last  to 
leave  his  seat  in  the  evening.  Not  a  measure  could 
be  brought  forward  and  escape  his  scrutiny.  'I  he 
battle  which  Mr.  Adams  fought,  almost  singly,  against 
i  he  prosl-ivery  party  in  the  Government,  was  sublime 
in  its  moral  dating  and  heroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitions  for  ihe  abolition  of  slavery,  he 
was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grand  jury, 
with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assassination 
but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and  his  final 
triumph  was  complete. 

It  has  been  said  of  President  Adams,  that  when  his 

body  was  bent  and  his  hair  silvered  by  the  lapse  of 

fourscore  years,  yielding  to  the  simple  faith  of  a  little 

child,  he  was  accustomed  to  repeat  every  night,  before 

I    he  slept,  the  praj  er  which  his  mother  taught  him  in 

I   his  infant  years. 

On  the  zist  of  February,  1848,  he  rose  on  the  floor 
of  Congress,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to  address  the 
speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again  stricken  by  paraly- 
sis, and  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  those  around  him. 
For  a  time  he  was  senseless,  as  he  was  conveyed  to 
the  sofa  in  the  rotunda.  With  reviving  conscious- 
ness, he  opened  his  eyes,  looked  calmly  around  ai.d 
said  "  This  is  the  end  of  earth  /"then  after  a  moment's 
pause  he  add-jd,  "/am  content"  These  were  the 
last  words  of  the  grand  "Old  Man  Eloquent." 


SEVENTH  PRESIDENT. 


NDREW  JACKSON,  the 
seventh  President  of  the 
United  States,  was  born  in 
Waxhaw  settlement,  N.  0., 
March  15,  1767,  a  few  days 
after  his  father's  death.  His 
parents  were  poor  emigrants 
from  Ireland,  and  took  up 
their  abode  in  Waxhaw  set- 
tlement, where  they  lived  in 
deepest  poverty. 
Andrew,  or  Andy,  as  he  was 
.universally  called,  grew  up  a  very 
rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.  His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  un- 
gainly; and  there  was  but  very 
little  in  his  character,  made  visible,  which  was  at- 
tractive. 

When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the  volun- 
teers of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion.  In 
1781,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured  and 
imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British  officer 
ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered  boots.  "  I  am 
a  prisoner  of  war,  not  your  servant,"  was  the  reply  of 
the  dauntless  boy. 

The  brute  drew  his  sword,  and  aimed  a  desperate 
Dlow  at  the  head  of  the  helpless  young  prisoner. 
Andrew  raised  his  hand,  and  thus  received  two  fear- 
ful gashes, — one  on  the  hand  and  the  other  upon  the 
head.  The  officer  then  turned  to  his  brother  Robert 
with  the  same  demand.  He  also  refused,  and  re- 
ceived a  blow  from  the  keen-edged  sabre,  which  quite 
disabled  him,  and  which  probably  soon  after  caused 
his  death.  They  suffered  much  other  ill-treatment,  and 
were  finally  stricken  with  the  small-pox.  Their 
mother  was  successM  it»  obtaining  their  exchange, 


and  took  her  sick  boys  home.  After  a  long  illn  si 
Andrew  recovered,  and  the  death  of  his  mother  soon 
left  him  entirely  friendless. 

Andrew  supported  himself  in  various  ways,sachaa 
working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school  and 
clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  when  he 
entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He,  however, 
gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amusements  of  the 
times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788,  he  was  appointed 
solicitor  for  the  western  district  of  North  Carolina,  of 
which  Tennessee  was  then  a  part.  This  involved 
many  long  and  tedious  journeys  amid  dangers  of 
every  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never  knew  fear, 
and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  repeat  a  skirmish 
witn  the  Sharp  Knife. 

In  1791,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman  who 
supposed  herself  divorced  from  her  former  husband. 
Great  was  the  surprise  of  both  parties,  two  years  later, 
to  find  that  the  conditions  of  the  divorce  had  just  been 
definitely  settled  by  the  first  husband.  The  marriage 
ceremony  was  performed  a  second  time,  but  the  occur- 
rence was  often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr. 
Jackson  into  disfavor. 

During  these  years  he  worked  hard  at  his    profes 
sion,  and  frequently  had  one  or  more  duels  on  hand, 
one  of  which,  when  he   killed  Dickenson,  was  espec- 
ially disgraceful. 

In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee  then 
containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
people  met  in  convention  at  Knoxville  to  frame  a  con- 
stitution. Five  were  sent  from  each  of  the  elevei^ 
counties.  Andrew  Jackson  was  one  of  the  delegates.) 
The  new  State  was  entitled  to  but  one  member  is 
the  National  House  of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jack- 
son was  chosen  that  member.  Mounting  his  horse  he 
rode  to  Philedelphia,  where  Congress  then  held  its 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


sessions, — a  distance  of  about  eight  hundred    miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Jefferson  was  his  idol.  He  admired 
Bonaparte,  loved  France  and  hated  England.  As  Mr. 
Jackson  took  his  seat,  Gen.  Washington,  whose 
second  term  of  office  was  then  expiring,  delivered  his 
last  speech  to  Congress.  A  committee  drew  up  a 
complimentary  address  in  reply.  Andrew  Jackson 
did  not  approve  of  the  address,  and  was  one  of  the 
twelve  who  voted  against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to 
say  that  Gen.  Washington's  adminstration  had  been 
"  wise,  firm  and  patriotic." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned  home. 
Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  his  State,  which  position  he  held  for  six  years. 

When  the  war  of  1812  with  Great  Britian  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  Burr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there  was 
an  unknown  man  in  the  West,  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one  were  con- 
ferred upon  him.  Just  at  that  time  Gen.  Jackson 
offered  his  services  and  those  of  twenty-five  hundred 
volunteers.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  the  troops 
were  assembled  at  Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  expected  to  make  an  at- 
tack upon  New  Orleans,  where  Gen  Wilkinson  was 
in  command,  he  was  ordered  to  descend  the  river 
with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid  Wilkinson.  The 
Expedition  reached  Natchez;  and  after  a  delay  of  sev- 
eral weeks  there,  without  accomplishing  anything, 
!he  men  were  ordered  back  to  their  homes.  But  the 
energy  Gen.  Jackson  had  displayed,  and  his  entire 
devotion  to  the  comrfort  of  his  soldiers,  won  him 
golden  opinions;  and  he  became  the  most  popular 
man  in  the  State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his 
toughness  gave  him  the  nickname  of  "Old  Hickory." 

Soon  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhip  Col. 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  a  part  as  second  in  a  duel,  in 
which  a  younger  brother  of  Benton's  was  engaged, 
he  received  two  severe  pistol  wounds.  While  he  was 
lingering  upon  a  bed  of  suffering  news  came  that  the 
Indians,  who  had  combined  under  Tecumseh  from 
Florida  to  the  Lakes,  to  exterminate  the  white  set- 
ders,  were  committing  the  most  awful  ravages.  De- 
cisive action  became  necessary.  Gen.  Jackson,  with 
his  fractured  bone  just  beginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in 
a  sling,  and  unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assis- 
tance, gave  his  amazing  energies  to  the  raising  of  an 
army  to  rendezvous  at  Fayettesville,  Alabama. 

The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong  fort  on 
one  of  the  bends  of  the  Tallapoosa  River,  near  the  cen- 
ter of  Alabama,  about  fifty  miles  below  Fort  Strother. 
With  an  army  of  two  thousand  men,  Gen.  Jackson 
traversed  the  pathless  wilderness  in  a  march  of  eleven 
days.  He  reached  their  fort,  called  Tohopeka  or 
Horse-shoe,  on  the  ?7th  of  March.  1814.  The  bend 


of  the  river  enclosed  nearly  one  hundred  acres  of 
tangled  forest  and  wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow 
neck  the  Indians  had  constructed  a  formidable  breast- 
work of  logs  and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors, 
with  an  ample  suplyof  arms  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly  des- 
perate. Not  an  Indian  would  accept  of  quarter.  When 
bleeding  and  dying,  they  would  fight  those  who  en- 
deavored to  spare  their  lives.  From  ten  in  the  morn- 
ing until  dark,  the  battle  raged.  The  carnage  was 
awful  and  revolting.  Some  threw  themselves  into  the 
river;  but  the  unerring  bullet  struck  their  heads  as 
they  swam.  Nearly  everyone  of  the  nine  hundred  war- 
rios  were  killed  A  few  probably,  in  the  night,  swam 
the  river  and  escaped.  This  ended  the  war.  The 
power  of  the  Creeks  was  broken  forever.  This  bold 
plunge  into  the  wilderness,  with  its  terrifific  slaughter, 
so  appalled  the  savages,  that  the  haggard  remnants 
of  the  bands  came  to  the  camp,  begging  for  peace. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  war  enabled  us  to  con- 
centrate all  our  militia  upon  the  British,  who  were  the 
allies  of  the  Indians  No  man  of  less  resolute  will 
than  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  conducted  this  Indian 
campaign  to  so  successful  an  issue  Immediately  he 
was  appointed  major-general. 

Late  in  August,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  on  a  rushing  march,  Gen.  Jackson  came  to 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  came  from  Pensacola,  landed 
a  force  upon  the  beach,  anchored  near  the  little  fort, 
and  from  both  ship  and  shore  commenced  a  furious 
assault  The  battle  was  long  and  doubtful.  At  length 
one  of  the  ships  was  blown  up  and  the  rest  retired. 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his  little 
army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
And  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  w  hich  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  very  arduous  campaign.  This  won 
for  Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishable  name.  Here  his 
troops,  which  numbered  about  four  thousand  men, 
won  a  signal  victory  over  the  British  army  of  about 
nine  thousand.  His  loss  was  but  thirteen,  while  the 
loss  of  the  British  was  two  thousand  six  hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  the  Presidency,  but,  in  1824, 
he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams.  He  was,  however, 
successful  in  the  election  of  1828,  and  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  in  1832.  In  1829,  just  before  he 
assumed  the  reins  of  the  government,  he  met  with 
the  most  terrible  affliction  of  his  life  in  the  death  of 
his  wife,  whom  he  had  loved  with  a  devotion  which  has 
perhaps  never  been  surpassed.  From  the  shock  of 
her  death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  rec-morabie 
in  the  annals  of  our  country;  applauded  oyone  party, 
condemned  by  the  other.  No  man  had  more  bitter 
enemies  or  warmer  friends.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
two  terms  of  office  he  retired  to  the  Hermitage,  where 
he  died  June  8,  1845.  The  last  years  of  Mr.  Jack- 
son's life  were  that  of  a  devoted  Christian  man. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


7 


EIGHTH  PRESIDENT. 


ARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  the 
eighth     President     of     the 
United  States,  was  born  at 
Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  5, 
1782.     He  died  at  the  same 
place,  July   24,    1862.      His 
body  rests  in  the  cemetery 
at  Kinderhook.     Above  it  is 
a  plain  granite   shaft  fifteen  feet 
high,  bearing  a  simple  inscription 
about  half  way  up   on   one    face. 
The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordered 
or  unbounded  by  shrub  or  flower. 

There  »-  uut  iktle  in  the  life  of  Martin  Van  Buren 
of  rumant  'c  interest.  He  fought  no  battles,  engaged 
in  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life  was  stormy  in 
political  and  intellectual  conflicts,  and  he  gained  many 
signal  victories,  his  days  passed  uneventful  in  those 
incidents  which  give  zest  to  biography.  His  an- 
cestors, as  his  name  indicates,  were  of  Dutch  origin, 
and  were  among  the  earliest  emigrants  from  Holland 
to  the  banks  of  the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
residing  iu  the  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother, 
also  of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  exemplary  piety. 

AQ  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing  un- 
usual activity,  vigor  and  strength  of  mind.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic  studies 
in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the  study  of 
law.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  education,  seven 
years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  required  of  him 
before  he  could  be  admitted  to  the  bar.  Inspired  with 
<t  lofty  ambition,  and  conscious  of  his  powers,  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  with  indefatigable  industry.  After 
spending  six  years  in  an  office  in  His  native  village, 


he  went  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and  prosecuted  his 
studies  for  the  seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  twenty-one  years  ol 
age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  native  vil- 
lage. The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal  and 
Republican  party  was  then  at  its  height.  Mr.  Van 
Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politician.  He  had, 
perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while  listening  to  the 
many  discussions  which  had  been  carried  on  in  his 
father's  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial  sympathy  with, 
Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  eloquently  espoused  tl.s 
cause  of  State  Rights ;  though  at  that  time  the  Feu- 
eral  party  held  the  supremacy  both  in  his  tow.i 
and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  ruputation  led  him 
after  six  years  of  practice,  to  remove  to  Hudson,  th. 
county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent  seven  years 
constantly  gaining  strength  by  contending  in  th* 
courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men  who  have  adorned 
the  bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  for  Hudson,  Mi. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomplishments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  the  victim  of  consump. 
tion,  leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to  weep  ovei 
her  loss.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was 
an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous  lawyer.  The  record 
of  those  years  is  barren  in  items  of  public  interest. 
In  1812,  when  thirty  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  State  Senate,  and  gave  his  strenuous  support  to 
Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  In  1815,  he  was  ap-1 
pointed  Attorney-General,  and  the  next  year  moved 
to  Albany,  the  capital  of  the  State. 

While  he  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most 
piominent  leaders  of  th«  Democratic  party,  he  had 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  that  "  universal  suffrage"  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  right  of 
governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with  his 
democratic  principles,  he  contended  that,  while  the 
path  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should  be  open 
to  every  man  without  distinction,  no  one  should  be 
invested  with  that  sacred  prerogative,  unless  he  were 
in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by  intelligence,  virtue 
and  some  property  interests  in  the  welfare  of  the 
State. 

In  1821  he  was  elected  r,  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate;  and  in  the  same  year,  he  took  a  seat 
in  the  convention  to  revise  the  constitution  of  his 
native  State.  His  course  in  this  convention  secured 
the  approval  of  men  of  all  parties.  No  one  could 
doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to  promote  the 
interests  of  all  classes  in  the  community.  In  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  he  rose  at  once  to  a 
conspicuous  position  as  an  active  and  useful  legislator. 

In  1827,  John  Quincy  Adams  beirg  then  in  the 
^residential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected  to 
.he  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning  a  de- 
;ermined  opposer  of  the  Administration,  adopting  the 
•'State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what  was 
'deemed  the  Federal  proclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Soon  after  this,  in  1828,  he  was  chosen  Governorof 
the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned  his 
•seat  in  the  Senate.  Probably  no  one  in  the  United 
States  contributed  so  much  towards  ejecting  John  Q. 
\dams  from  the  Presidential  chair,  and  placing  in  it 
Andrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin  Van  Buren.  Whether 
entitled  to  the  reputation  or  not,  he  certainly  was  re- 
garded throughout  the  United  States  as  one  of  the 
most  skillful,  sagacious  and  cunning  of  politicians 
It  was  supposed  that  no  one  knew  so  well  as  he  how 
to  touch  the  secret  sptings  of  action;  how  to  pull  all 
the  wires  to  put  his  machinery  in  motion ;  and  ho-v  to 
organize  a  political  army  which  would,  secretly  and 
s'te.-'Uhily  accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By 
these  powers  it  is  said  that  he  outwitted  Mr.  Adams, 
Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Webster,  and  secured  results  which 
few  thought  then  could  be  accomplished. 

VVii.-i  Andrew  Jackson  was  elected  President  he 
appointed  Mr.  Van  Buren  Secretary  of  State.  This 
position  he  resigned  in  1831,  and  was  immediately 
appointed  Minister  to  England,  where  he  went  the 
same  autumn.  The  Senate,  however,  when  it  met, 
refused  to  ratify  the  nomination,  and  he  returned 


home,  apparently  untroubled ;  was  nominated  Vice 
President  in  the  place  of  Calhoun,  at  the  re-election 
of  President  Jackson ;  and  with  smiles  for  all  and 
fiowns  for  none,  he  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that 
Senate  which  had  refused  to  confirm  his  nomination 
as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  by  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal  of 
President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated  favor- 
ite ;  and  this,  probably  more  than  any  other  cause, 
secured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the  Chief  Execu 
live.  On  the  2oth  of  May,  1836,  Mr.  Van  Buren  re- 
ceived the  Democratic  nomination  to  succeed  Gen. 
Jackson  as  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  to  the  delight  of  the 
retiring  President.  "  Leaving  New  York  out  of  the 
canvass,"  says  Mr.  Parton,  "the  election  of  Mr.  Van 
Buren  to  the  Presidency  was  as  much  the  act  of  Gen. 
Jackson  as  though  the  Constitution  had  conferred 
upon  him  the  power  to  appoint  a  successor." 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting  events- 
The  insurrection  in  Canada,  which  threatened  to  in- 
volve this  country  in  war  with  England,  the  agitation 
of  the  slavery  question,  and  finally  the  great  commer- 
cial panic  which  spread  over  the  country,  all  were 
trials  to  his  wisdom.  The  financial  distress  was  at- 
tributed to  the  management  of  the  Democratic  party, 
and  brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  he 
failed  of  re-election. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Free  Soil"  Democrats,  in  1848, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  quietly  upon  his  estate  until 
his  death. 

He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of  frugal  habits, 
and  living  within  his  income,  had  now  fortunately  a 
competence  for  his  declining  years.  His  unblemished 
character,  his  commanding  abilities,  his  unquestioned 
patriotism,  ard  the  distinguished  positions  which  he 
had  occupied  in  the  government  of  our  country,  se- 
cured to  him  not  only  the  homage  of  his  party,  but 
the  respect  ot  the  whole  community.  It  was  on  the 
4th  of  March,  1841,  that  Mr.  Van  Buren  retired  from 
the  presidency.  From  his  fine  estate  at  Lindenwald. 
he  still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  i>olitic$ 
of  the  country.  From  this  time  until  his  death,  on 
the  24th  of  July,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  he 
resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of  leisure,  of 
culture  and  of  wealth;  enjoying  in  a  healthy  old 
age,  probably  far  more  happiness  than  lie  had  before 
experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes  of  his  active  life. 


NTNTH  PRESIDENT. 


ILLIAM  HENRY  HARRI- 
SON, the  ninth   President  of 
the   United  States,  was  born 
at  Berkeley,  Va.,  Feb.  9, 1773. 
His  father,   Benjamin   Harri- 
son, was  in  comparatively  op- 
ulent circumstances,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  his  day.      He  was  an 
intimate    friend    of     George 
Washington,  w  as  early  elected 
a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress,    and  was    conspicuous 
among  the  patriots  of  Virginia  in 
resisting  the  encroachments  of  the 
British  crown.     In  the  celebrated 
Congress  of  1775,  Benjamin  Har- 
rison   and   John    Hancock   were 
both  candidates  for  the  office  of 
speaker. 

Mr  Harrison  was  subsequently 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
was  twice  re-elected.  His  son, 
William  Henry,  of  course  enjoyed 
in  childhood  all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and 
intellectual  and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
ing received  a  thorough  common-school  education,  he 
entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where  he  graduated 
with  honor  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father.  He 
then  repaired  to  Philadelphia  to  study  medicine  under 
the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush  and  the  guardianship  of 
Jobert  Morris,  both  of  whom  were,  with  his  father, 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and  not- 
withstanding the  'emonstrances  of  his  friends,  he 
abandoned  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the  army, 
.laving  obtair"^'  a  commission  of  Ensign  from  Presi- 


dent Washington.  He  was  then  but  19  years  old 
From  that  time  he  passed  gradually  upward  in  rank 
until  he  became  aid  to  General  Wayne,  after  whose 
death  he  resigned  his  commission.  He  was  then  ap- 
pointed Secretary  of  the  North-western  Territory.  This 
Territory  was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in 
Congress  and  Capt.  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that 
position. 

In  the  spring  of  1800  the  North-western  Territory 
was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions.  The 
eastern  portion,  comprising  the  region  now  embraced 
in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  ''  The  Territory 
north-west  of  the  Ohio."  The  western  portion,  which 
included  what  is  now  called  Indiana,  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin,  was  called  the  "Indiana  Territory."  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison,  then  27  years  of  age,  was  ap 
pointed  by  John  Adams,  Governor  of  the  Indiana 
Territory,  and  immediately  after,  also  Governor  of 
Upper  Louisiana.  He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as 
extensive  a  realm  as  any  sovereign  upon  the  globe.  He 
was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and  was  in- 
vested with  powers  nearly  dictatorial  over  the  now 
rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The  ability  and 
fidelity  with  which  he  discharged  these  responsible 
duties  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  was  four 
times  appointed  to  this  office — first  by  John  Adams, 
twice  by  Thomas  Jefferson  and  afterwards  by  Presi. 
dent  Madison. 

When  he  began  his  adminstration  there  were  but 
three  white  settlementsin  that  almost  boundless  region, 
now  crowded  with  cities  and  resounding  with  all  the 
tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic.  One  of  these  settlements 
was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly  opposite  Louisville;  one  at 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  third  a  French 
settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  Gov.  Harrisou 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians.  Abon» 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men,  twin  brothers, 
of  the  Shawnese  tribe,  rose  among  them.  One  of 
these  was  called  Tecumseh,  or  "  The  Crouching 
Hmther;"  the  other,  Ollivvacheca,  or  "The  Prophet." 
Tecumseh  was  not  only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man 
of  great  sagacity,  far-reaching  foresight  and  indomit- 
able perseverance  in  any  enterprise  in  which  he  might 
engage.  He  was  inspired  with  the  highest  enthusiasm, 
and  had  long  regarded  with  dread  and  with  hatred 
the  encroachment  of  the  whites  upon  the  hunting- 
grounds  of  his  fathers.  His  brother,  the  Prophet,  was 
anorator,  who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untutored 
1  ndian  as  the  gale  tossed  the  tree -tops  beneath  which 
they  dwelt. 

But  the  Prophet  was  not  merely  an  orator :  he  was, 
in  the  superstitious  minds  of  the  Indians,  invested 
with  the  superhuman  dignity  of  a  medicine-man  or  a 
magician.  With  an  enthusiasm  unsurpassed  by  Peter 
the  Hermit  rousing  Europe  to  the  crusades,  he  went 
from  tribe  to  tribe,  assuming  that  he  was  specially  sent 
by  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harrison  made  many  attempts  to  conciliate 
the  Indians,  but  at  last  the  war  came,  and  at  Tippe- 
canoe  the  Indians  were  routed  with  great  slaughter. 
October  28,  1812,  his  army  began  its  inarch.  When 
near  the  Prophet's  town  three  Indians  of  rank  made 
their  appearance  and  inquired  why  Gov.  Harrison  was 
approaching  them  in  so  hostile  an  attitude.  After  a 
short  conference,  arrangements  were  made  for  a  meet- 
ing the  next  day,  to  agree  upon  terms  of  peace. 

But  Gov.  Harrison  was  too  well  acquainted  with 
the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such  protes- 
tations. Selecting  a  favorable  spot  for  his  night's  en- 
campment, he  took  every  precaution  against  surprise. 
His  troops  were  posted  in  a  hollow  square,  and  slept 
upon  their  arms. 

The  troops  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground  for 
rest;  but  every  man  had  his  accourtrements  on,  his 
loaded  musket  by  his  side,  and  his  bayonet  fixed.  The 
wakeful  Governor,  between  three  and  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting  in  conversa- 
tion with  his  aids  by  the  embers  of  a  waning  fire.  It 
was  a  chill,  cloudy  morning  with  a  drizzling  rain.  In 
the  darkness,  the  Indians  had  crept  as  near  as  possi- 
ble, and  just  then,  with  a  savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all 
the  desperation  which  superstition  and  passion  most 
highly  inflamed  could  give,  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
little  army.  The  savages  had  been  amply  provided 
with  guns  and  ammunition  by  the  English.  Their 
war-whoop  was  accompained  by  a  shower  of  bullets. 

The  camp-fires  were  instantly  extinguished,  as  the 
light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim.  With  hide- 
»us  yells,  the  Indian  bands  rushed  on,  not  doubting  a 
speedy  and  an  entire  victory.  But  Gen.  Harrison's 
troops  stood  as  immovable  as  the  rocks  around  them 
until  day  dawned  :  they  then  made  a  simultaneous 
charge  with  the  bayonet,  and  swept  every  thing  be- 
fore them,  and  completely  routing  th*>  foe. 


Gov.  Harrison  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 
to  the  utmost.  The  British  descending  from  the  Can  - 
adas,  were  of  themselves  a  very  formidable  force  ;  but 
with  their  savage  allies,  rushing  like  wolves  from  the 
forest,  searching  out  every  remote  farm-house,  burn- 
ing, plundering,  scalping,  torturing,  the  wide  frontier 
was  plunged  into  a  state  of  consternation  which  even 
the  most  vivid  imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive. 
The  war-whoop  was  resounding  everywhere  in  the 
forest.  The  horizon  was  illuminated  with  the  conflagra- 
tion of  the  cabins  of  the  settlers.  Gen  Hull  had  made 
the  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at  Detroit. 
Under  these  despairing  circumstances,  Gov.  Harrison 
was  appointed  by  President  Madison  coinmander-in- 
chief  of  the  North-western  army,  with  orders  to  retake 
Detroit,  and  to  protect  the  frontiers. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  place  a  man  in  a  situation 
demanding  more  energy,  sagacity  and  courage;  but 
General  Harrison  was  found  equal  to  the  position, 
and  nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  meet  all  the  re 
sponsibilities. 

He  won  the  love  of  his  soldiers  by  always  sharing 
with  them  their  fatigue.  His  whole  baggage,  while 
pursuing  the  foe  up  the  Thames,  was  carried  in  a 
valise;  and  his  bedding  consisted  of  a  single  blanket 
lashed  over  his  saddle.  Thirty-five  British  officers, 
his  prisoners  of  war,  supped  with  him  after  the  battle. 
The  only  fare  he  could  give  them  was  beef  roasted 
before  the  fire,  without  bread  or  salt. 

In  1816,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  represent 
the  District  of  Ohio.  In  Congress  he  proved  an 
active  member;  and  whenever  he  spoke,  it  was  with 
force  of  reason  and  power  of  eloquence,  which  arrested 
the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  1819,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio;  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  presidential  electors 
of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  The 
same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

In  1836,  the  friends  of  Gen.  Harrison  brought  him 
forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  against 
Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the  close  of 
Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  was  re-nominated  by  his 
party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unanimously  nominated 
by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler  forthe  Vice  Presidency. 
The  contest  was  very  animated.  Gen.  Jackson  gave 
all  his  influence  to  prevent  Harrison's  election  ;  but 
his  triumph  was  signal. 

The  cabinet  which  he  formed,  with  Daniel  Webster 
at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  with  which  any  President  had  ever  been 
surrounded.  Never  were  the  prospects  of  an  admin- 
istration more  flattering,  or  the  hopes  of  the  country 
more  sanguine.  In  the  midst  of  these  bright  and 
joyous  prospects,  Gen.  Harrison  was  seized  by  a 
pleurisv-fever  and  after  a  few  days  of  violent  sick- 
ness, died  on  the  4th  of  April ;  just  one  month  after 
his  inauguration  as  President  of  the  United,  S,tate.s. 


LIBRARY 
DIVERSITY  OF 


TENTH  PRESIDENT. 


55 


OHN    TYLER,     the    tenth 
Presidentof  the  United  States. 
He  was  born  in  Charles-city 
Co.,  Va.,  March  29, 1790.  He 
was  the  favored  child   of  af- 
fluence and  high   social    po- 
sition.    At  the   early  age   of 
twelve,  John  entered  William 
and  Mary  College  and  grad- 
uated with  much  honor  when 
but  seventeen  years  old.  After 
graduating,  he  devoted  him- 
self with    great   assiduity  to   the 
study    of    law,    partly   with    his 
father   and   partly  with   Edmund 
Randolph,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  ne 
commenced  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  was  rapid  and  aston- 
ishing. It  is  said  that  three 
months  had  not  elapsed  ere  there 
was  scarcely  a  case  on  the  dock- 
I  et  of  the  court  in  which  he  was 
i.  3t  retained.  When  but  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he 
was  almost  unanimously  e^cted  to  a  seat  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures  of 
Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive  years  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving  nearly  the 
unanimous  vote  or  his  county. 

When  but  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  earnestly  and 
ably  wiih  the  Democratic  party,  opposing  a  national 
bank,  internal  improvements  by  the  General  ^vern- 


ment,  a  protective  tariff,  and  advocating  a  strict  con- 
struction of  the  Constitution,  and  the  most  careful 
vigilance  over  State  rights.  His  labors  in  Congress 
were  so  arduous  that  before  the  close  of  his  second 
term  he  found  it  necessary  to  resign  and  retire  to  his 
estate  in  Charles-city  Co.,  to  recruit  his  health.  He. 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  in  the 
State  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was  powerful 
in  promoting  public  works  of  great  utility.  With  a 
reputation  thus  canstantly  increasing,  he  was  chosen 
by  a  very  large  majority  of  votes,  Governor  of  his 
native  State.  His  administration  was  signally  a  suc- 
cessful one.  His  popularity  secured  his  re-election. 

John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  erratic,  half-crazed 
man,  then  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic  party 
was  displeased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  wayward  course, 
and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as  his  opponent, 
considering  him  the  only  man  in  Virginia  of  sufficient 
popularity  to  succeed  against  the  renowned  orator  of 
Roanoke.  Mr.  Tyler  was  the  victor. 

In  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  taking  his 
seat  in  the  Senate,  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  6pposi- 
tion.  He  opposed  the  tariff;  he  spoke  against  and 
voted  against  the  bank  as  unconstitutional ;  he  stren- 
uously opposed  all  restrictions  upon  slavery,  resist- 
ing all  projects  of  internal  improvements  by  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  and  avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr. 
Calhoun's  view  of  nullification  ;  he  declared  that  Gen. 
Jackson,  by  his  opposition  to  the  nullifiers,  had 
abandoned  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Such  was  Mr.  Tyler's  record  in  Congress, — a  record 
in  perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
his  profession.  Ther?  was  a  cplit  in  the  Democratic 


JOHN  TYLER. 


,»,arty.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a  true  Jef- 
fersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  showered  compli- 
ments upon  him.  He  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
forty-six.  His  career  had  been  very  brilliant.  In  con- 
sequence of  his  devotion  to  public  business,  his  pri- 
vate affairs  had  fallen  into  some  disorder;  audit  was 
not  without  satisfaction  that  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  law,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  culture  of  his  plan- 
tation. Soon  after  this  he  removed  to  Williamsburg, 
for  the  better  education  of  his  children ;  and  he  again 
took  his  seat  in  the  Legislature  of  Viiginia. 

By  the  Southern  Whigs,  he  was  sent  to  the  national 
convention  at  Harrisburg  to  nominate  a  President  in 
7839.  The  majority  of  votes  were  given  to  Gen.  Har- 
rison, a  genuine  Whig,  much  to  the  disappointment  of 
the  South,  who  wished  for  Henry  Clay.  To  concili- 
ate the  Southern  Whigs  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the 
convention  then  nominated  John  Tyler  for  Vice  Pres- 
ident. It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympa- 
thy with  the  Whig  party  in  theNoith:  but  the  Vice 
President  has  but  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to  pre- 
side over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it  hap- 
pened that  a  Whig  President,  and,  in  reality,  a 
Democratic  Vice  President  were  chosen. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice  .Presi- 
.ient  of  the  United  States.  In  one  short  month  from 
that  time,  President  Harrison  died,  and  Mr.  Tyler 
thus  .;und  himself,  to  his  own  surprise  and  that  of 
the  whole  Nation,  an  occupant  of  the  Presidential 
chair.  This  was  a  new  test  of  the  stability  of  our 
institutions,  as  it  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  our 
country  that  such  an  event  had  occured.  Mr.  Tyler 
was  at  home  in  Williamsburg  when  he  received  the 
unexpected  tidings  of  the  death  of  President  Harri- 
son. He  hastened  to  Washington,  and  on  the  6th  of 
April  was  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  responsible 
office.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of  exceeding 
delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  long  life  he  had  been 
opposed  to  the  main  principles  of  the  party  which  had 
brought  him  into  power.  He  had  ever  been  a  con- 
sistent, honest  man,  with  an  unblemished  record. 
Gen.  Harrison  had  selected  a  Whig  cabinet.  Should 
he  retain  them,  and  thus  surround  himself  with  coun- 
sellors whose  views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own  ?  or, 
on  the  other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him  and  select  a  cabinet  in  har- 
rr.ony  with  himself,  and  which  would  oppose  all  those 
views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essential  to  the  pub- 
lic welfare?  Thjs  was  his  fearful  dilemma.  He  in- 
vited the  cabinet  which  President  Haarison  had 
selected  to  retain  their  seats.  He  reccommended  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  that  God  would  guide  and 
bless  us. 

The  Whigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for  the 
incorporation  of  a  fiscal  bank  of  the  United  States. 
The  President,  after  ten  days'  delay,  returned  it  with 
his  veto.  He  suggested,  however,  that  he  would 


approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon  such  a  plan  as  he 
proposed.  Such  a  bill  was  accordingly  prepared,  and 
privately  submitted  to  him.  He  gave  it  his  approval. 
It  was  passed  without  alteration,  and  he  sent  it  back 
with  his  veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture. 
It  is  said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 
ure by  a  published  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Bolts,  a  distinguished  Virginia  Whig,  who  severely 
touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opposition  now  exultingly  received  the  Presi- 
dent into  their  arms.  The  party  which  elected  him 
denounced  him  bitterly.  All  the  members  of  his 
cabinet,  excepting  Mr.  Webster,  resigned.  The  Whigs 
of  Congress,  both  the  Senate  and  the  House,  held  a 
meeting  and  issued  an  address  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  proclaiming  that  all  political  alliance 
between  the  Whigs  and  President  Tyler  were  at 
an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabinet  of  distinguished  Whigs  and 
Conservatives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong  party 
men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessary  to  resign, 
forced  out  by  the  pressure. of  his  Whig  friends.  Thus 
the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  unfortunate  administra- 
tion passed  sadly  away.  No  one  was  satisfied.  The 
land  was  filled  with  murmurs  and  vituperation.  Whigs 
and  Democrats  alike  assailed  him.  More  and  more, 
however,  he  brought  himself  into  sympathy  with  his 
old  friends,  the  Democrats,  until  at  the  close  of  his  term, 
he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  support  of  Mr. 
Polk,  the  Democratic  candidate  for  his  successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  he  retired  from  the 
harassments  of  office,  to  the  regret  of  neither  party,  and 
probably  to  his  own  unspeakable  relief.  His  first  wife, 
Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died  in  Washington,  in  1842; 
and  in  June,  r844,  President  Tyler  was  again  married, 
at  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia  Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of 
many  personal  and  intellectual  accomplishments. 

The  remainder  of  his  days  Mr.  Tyler  passed  mainly 
in  retirement  at  his  beautiful  home, — Sherwood  For- 
est, Charles  city  Co.,  Va.  A  polished  gentleman  in 
his  manners,  richly  furnished  with  information  from 
books  and  experience  in  the  world,  and  possessing 
brilliant  powers  of  conversation,  his  family  circle  was 
the  scene  of  unusual  attractions.  With  sufficient 
moans  for  the  exercise  of  a  generous  hospitality,  he 
might  have  enjoyed  a  serene  old  age  with  the  few 
friends  who  gathered  around  him,  were  it  not  for  the 
storms  of  civil  war  which  his  own  principles  and 
policy  had  helped  to  introduce. 

When  the  great  Rebellion  rose,  which  the  State., 
rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  Mr.  John  C.  Ca\- 
houn  had  inaugurated,  President  Tyler  renounced  his 
allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and  joined  the  Confed- 
erates He  was  chosen  a  member  of  their  Congress; 
and  while  engaged  in  active  measures  to  destroy,  bw 
force  of  arms,  'he  Government  over  which  he  had 
once  presided,  he  was  taken  sick  and  soon  died. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


EZE  VENTff  'PRESIDENT  * 


59 


AMES  K.  POLK,  the  eleventh 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  in  Mecklenburg  Co., 
N.  C.,Nov.  2,  1795.  His  par- 
ents were  Samuel  and  Jane 
(Knox)  Polk,  the  former  a  son 

of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 

at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the 

first  pioneers,  in  1735. 

In  the  year  1806,  with  his  wife 

and  children,  and  soon  after  fol- 


lowed by  most  of  the  members  of 
the  Polk  farnly,  Samuel  Polk  emi- 
grated some  two  or  three  hundred 
miles  farther  west,  to  the  rich  valley 
of  the  Duck  River.  Here  in  the 
midst  of  the  wilderness,  in  a  region 
which  was  subsequently  called  Mau- 
ry  Co.,  they  reared  their  log  huts, 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the 
hard  toil  of  a  new  farm  in  the  wil- 
derness, James  K.  Polk  spent  the 
early  years  of  his  childhood  and 
youth.  His  father,  adding  the  pur- 
suit of  a  surveyor  to  that  of  a  farmer, 
gradually  increased  in  wealth  until 
he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  region.  His 
mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of  strong  common 
sense  and  earnest  piety. 

Very  early  in  life,  James  developed  a  taste  for 
reading  and  expressed  the  strongest  desire  to  obtain 
a  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training  had  made 
him  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught  him  punct- 
uality and  industry,  and  had  inspired  him  with  lofty 
principles  of  morality.  His  health  was  frail ;  and  his 
father,  fearing  that  he  might  not  be  able  to  endure  a 


sedentary  life,  got  a   situation   for  him   behind  the 
counter,  hoping  to  fit  him  for  commercial  pursuits. 

This  was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He 
had  no  taste  for  these  duties,  and  his  daily  tasks 
were  irksome  in  the  extreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupation  but  a  few  weeks,  when  at  his 
earnest  solicitation  his  father  removed  him,  and  made 
arrangements  for  him  to  prosecute  his  studies.  Soon 
after  he  sent  him  to  Murfreesboro  Academy.  With 
ardor  which  could  scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed 
forward  in  his  studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a  half 
years,  in  the  autumn  of  1815,  entered  the  sophomore) 
class  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel! 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  exemplary  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exercise,  never  allowing 
himself  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a  religious 
service. 

He  graduated  in  1818,  with  the  highest  honors,  be- 
ing deemed  the  best  scholar  of  his  class,  both  in 
mathematics  and  the  classics.  He  was  then  twenty- 
three  years  of  age.  Mr.  Folk's  health  was  at  this 
time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with  which  he 
had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a  short  season  of 
relaxation  he  went  to  Nashville,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Felix  Grundy,  to  study  law.  Here  Mr.  Polk 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
resided  on  his  plantation,  the  Hermitage,  but  a  few 
miles  from  Nashville.  They  had  probably  been 
slightly  acquainted  before. 

Mr.  Polk's  father  was  a  Jeffersonian  Republican, 
and  James  K,  Polk  ever  adhered  to  the  same  politi- 
cal faith.  He  was  a  popular  public  speaker,  and  was 
constantly  called  upon  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
party  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such  that 
he  was  popularly  called  the  Napoleon  of  the  stump. 
He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  morals,  genial  and 


JAMES  K.  POLK. 


tourterus  in  his  bearing,  and  with  that  sympathetic 
nature  in  the  joys  and  griefs  of  others  which  ever  gave 
him  troops  of  friends.  In  1823,  Mr.  Polk  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee.  Here  he  gave  his 
strong  influence  towards  the  election  of  his  friend, 
JMr.  Jackson,  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 

In  January,  1824,  Mr.  Polk  married  Miss  Sarah 
Childress,  of  Rutherford  Co.,  Tenn.  His  bride  was 
altogether  worthy  of  him, — a  lady  of  beauty  and  cul- 
ture. In  the  fall  of  1825,  Mr.  Polk  was  chosen  a 
member  of  Congress.  The  satisfaction  which  he  gave 
to  his  constituents  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that 
for  fourteen  successive  years,  until  1839,  he  was  con- 
tinued in  that  office.  He  then  voluntarily  withdrew, 
only  that  he  might  accept  the  Gubernatorial  chair 
of  Tennessee.  In  Congress  he  was  a  laborious 
member,  a  frequent  and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was 
always  in  his  seat,  always  courteous ;  and  whenever 
he  spoke  it  was  always  to  the  point,  and  without  any 
ambitious  rhetorical  display.  :•-•&&• 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress,  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House  Strong  passions  were  roused, 
and  stormy  scenes  were  witnessed  ;  but  Mr.  Polk  per- 
Jbrmed  his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general  satisfac- 
tion, and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  him  was 
passed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk,  as  a 
candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State.  He  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  the  1 4th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville.  In  1841, 
his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was  again  the  can- 
didate of  the  Democratic  party,  but  was  defeated. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Polk  was  inaugur- 
ated President  of  the  United  States.  The  verdict  of 
the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  exerted 
its  influence  upon  Congress  ;  and  the  last  act  of  the 
administration  of  President  Tyler  was  to  affix  his  sig- 
nature to  a  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  passed  on  the 
•jd  of  March,  approving  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to 
the  American  Union.  As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas 
as  one  of  her  provinces,  the  Mexican  minister, 
Almonte,  immediately  demanded  his  passports  and 
(feft  the  country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation 
to  be  an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

In  his  first  message,  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediately,  by  act  of  Congress,  be  re- 
ceived into  the  Union  on  the  same  footing  with  the 
other  States.  In  the  meantime,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent 


with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the  country.  He  was 
sent  first  to  Nueces,  which  the  Mexicans  said  was  the 
western  boundary  of  Texas.  Then  he  was  sent  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  further  west,  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
where  he  erected  batteries  which  commanded  the 
Mexican  city  of  Matamoras,  which  was  situated  on 
the  western  banks. 

The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place,  and  wai 
was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President  Polk.  The 
war  was  pushed  forward  by  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
with  great  vigor.  Gen.  Taylor,  whose  army  was  first 
called  one  of  "  observation,"  then  of  "  occupation,' 
then  of  "  invasion, "was  sent  forward  to  Monterey.  The 
feeble  Mexicans,  in  every  encounter,  were  hopelessly 
and  awfully  slaughtered.  The  day  of  judgement 
alone  can  reveal  the  misery  which  this  war  caused. 
It  was  by  the  ingenuity  of  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
that  the  war  was  brought  on. 

'To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils."  Mexico  was 
prostrate  before  us.  Her  capital  was  in  our  hands. 
We  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the  condition  that 
Mexico  should  surrender  to  us,  in  addition  to  Texas, 
all  of  New  Mexico,  and  all  of  Upper  and  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia. This  new  demand  embraced,  exclusive  of 
Texas,  eight  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  This 
was  an  extent  of  territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the 
size  of  New  York.  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen 
majestic  States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  There  were 
some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  right :  there  were 
others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.  In  the  prosecution 
of  this  war,  we  expended  twenty  thousand  lives  and 
more  than  a  hundred  million  of  dollars.  Of  this 
money  fifteen  millions  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1849,  Mr.  Polk  retired  from 
office,  having  served  one  term.  The  next  day  was 
Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
as  his  successor.  Mr.  Polk  rode  to  the  Capitol  in  the 
same  carriage  with  Gen.  Taylor;  and  the  same  even- 
ing, with  Mrs.  Polk,  he  commenced  his  return  to 
Tennessee.  He  was  then  but  fifty-four  years  of  age. 
He  had  ever  been  strictly  temperate  in  all  his  habits, 
and  his  health  was  good.  With  an  ample  fortune, 
a  choice  library,  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic  ties 
of  the  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though  long  years 
of  tranquility  and  happiness  were  before  him.  But  the 
cholera — that  fearful  scourge— was  then  sweeping  up 
the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi.  This  he  contracted, 
and  died  on  the  151)1  of  June,  1849,  in  the  fifty-fourth 
year  of  his  age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  countrymen. 


UBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBAN/I 


TWELFTH  PRESIDENT. 


ACHARY  TAYLOR,  twelfth 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  on  the  241)1  of  Nov., 
1784,  in  Orange  Co.,  Va.  His 
father,  Colonel  Taylor,  was 
a  Virginian  of  note,  and  a  dis- 
tinguished  patriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  When  Zachary 
was  an  infant,  his  father  with  his 
wife  and  two  children,  emigrated 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  settled  in 
the  pathless  wilderness,  a  few 
miles  from  Louisville.  In  this  front- 
ier home,  away  from  civilization  and 
all  its  refinements,  young  Zachary 
could  enjoy  but  few  social  and  educational  advan- 
tages. When  six  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common 
school,  and  was  then  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  boy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bluntness  and  decision  of  char- 
acter He  was  strong,  fearless  and  self-reliant,  and 
manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the  army  to  fight 
the  Indians  who  were  ravaging  the  frontiers.  There 
is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the  uneventful  years  of  his 
childhood  on  his  father's  large  but  lonely  plantation. 
In  1808,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for  him 
the  commission  of  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
army  ;  and  he  joined  the  troops  which  were  stationed 
at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson.  Soon  after 
this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith,  a  young  lady 
from  one  of  the  first  families  of  Maryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with  Eng- 
land, in  1812,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then  been 
promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command  of  Fort 
Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  about  fifty  miles  above 
Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  Gen.  Harrison, on  his  march  to  Tippecanoe. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  attack  by  the  Indians, 
icd  by  Tecumseh.  Its  garrison  consisted  of  a  broken 


company  of  infantry  numbering   fifty  men,   many  of 
whom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  the  Indians,  stealthily, 
and  in  large  numbers,  moved  upon  the  fort.  Their 
approach  was  first  indicated  by  the  murder  of  two 
soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade.  Capt.  Taylor 
made  every  possible  preparation  to  meet  the  antici- 
pated assault.  On  the  4th  of  September,  a  band  of 
forty  painted  and  plumed  savages  came  to  the  fort, 
waving  a  white  flag,  and  informed  Capt.  Taylor  that 
in  the  morning  their  chief  would  come  to  have  a  talk 
with  him.  It  was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely 
to  ascertain  the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt. 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages,  kept 
them  at  a  distance. 

The  sun  went  down ;  the  savages  disappeared,  the 
garrison  slept  upon  their  arms.  One  hour  before 
midnight  the  war  whoop  burst  from  a  thousand  lips 
in  the  forest  around,  followed  by  the  discharge  of 
musketry,  and  the  rush  of  the  foe.  Every  man,  sick 
and  well,  sprang  to  his  post.  Every  man  knew  that 
defeat  was  not  merely  death,  but  in  the  case  of  cap- 
ture, death  by  the  most  agonizing  and  prolonged  tor- 
ture. No  pen  can  describe,  no  immagination  can 
conceive  the  scenes  which  ensued.  The  savages  suc- 
ceeded in  setting  fire  to  one  of  the  block-houses- 
Until  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  this  awful  conflict 
continued.  The  savages  then,  baffled  at  every  point, 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired.  Capt. 
Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defence,  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  Major  Taylor  was  placed 
in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little  more  of  active 
service.  He  was  sent  far  away  into  the  depths  of  the 
wilderness,  to  Fort  Crawford,  on  Fox  River,  which 
empties  into  Green  Bay.  Here  there  was  but  little 
to  be  done  but  to  wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one 
best  could.  There  were  no  books,  no  society,  no  in- 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


tellectual  stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful 
years  rolled  on  Gradually  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
colonel.  In  the  Black-Hawk  war,  which  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain,  Col  Taylor 
took  a  subordinate  but  a  brave  and  efficient  part. 

For  twenty-four  years  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged  in 
the  defence  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  remote,  and  in 
Employments  so  obscure,  that  his  name  was  unknown 
ft>eyond  the  limits  of  his  own  immediate  acquaintance. 
(In  the  year  1836,  he  was  sent  to  Florida  to  compel 
the  Seminole  Indians  to  vacate  that  region  and  re- 
tire beyond  the  Mississippi,  as  their  chiefs  by  treaty, 
hac1  promised  they  should  do.  The  services  rendered 
tiese  secured  for  Col.  Taylor  the  high  appreciation  of 
the  Government;  and  as  a  reward,  he  was  elevated 
(c  'che  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet ;  and  soon 
lifter,  in  May,  1838,  was  appointed  to  the  chief  corn- 
wand  of  the  United  States  troops  in  Florida. 

After  two  years  of  such  wearisome  employment 
umidst  the  everglades  of  the  peninsula,  Gen.  Taylor 
obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of  command, 
jmd  was  stationed  over  the  Department  of  the  South- 
west. This  field  embraced  Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
.Alabama  and  Georgia.  Establishing  his  headquarters 
j«t  Fort  Jessup,  in  Louisiana,  he  removed  his  family 
to  a  plantation  which  he  purchased,  near  Baton  Rogue. 
Here  he  remained  for  five  years,  buried,  as  it  were, 
from  the  world,  but  faithfully  discharging  every  duty 
•jmposed  upon  him. 

In  1846,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the  land 
between  the  Nueces  and  Rio  Grande,  the  latter  river 
being  the  boundary  of  Texas,  which  was  then  claimed 
by  the  United  States.  Soon  the  war  with  Mexico 
wa.5  brought  on,  and  at  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la 
PaJma,  Gen.  Taylor  won  brilliant  victories  over  the 
Mexicans.  The  rank  of  major-general  by  brevet 
was  then  conferred  upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name 
was  received  with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in 
the  Nation.  Then  came  the  battles  of  Monterey  and 
E  uena  Vista  in  which  he  won  signal  victories  over 
<c  rces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

His  careless  habits  of  dress  and  his  unaffected 
si/nplicity,  secured  for  Gen.  Taylor  among  his  troops, 
ti K  sobriquet  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready.' 

The  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena  Vista 
s)«read  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the  country.  The 
n;  ime  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on  every  one's  lips.  The 
H  hig  party  decided  to  take  advantage  of  this  wonder- 
ful  popularity  in  bringing  forward  the  unpolished,  un- 

•'  Ted,  honest  soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the 
1'iesidency.  Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  an- 
nouncement, and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  toil;  de- 
claring that  he  was  notatal!  qualified  for  such  an 
oft  ice.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  politics  that, 
foi  forty  years,  he  had  not  cast  a  vote.  It  was  not 
without  chagrin  that  several  distinguished  statesmen 
who  had  been  long  years  in  the  public  service  found 
*!.irtr  claims  set  aside  in  behalf  of  one  whose  name 


had  never  been  heard  of,  save  in  connection  with  Palo 
Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena 
Vista.  It  is  said  that  Daniel  Webster,  in  his  haste  re- 
marked, "  It  is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made." 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker  nor  a  fine 
writer  His  friends  took  possession  of  him,  and  pre- 
pared such  few  communications  as  it  was  needful 
should  be  presented  to  the  public.  The  popularity  of 
the  successful  warrior  swept  the  land.  He  was  tri- 
umphantly elected  over  .two  opposing  candidates, — 
Gen.  Cass  and  Ex-President  Martin  Van  Buren. 
Though  he  selected  an  excellent  cabinet,  the  good 
old  man  found  himself  in  a  very  uncongenial  position, 
and  was,  at  times,  sorely  perplexed  and  harassed. 
His  mental  sufferings  were  very  severe,  and  probably 
tended  to  hasten  his  death.  The  pro-slavery  party 
was  pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energy ,  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba  ;  California  was 
pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while  slave.ry 
stood  at  the  door  to  bar  her  out.  Gen.  Taylor  found 
the  political  conflicts  in  Washington  to  be  far  more 
trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles  with  Mexicans  or 
Indians. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles,  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but  little 
over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief  sickness  of 
but  little  over  five  days,  died  on  the  pth  of  July,  1850. 
His  last  words  were,  "  I  am  not  afraid  to  die.  I  am 
ready.  I  have  endeavored  to  do  my  duty."  He  died 
universally  respected  and  beloved.  An  honest,  un- 
pretending man,  he  had  been  steadily  growing  in  the 
affections  of  the  people ;  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la- 
mented his  death. 

Gen.  Scott,  who  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
Gen.  Taylor,  gave  the  following  graphic  and  truthful 
description  of  his  character: — "  With  a  good  store  of 
common  sense,  Gen.  Taylor's  mind  had  not  been  en- 
larged and  refreshed  by  reading,  or  much  converse 
with  the  world.  Rigidity  of  ideas  was  the  conse- 
quence. The  frontiers  and  small  military  posts  had 
been  his  home.  Hence  he  was  quite  ignorant  for  his 
rank,  and  quite  bigoted  in  his  ignorance.  His  sim- 
plicity was  child-like,  and  with  innumerable  preju- 
dices, amusing  and  incorrigible,  well  suited  to  the 
tender  age.  Thus,  if  a  man,  however  respectable, 
chanced  to  wear  a  coat  of  an  unusual  color,  or  his  hat 
a  little  on  one  side  of  his  head;  or  an  officer  to  leave 
a  corner  of  his  handkerchief  dangling  from  an  out- 
side pocket, — in  any  such  case,  this  critic  held  the 
offender  to  be  a  coxcomb  (perhaps  something  worse), 
whom  he  would  not,  to  use  his  oft  repeated  phrase, 
'touch  with  a  pair  of  tongs.' 

"Any  allusion  to  literature  beyond  good  old  Dil- 
worth's  spelling-book,  on  the  part  of  one  wearing  a 
sword,  was  evidence,  with  the  same  judge,  of  utter 
unfitness  for  heavy  marchings  and  combats.  In  shoit 
few  men  have  ever  had  a  more  comfortable,  >a>vw. 
saving  contempt  for  learning  of  every  kind." 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


THIRTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


ILLARD  FILLMORE,  thir- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
States,    was  born  at  Summer 
Hill,  Cayuga  Co.,   N.  Y  .,  on 
the  yth  of  January,  1800.  His 
father  was  a  farmer,  and  ow- 
ing to  misfortune,  in  humble  cir- 
cumstances.    Of  his  mother,  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  AbiatharMillard, 
of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it   has  been 
said  that  she  possessed  an  intellect 
of  very  high  order,  united  with  much 
personal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  dis- 
position, graceful  manners  and  ex- 
quisite sensibilities.      She   died   in 
1 83 1 ;  having  lived  to  see  her  son  a 
young  man  of  distinguished    prom- 
ise, though  she  was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high 
dignity  which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  home  and  limited 
means  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slender  ad- 
vantages for  education  in  his  early  years.  The  com- 
mon schools,  which  he  occasionally  attended  were 
very  imperfect  institutions;  and  books  were  scarce 
ind  expensive.  There  was  nothing  then  in  his  char- 
acter to  indicate  the  brilliant  career  upon  which  he 
was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a  plain  farmer's  boy ; 
intelligent,  good-looking,  kind-hearted.  The  sacred 
influences  of  home  had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible, 
and  had  laid  the  foundations  of  an  upright  character. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  him 
some  hundred  miles  from  home,  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier. 
Near  the  mill  there  was  a  small  villiage,  where  some 


enterprising  man  had  commenced  the  collection  of  a 
village  library.  This  proved  an  inestimable  blessing 
to  young  Fillmore.  His  evenings  were  spent  in  read- 
ing. Soon  every  leisure  moment  was  occupied  with 
books.  His  thirst  for  knowledge  became  insatiate 
and  the  selections  which  he  made  were  continually 
more  elevating  and  instructive.  He  read  history, 
biography,  oratory,  and  thus  gradually  there  was  en- 
kindled in  his  heart  a  desire  to  be  something  more 
than  a  mere  worker  with  his  hands;  and  he  was  be- 
coming, almost  unknown  to  himself,  a  well-informed, 
educated  man. 

The  young  clothier  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine  personal  appearance 
and  of  gentlemanly  demeanor.  It  so  happened  that 
there  was  a  gentleman  in  the  neighborhood  of  ample 
pecuniary  means  and  of  benevolence, — Judge  Walter 
Wood, — who  was  struck  with  the  prepossessing  ap- 
pearance of  young  Fillmore.  He  made  his  acquaint- 
ance, and  was  so  much  impressed  with  his  ability  and 
attainments  that  he  advised  him  to  abandon  his 
trade  and  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  The 
young  man  replied,  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  own. 
r.o  friends  to  help  him  and  that  his  previous  educa- 
tion had  been  very  imperfect.  But  Judge  Wood  had 
so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly  offered  to 
take  him  into  his  own  office,  and  to  loan  him  such 
money  as  he  needed.  Most  gratefully  the  generous 
offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange  delusion  about! 
a  collegiate  education.  A  young  man  is  supposed  to- 
be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  graduated  at  some  col- 
lege. But  many  a  boy  loiters  through  university  ha!' ; 
<*nd  then  enters  a  law  office,  who  is  by  no  meant  as 


tit 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


well  prepared  to  prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was 
Millard  Fillmore  when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing- 
mill  at  the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  every  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to  in- 
tense mental  culture. 

In  1823,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  He  then 
went  to  the  village  of  Aurora,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded,  peaceful  region, 
his  practice  of  course  was  limited,  and  there  was  no 
opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in  fortune  or  In  fame. 
Here,  in  the  year  1826,  he  married  a  lady  of  great 
moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of  adorning  any  station 
she  might  be  called  to  fill, — Miss  Abigail  Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industry, 
his  legal  acquirements,  and  his  skill  as  an  advocate, 
gradually  attracted  attention  ;  and  he  was  invited  to 
enter  into  partnership  under  highly  advantageous 
circumstances,  with  an  elder  member  of  the  bar  in 
Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to  Buffalo,  in  1829, 
he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Assembly;  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  as  a  representative  from  Erie 
County.  Though  he  had  never  taken  a  very  active 
part  in  politics,  his  vote  and  his  sympathies  were  with 
the  Whig  party.  The  State  was  then  Democratic, 
and  he  found  himself  in  a  helpless  minority  in  the 
Legislature ,  still  the  testimony  comes  from  all  parties, 
that  his  courtesy,  ability  and  integrity,  won,  to  a  very 
unusual  degn  e  the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autumn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in 
the  United  States  Congress  He  entered  that  troubled 
arena  in  some  of  the  most  tumultuous  hours  of  our 
national  history.  The  great  conflict  respecting  the 
national  bank  and  the  removal  of  the  deposits,  was 
then  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed  ;  and  he  returned  to 
his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increasing  rep- 
utation and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two  years 
he  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress ;  was  re- 
elected,  and  took  his  seat  in  1837.  His  past  expe- 
rience as  a  representative  gave  him  stiength  and 
confidence.  The  first  term  of  service  in  Congress  to 
any  man  can  be  but  little  more  than  an  introduction. 
He  was  now  prepared  for  active  duty.  All  his  ener- 
gies were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  public  good.  Every 
measure  received  his  impress. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute,  and 
his  popularity  filled  the  State,  and  in  the  year  1847, 
he  was  elected  Comptroller  of  the  State. 


Mr.  Fillmore  had  attained  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years.  His  labors  at  the  bar,  in  the  Legislature,  in 
Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given  him  very  con- 
siderable fame.  The  Whigs  were  casting  about  to 
find  suitable  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent  at  the  approaching  election.  Far  away,  on  the 
waters  of  the  Rio  Grande,  there  was  a  rough  old 
soldier,  who  had  fought  one  or  two  successful  battles 
with  the  Mexicans,  which  had  caused  his  name  to  be 
proclaimed  in  trumpet-tones  all  over  the  land.  But 
it  was  necessary  to  associate  with  him  on  the  same 
ticket  some  man  of  reputation  as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  the 
names  of  Zachary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore  became 
the  rallying-cry  of  the  Whigs,  as  their  candidates  for 
President  and  Vice-Peesident.  The  Whig  ticket  was 
signally  triumphant.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1849, 
Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated  President,  and  Millard 
Fillmore  Vice-President,  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  gth  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor,  but 
about  one  year  and  four  months  after  his  inaugura 
tion,  was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the  Con- 
stitution, Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  became  Presi- 
dent. He  appointed  a  very  able  cabinet,  of  which 
the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was  Secretary  of  State. 

Mr.  Fillniore  had  very  serious  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  since  the  opposition  had  a  majority  in  both 
Houses.  He  did  everything  in  his  power  to  conciliate 
the  South ;  but  the  pro-slavery  party  in  the  South  felt 
the  inadequacy  of  all  measuresof  transient  conciliation. 
The  population  of  the  free  States  was  so  rapidly  in- 
creasing over  that  of  the  slave  States  that  it  was  in- 
evitable that  the  power  of  the  Government  should 
soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The 
famous  compromise  measures  were  adopted  under  Mr. 
Fillmcre's  adminstration,  and  the  Japan  Expedition 
was  sent  out.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1853,  Mr.  Fill- 
more,  having  served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the  Pres- 
idency by  the  "  Know  Nothing  "  party,  but  was  beaten 
by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr.  Fillmore  lived  in 
retirement.  During  the  terrible  conflict  of  civil  war, 
he  was  mostly  silent.  It  was  generally  supposed  that 
his  sympathies  were  rather  with  those  who  were  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  our  institutions.  President 
Fillmore  kept  aloof  from  the  conflict,  without  any 
cordial  words  of  cheer  to  the  one  party  or  the  other. 
He  was  thus  forgotten  by  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe 
old  age,  and  died  in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.,  March  8,  1874. 


LIBRARY 

WWBBfTY  OF  /LLINO/S 
URBANA 


- 


FOURTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


RANKLIN     PIERCE,   the 
fourteenth   President  of  the 
United  States,  was  born  in 
Hillsborough,   N.   H.,    Nov. 
23,  1804.     His  father  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,   who, 
with   his   own    strong    arm, 
hewed   out  a   home   in   the 
wilderness.     He  was  a  man 
of    inflexible    integrity;    of 
strong,  though   uncultivated 
mind,  and  an  uncompromis- 
ing Democrat.      The   mother  of 
Franklin  Pierce  was  all  that  a  son 
could  desire, — an  intelligent,  pru- 
dent, affectionate,  Christian  wom- 
an.    Franklin  was  the  sixth  of  eight  children. 

Franklin  was  a  very  bright  and  handsome  boy,  gen- 
erous, warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won  alike  the 
love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on  the  play  ground 
loved  him.  His  teachers  loved  him.  The  neighbors 
looked  upon  him  with  pride  and  affection.  He  was 
by  instinct  a  gentleman;  always  speaking  kind  words, 
doing  kind  deeds,  with  a  peculiar  unstudied  tact 
which  taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar;  in  body, 
in  mind,  in  affections,  a  finely-developed  boy. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  1820,  he 
entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me  He  was 
one  of  the  most  popular  young  men  in  the  college. 
The  purity  of  his  moral  character,  the  unvarying 
courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank  as  a  scholar,  and 


genial  nature,  rendered  him  a  universal  favorite. 
There  was  something  very  peculiarly  winning  in  his 
address,  and  it  was  evidently  not  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree studied :  it  was  the  simple  outgushing  of  his 
own  magnanimous  and  loving  nature. 

Upon  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin  Pierce 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge 
Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  of 
the  State,  and  a  man  of  great  private  worth.  The 
eminent  social  qualities  of  the  young  lawyer,  his 
father's  prominence  as  a  public  man,  and  the  brilliant 
political  career  into  which  Judge  Woodbury  was  en- 
tering,  all  tended  to  entice  Mr.  Pierce  into  the  faci- 
nating  yet  perilous  path  of  political  life.  With  all 
the  ardor  of  his  nature  he  espoused  the  cause  of  Gen. 
Jackson  for  the  Presidency.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  elected 
to  represent  the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.  Here 
he  served  for  four  yeais.  The  last  two  years  he  was 
chosen  speaker  of  the  house  by  a  very  large  vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Without  taking  an  active 
part  in  debates,  he  was  faithful  and  laborious  in  duty 
and  ever  rising  in  the  estimation  of  those  with  whom 
he  was  associatad. 

In  1837,  being  then  but  thirty-three  years  of  age, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States; 
taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren  commenced 
his  administration.  He  was  the  youngest  member  in 
the  Senate.  In  the  year  1834,  he  married  Miss  Jane 
Means  Appleton,  a  lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accom- 
plishments, and  one  admirably  fitted  to  adorn  every 
station  with  which  her  husband  was  honoied,  Of  the 


bRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


three  sons  who  were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with 
their  parents  in  the  grave. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing  fame 
and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up  his 
residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New  Hampshire. 
President  Polk,  upon  his  accession  to  office,  appointed 
Mr.  Pierce  attorney-general  of  the  United  States;  but 
the  offer  was  declined,  in  consequence  of  numerous 
professional  engagements  at  home,  and  the  precariuos 
state  of  Mrs.  Pierce 's  health.  He  also,  about  the 
same  time  declined  the  nomination  for  governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.  The  war  with  Mexico  called  Mr. 
Pierce  in  the  army.  Receiving  the  appointment  of 
brigadier-general,  he  embarked,  with  a  portion  of  his 
troops,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  the  271)1  of  May,  1847. 
He  took  an  important  part  in  this  war,  proving  him- 
self a  brave  and  true  soldier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  native 
State,  he  was  received  enthusiastically  by  the  advo- 
cates of  the  Mexican  war,  and  coldly  by  his  oppo- 
nents. He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  proTession, 
very  frequently  taking  an  active  part  in  political  ques- 
tions, giving  his  cordial  support  to  the  pro-slavery 
wing  of  the  Democratic  party.  The  compromise 
measures  met  cordially  with  his  approval;  and  he 
btrenuously  advocated  the  enforcement  of  the  infa- 
inous  fugitive-slave  law,  which  so  shocked  the  religious 
sensibilities  of  the  North.  He  thus  became  distin- 
guished as  a  "  Northern  man  with  Southern  principles.'' 
The  strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
»afely  trust  in  office  to  carry  out  their  plans. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  conven- 
tion met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  For  four  days  they  continued  in  session, 
and  in  thirty-five  ballotings  no  one  had  obtained  a 
two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus  far  had  been  thrown 
for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the  Virginia  delegation 
brought  forward  his  name.  There  were  fourteen 
more  ballotings,  during  which  Gen.  Pierce  constantly 
gained  strength,  until,  at  the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he 
received  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all 
other  candidates  eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was 
the  Whig  candidate.  Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with 
great  unanimity.  Only  four  States — Vermont,  Mas- 
sachusetts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee  —  cast  their 
electoral  votes  against  him  Gen.  Franklin  Pieice 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States  on  the  4th  of  March,  1853. 


His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most  stormy  our 
country  had  ever  experienced.  The  controversy  be 
tween  slavery  and  freedom  was  then  approaching  its 
culminating  point.  It  became  evident  that  there  was 
an  "irrepressible  conflict  "  between  them,  and  that 
this  Nation  could  not  long-exist  "  half  slave  and  half 
free."  President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  ad- 
ministration, did  every  thing  he  could  to  conciliate 
the  South  ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  dissolution 
of  the  Union  were  borne  to  the  North  on  every  South- 
ern breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  President 
Pierce  approached  the  close  of  his  four-years'  term 
of  office.  The  North  had  become  thoroughly  alien- 
ated from  him.  The  anti-slavery  sentiment,  goaded 
by  great  outrages,  had  been  rapidly  increasing;  all 
the  intellectual  ability  and  social  worth  of  President 
Pierce  were  forgotten  in  deep  reprehension  of  his  ad- 
ministrative acts.  The  slaveholders  of  the  South,  also, 
unmindful  of  the  fidelity  with  which  he  had  advo- 
cated those  measures  of  Government  which  they  ap- 
proved, and  perhaps,  also,  feeling  that  he  had 
rendered  himself  so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be 
able  acceptably  to  serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped 
him,  and  nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  President  Pierce  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Concord.  Of  three  children,  two 
had  died,  and  his  only  surviving  child  had  been 
killed  before  his  eyes  by  a  railroad  accident ,  and  his 
wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and  accomplished  of 
ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in  consumption.  The 
hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon  came,  and  he  was  left 
alone  in  the  world,  without  wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth,  which  di- 
vided our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two  only,  Mr. 
Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  cherished,  and  gave  his  sympathies  to 
that  pro-slavery  party  with  which  he  had  ever  been 
allied.  He  declined  to  do  anything,  either  by  voice 
or  pen,  to  strengthen  the  hand  of  the  National  Gov- 
ernment. He  continued  to  reside  in  Concord  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  October, 
1869.  He  was  one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of 
men,  an  honored  communicant  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors.  Gen 
erous  to  a  fault,  he  contributed  liberally  for  the  al- 
leviation of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his  towns 
people  were  often  gladened  by  his  material  bounty. 


LIBRAE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


w 


FIFTEENTH  PRESIDENT, 


Pii 


AMES  BUCHANAN,  the  fif- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
States,  was  bom  in  a  small 
frontier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the" 
eastern  ridge  of  the  Allegha- 
nies,  in  Franklin  Co.,  Penn.,  on 
the  2  3d  of  April,  1791.  The  place 
where  the  humble  cabin  of  his 
father  stood  was  called  Stony 
Batter.  It  was  a  wild  and  ro- 
mantic spot  in  a  gorge  of  the  moun- 
tains, with  towering  summits  rising 
grandly  all  around.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland ; 
a  poor  man,  who  had  emigrated  in 
j  1783,  with  little  property  save  his 
own  strong  arms.  Five  years  afterwards  he  married 
Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter  of  a  respectable  farmer, 
and,  with  his  young  bride,  plunged  into  the  wilder- 
ness, staked  his  claim,  reared  his  log-hut,  opened  a 
clearing  with  his  axe,  and  settled  down  there  to  per- 
form his  obscure  part  in  the  drama  of  life.  In  this  se- 
cluded home,  where  James  was  born,  he  remained 
for  eight  years,  enjoying  but  few  social  or  intellectual 
advantages.  When  James  was  eight  years  of  age,  his 
father  removed  to  the  village  of  Mercersburg,  where 
his  son  was  placed  at  school,  and  commenced  a 
course  of  study  in  English,  Latin  and  Greek.  His 
progress  was  rapid,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 
entered  Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle.  Here  he  de 
veloped  remarkable  talent,  and  took  his  stand  among 
the  first  scholars  in  the  institution.  His  application 
to  study  was  intense,  and  yet  his  native  powers  en- 


abled him  to  master  the  most  abstruse  subjects  wi  '- 
facility. 

In  the  year  1809,  he  graduated  with  the  highes1. 
honors  of  his  clast..  He  was  then  eighteen  years  of 
age;  tall  and  graceful,  vigorous  in  health,  fond  of 
athletic  sport,  an  unerring  shot,  and  enlivened  with 
an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits.  He  immediately 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  city  of  Lancaster, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1812,  when  he  was 
but  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Very  rapidly  he  rose 
in  his  profession,  and  at  once  took  undisputed  stand 
with  the  ablest  lawjers  of  the  State.  When  but 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  unaided  by  counsel,  he  suc- 
cessfully defended  before  the  State  Senate  ore  of  the 
judges  of  the  State,  who  was  tried  upon  articles  oi 
impeachment.  At  the  age  of  thirty  it  was  generally 
admitted  that  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar;  and 
there  was  no  lawyer  in  the  State  who  had  a  more  lu- 
crative practice.  - 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  j 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  foi 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  Lower  House 
During  the  vacations  of  Congress,  he  occasionally 
tried  some  important  case.  In  1831,  he  retired 
altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profession,  having  ac- 
quired an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jackson,  upon  his  elevation  to  the  Presidency, 
appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  minister  to  Russia.  The 
duties  of  his  mission  he  performed  with  ability,  which 
gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties.  Upon  his  return,  ir« 
1833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  He  there  met,  as  his  associates,  Webster. 
Clay,  Wright  and  Calhoun.  He  advocated  the  meas- 
ures proposed  by  President  JacKson,  of  rna]r<"g  repn- 


76 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


sals  against  France,  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our 
claims  against  that  country;  and  defended  the 
course  of  the  President  in  his  unprecedented  and 
wholesale  removal  from  office  of  those  who  were 
not  the  supporters  of  his  administration.  Upon 
this  question  he  was  brought  into  direct  collision 
with  Henry  Clay.  He  also,  with  voice  and  vote,  ad- 
vocated expunging  from  the  journal  of  the  Senate 
the  vote  of  censure  against  Gen.  Jackson  for  remov- 
ing the  deposits.  Earnestly  he  opposed  the  aboli- 
tion of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  and 
urged  the  prohibition  of  the  circulation  of  anti- 
slavery  documents  by  the  United  States  mails. 

As  to  petitions  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  he  ad- 
vocated that  they  should  be  respectfully  received; 
and  that  the  reply  should  be  returned,  that  Con- 
gress had  no  power  to  legislate  upon  the  subject. 
"Congress,"  said  he,  "might  as  well  undertake  to 
interfere  with  slavery  under  a  foreign  government 
as  in  any  of  the  States  where  it  now  exists." 

Upon  Mr.  Folk's  accession  to  the  Presidency,  Mr. 
Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  as  such, 
took  his  share  of  the  responsibility  in  the  conduct 
of  the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed  that  cross- 
ing the  Nueces  by  the  American  troops  into  the 
disputed  territory  was  not  wrong,  but  for  the  Mex- 
icans to  cross  the  Rio  Grande  into  that  territory 
was  a  declaration  of  war.  No  candid  man  can  read 
with  pleasure  the  account  of  the  course  our  Gov- 
ernment pursued  in  that  movement. 

Mr.  Buchanan  identified  himself  thoroughly  with 
the  party  devoted  to  the  perpetuation  and  extension 
of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies  of  his  mind 
to  bear  against  the  Wilmot  Proviso.  He  gave  his 
cordial  approval  to  the  compromise  measures  of 
1850,  which  included  the  fugitive  slave  law.  Mr. 
Pierce,  upon  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  hon- 
ored Mr.  Buchanan  with  the  mission  to  England. 

In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  conven- 
tion nominated  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presidency. 
The  political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most  severe 
in  which  our  country  has  ever  engaged.  All  the 
friends  of  slavery  were  on  one  side;  all  the  advo- 
cates of  its  restriction  and  final  abolition  on  the 
other.  Mr.  Fremont,  the  candidate  of  the  enemies 
of  slavery,  received  114  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan received  174,  and  was  elected.  The  popular 
vote  stood  1,340,618  for  Fremont,  1,224,750  for 
Buchanan.  On  March  4,  1857,  Mr.  Buchanan  was 
inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only 
four  years  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  three-score 
years  and  ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with  whom 
he  had  been  allied  in  political  principles  and  action 
for  years,  were  seeking  the  destruction  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, that  they  might  rear  upon  the  ruins  of  our 
free  institutions  a  nation  whose  corner-stone  should 


be  human  slavery.  In  this  emergency,  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan was  hopelessly  bewildered.  He  could  not, 
with  his  long-avowed  principles,  consistently  op- 
pose the  State-rights  party  in  their  assumptions.  As 
President  of  the  United  States,  bound  by  his  oath 
faithfully  to  administer  the  laws,  he  could  not, 
without  perjury  of  the  grossest  kind,  unite  with 
those  endeavoring  to  overthrow  the  Republic.  He 
therefore  did  nothing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration 
nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  standard- 
bearer  in  the  next  Presidential  canvass.  The  pro- 
slavery  party  declared  that  if  he  were  elected  and 
the  control  of  the  Government  were  thus  taken  from 
their  hands  they  would  secede  from  the  Union,  tak- 
ing with  them  as  they  retired  the  National  Capi- 
tol at  Washington  and  the  lion 's  share  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  United  States. 

As  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  the  slave- 
holders, claiming  the  right  to  secede,  and  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan avowing  that  Congress  had  no  power  to 
prevent  it,  one  of  the  most  pitiable  exhibitions  of 
governmental  imbecility  was  exhibited  the  world 
has  ever  seen.  He  declared  that  Congress  had  no 
power  to  enforce  its  laws  in  any  State  which  had 
withdrawn,  or  which  was  attempting  to  withdraw, 
from  the  Union.  This  was  not  the  doctrine  of  An- 
drew Jackson,  when,  with  his  hand  upon  his  sword- 
hilt,  he  exclaimed.  "The  Union  must  and  shall  be 
preserved!" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  1860,  nearly 
three  months  before  the  inauguration  of  President 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in  listless  de- 
spair. The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in  Charleston;  Ft. 
Sumter  was  besieged;  our  forts,  navy-yards  and 
arsenals  were  seized;  our  depots  of  military  stores 
were  plundered;  and  our  custom-houses  and  post- 
offices  were  appropriated  by  the  rebels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels  and  the  imbecility  of 
our  Executive  were  alike  marvelous.  The  nation 
looked  on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  slow  weeks  to 
glide  away  and  close  the  administration,  so  ter- 
rible in  its  weakness.  At  length  the  long-looked- 
for  hour  of  deliverance  came,  when  Abraham  Lin- 
coln was  to  receive  the  scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamitous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  cannot  recall  it  with 
pleasure.  And  still  more  deplorable  it  is  for  his 
fame,  that  in  that  dreadful  conflict  which  rolled  its 
billows  of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole  land,  no 
word  came  from  his  lips  to  indicate  his  wish  that 
our  country's  banner  should  triumph  over  the  flag 
of  the  Rebellion.  He  died  at  his  Wheatland  re- 
treat, June  1, 1868. 


• 


SIXTEENTH  PRK^/DEN~T. 


79 


BRAHAM  LINCOLN,  the 
sixteenth  President  of  the 
United  States,  was  born  in 
Hardin  Co.,  Ky.,  Feb.  12, 
1809.  About  the  year  1780,  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  left  Virginia  with  his 
family  and  moved  into  the  then 
wilds  of  Kentucky.  Only  two  years 
after  this  emigration,  still  a  young 
man,  while  working  one  day  in  a 
field,  was  stealthily  approached  by 
an  Indian  and  shot  dead.  His  widow 
was  left  in  extreme  poverty  with  five 
little  children,  three  boys  and  two 
girls.  Thomas,  the  youngest  of  the 
boys,  was  four  years  of  age  at  his 
father's  death.  This  Thomas  was 
the  father  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
President  of  the  United  States 
whose  name  must  henceforth  forever  be  enrolled 
with  the  most  prominent  in  the  annals  of  our  world. 
Of  course  no  record  has  been  kept  of  the  life 
of  one  so  lowly  as  Thomas  Lincoln.  He  was  among 
the  poorest  of  the  poor.  His  home  was  a  wretched 
log-cabin;  his  food  the  coarsest  and  the  meanest. 
Education  he  had  none;  he  could  never  either  read 
or  write.  As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  do  anything  for 
himself,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  cabin  of  his 
starving  mother,  and  push  out  into  the  world,  a  friend- 
.ess,  wandering  boy,  seekirig  work.  He  hired  him- 
self out,  and  thus  spent  the  whole  of  his  youth  as  a 
laborer  in  the  fields  of  others. 

When  twenty-eight  years  of  age  he  buill  a  log- 
cabin  of  his  own,  and  married  Nancy  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  poor  Kentucky  emi- 
grants, who  had  also  come  from  Virginia.  Their 
second  child  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was  a  noble 
woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created  to  adorn 
a  palace,  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and  die  in  a  hovel. 
"  All  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be,"  exclaims  the  grate- 
ful son  "  I  owe  to  my  angel-mother. 
When  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  his  father  sold  his 


cabin  and  small  farm,  and  moved  to  Indiana.  Whcr- 
two  years  later  his  mother  died. 

Abraham  soon  became  the  scribe  of  the  uneducated 
community  around  him.  He  could  not  have  had  3 
better  scljool  than  this  to  teach  him  to  put  thoughts 
into  words.  He  also  became  an  eager  reader.  The 
books  he  could  obtain  were  few ;  but  these  he  'e;id 
and  re-read  until  they  were  almost  committe  ^  tc 
memory. 

As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly  family 
was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  There  were  joys  ard 
griefs,  weddings  and  funerals.  Abraham's  sistt  \ 
Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  attached,  was  mai 
ried  when  a  child  of  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
soon  died.  The  family  was  gradually  scattered.  M>- 
Thomas  Lincoln  sold  out  his  squatter's  claim  ;n  1830 
and  emigrated  to  Macon  Co.,  111. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  twenty-one  years  of  dge., 
With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father  in  r°nring 
another  log-cabin.  Abraham  worked  diligently  at  this 
until  he  saw  the  family  comfortably  settled,  and  thei' 
small  lot  of  enclosed  prairie  planted  with  corn,  when 
he  announced  to  his  father  his  intention  to  leave 
home,  and  to  go  out  into  the  world  and  seek  his  for- 
tune. Little  did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  bril- 
liant that  fortune  was  to  be.  He  saw  the  value  oi 
education  and  was  intensely  earnest  to  improve  his 
mind  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  He  saw  the  ruin 
which  ardent  spirits  were  causing,  and  became 
strictly  temperate;  refusing  to  allow  a  drop  of  intoxi- 
cating liquor  to  pass  his  lips.  And  he  had  read  in 
God's  word,  "Thou  shall  not  take  the  name  of  the 
Lord  thy  God  in  -'..Ui;"  and  a  profane  expression  he 
was  never  heard  to  utter.  Religion  he  revered.  His 
morals  were  pure,  and  he  was  uncontaminated  by  a 
single  vice. 

Young  Abraham  worked  for  a  time  as  a  hired  laboret 
among  the  farmers.  Then  he  went  to  Springfield 
where  he  was  employed  in  building  a  large  flat-boat 
In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine,  floated  them  dow\ 
the  Sangamon  to  the  Illinois,  and  thence  by  the  Mis 
sissippi  to  New  Orleans.  Whatever  Abraham  Lir 
coin  undertook,  he  performed  so  faithfully  as  to  giv< 
great  satisfacticn  to  his  employers,  In  this  advert 


So 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


ture  his  employers  were  so  well  pleased,  that  upon 
his  return  tney  placed  a  store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

In  1832,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  he 
enlisted  and  was  chosen  captain  of  a  company.  He 
returned  to  Sangamon  County,  and  although  only  23 
years  of  age,  was  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but 
was  defeated.  He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew 
Jackson  the  appointment  of  Postmaster  of  New  Salem, 
His  only  post-office  was  his  hat.  All  the  letters  he 
received  he  carried  there  ready  to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.  He  studied  surveying,  and  soon 
made  this  his  business.  In  1834  he  again  became  a 
candidate  for  the  Legislature,  and  was  elected.  Mr. 
Stuart,  of  Springfield,  advised  him  to  study  law.  He 
walked  from  New  Salem  to  Springfield,  borrowed  of 
Mr.  Stuart  a  load  of  books,  carried  them  back  and 
began  his  legal  studies.  When  the  Legislature  as- 
sembled he  trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  gn  his  back 
one  hundred  miles  to  Vandalia,  then  the  capital.  In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.  Here  it 
was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1839  he  re- 
moved to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  with  the  jury  was  so  great  that  he  was 
coon  engaged  in  almost  every  noted  case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  the  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr.  Douglas,  on  the  slavery  question. 
In  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  in  Illinois, 
in  1856,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at  once  became 
one  of  the  leaders  in  that  party.  Mr.  Lincoln's 
speeches  in  opposition  to  Senator  Douglas  in  the  con- 
test in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  form  a  most 
notable  part  of  his  history.  The  issue  was  on  the 
ilavcry  question,  and  he  took  the  broad  ground  of 
;he  Declaration  of  Independence,  that  all  men  are 
created  equal.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  con- 
test, but  won  a  far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Convention  met  at  Chicago 
on  the  i6th  of  June,  1860.  The  delegates  and 
strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to  twenty- 
five  thousand.  An  immense  building  called  "  The 
Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommodate  the  Conven- 
tion. There  were  eleven  candidates  for  whom  votes 
were  thrown.  William  H.  Seward,  a  man  whose  fame 
as  a  statesman  had  long  filled  the  land,  was  the  most 
urominent.  It  was  generally  supposed  he  would  be 
the  nominee.  Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received 
the  nomination  on  the  third  ballot.  Little  did  he  then 
dream  of  the  weary  years  of  toil  and  care,  and  the 
bloody  death,  to  whijh  that  nomination  doomed  him: 
.ind  as  little  did  he  dream  that  he  was  to  render  services 
to  his  country,  which  would  fix  upon  him  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  civilized  world,  and  which  would  give  him 
a  place  in  the  affections  of  his  countrymen,  second 
tnly,  if  second,  to  that  of  Washington. 

Election  day  came  and  Mr.  Lincoln  received  180 
electoral  votes  out  of  203  cast,  and  was,  therefore, 
constitutionally  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  vas  poured  upon  this  good 


and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  slaveholders,  was 
greater  than  upon  any  other  man  ever  elected  to  this 
high  position.  In  February,  1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  started 
for  Washington,  stopping  in  all  the  large  cities  on  his 
way  making  speeches.  The  whole  journey  was  fraught 
with  much  danger.  Many  of  the  Southern  States  had 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassination 
were  afterwards  brought  to  light.  A  gang  in  Balti- 
more had  arranged,  upon  his  arrival  to  "get  up  a  row," 
and  in  the  confusion  to  make  sure  of  his  death  with 
revolvers  and  hand-grenades.  A  detective  unravelled 
the  plot.  A  secret  and  special  train  was  p-ovided  to 
take  him  from  HarrisL-urg,  through  Baltimc  re,  at  an 
unexpected  hour  of  the  night.  The  train  s'nrted  at 
half-past  ten  ;  and  to  prevent  any  possible  communi- 
cation on  the  part  ot  the  Secessionists  with  their  Con- 
federate gang  in  Baltimore,  as  soon  as  the  train  hac 
started  the  telegraph-wires  were  cut.  Mr.  Lincoln 
reached  Washington  in  safety  and  was  inaugurated, 
although  great  anxiety  was  felt  by  all  loyal  people. 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Lincoln  gave 
to  Mr.  Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to  other 
prominent  opponents  before  the  convention  he  gave 
important  positions. 

During  no  other  administration  have  the  duties 
devolving  upon  the  President  been  so  manifold,  and 
the  responsibilities  so  great,  as  those  which  fell  to 
the  lot  of  President  Lincoln.  Knowing  this,  and 
feeling  his  own  weakness  and  inability  to  meet,  and  in 
his  own  strength  to  cope  with,  the  difficulties,  he 
learned  early  to  seek  Divine  wisdom  and  guidance  in 
determining  his  plans,  and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his 
trials,  bo'h  personal  and  national.  Contrary  to  his 
own  estimate  of  himself,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the 
most  courageous  of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the 
rebel  capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving, 
with  no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  1861,  however,  plans  had  been 
made  for  his  assassination, and  he  at  last  fell  a  victim 
to  one  of  them.  April  14,  1865,  he,  with  Gen.  Grant, 
was  urgently  invited  to  attend  Fords'  Theater.  It 
was  announced  that  they  would  he  present.  Gen. 
Grant,  however,  left  the  city.  President  Lincoln,  feel- 
ing, wuu  his  characteristic  kindliness  of  heart,  that 
it  would  be  a  disappointment  if  he  should  fail  them, 
very  reluctantly  consented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 
entered  the  box  where  the  President  and  family  were 
seated,  and  fired  a  bullet  into  his  brains.  He  died  the 
next  morning  at  seven  o'clock. 

Never  before,  in  the  history  of  the  world  was  a  nation 
plunged  into  such  deep  grief  by  the  death  of  its  ruler. 
Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and  wept  in  speechless 
anguish.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  a  nation  was 
in  tears.  His  was  a  life  which  will  fitly  become  a 
model.  His  name  as  the  savior  of  his  country  will 
live  with  that  of  Washington's,  its  father;  hisc^ntry- 
mcn  being  unable  to  decide  which  <-s  t'>e  greater. 


SEVENTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


NDREW  JOHNSON,  seven- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
States.  The  early  life  of 
Andrew  Johnson  contains  but 
the  record  of  poverty,  destitu- 
tion and  friendlessness.  He 
was  born  December  29,  1808, 
in  Raleigh,  N.  C.  His  parents, 
belonging  to  the  class  of  the 
"poor  whites  "  of  the  South,  were 
in  such  circumstances,  that  they 
could  not  confer  sveiv  the  slight- 
est advantages  of  education  upon 
their  child.  When  Andrew  was  five 
years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally 
lost  his  life  while  herorically  endeavoring  to  save  a 
friend  from  drowning.  7/nvil  ten  years  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  about  the  streets,  supported  by  the 
labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained  her  living  with 
her  own  hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one  day, 
and  being  unable  either  to  read  or  write,  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gentleman 
was  in  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's  shop  occasion- 
ally, and  reading  to  the  boys  at  work  there.  He  often 
read  from  the  speeches  of  distinguished  British  states- 
men. Andrew,  who  was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more 
than  ordinary  native  ability,  became  much  interested 
in  these  speeches ;  his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he 
was  inspired  with  a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordingly  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow- workmen, 
learned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon  the  gentle- 
man to  borrow  the  book  of  speeches.  The  owner, 


pleased  with  his  zeal,  not  only  gave  him  the  book, 
but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  combine  the  letters 
into  words.  Under  such  difficulties  he  pressed  01. 
ward  laboriously,  spending  usually  ten  or  twelve  hours 
at  work  in  the  shop,  and  then  robbing  himself  of  rest 
and  recreation  to  devote  such  time  as  he  could  to 
reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  in  1826,  and  located  at 
Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who  pus 
sessed  some  education.  Under  her  instructions  he 
learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became  prominent 
in  the  village  debating  society,  and  a  favorite  with 
the  students  of  Greenville  College.  In  1828,  he  or- 
ganized a  working  man's  party,  which  elected  him 
alderman,  and  in  1830  elected  him  mayor,  which 
position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  political 
affairs ;  identifying  himself  with  the  working-classes, 
to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of -the  House  of  Representatives  of  Tennes- 
see. He  was  then  just  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  became  a  very  active  member  of  the  legislature, 
gave  his  adhesion  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  in 
1840  "stumped  the  State,"  advocating  Martin  Van 
Buren's  claims  to  the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  thosv 
of  Gen.  Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  much 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

In  1841,  he  was  elected  State  Senator;  in  1843,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  Congress,  and  by  successive 


elections,  held  that  important  post  for  ten  years.  In 
1853,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tennessee,  and' 
was  re-elected  in  1855.  In  all  these  res]»nsible  posi- 
tions, he  discharged  his  duties  with  distinguished  abi. 


ANDRE  W  JOHNSON. 


ity,  and  proved  himself  the  warm  friend  of  the  work- 
ing classes.  In  1857,  Mr.  Johnson  was  elected 
United  States  Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1845,  he  had  warmly  advocated 
the  annexation  of  Texas,  stating  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would  prob- 
ably prove  "  to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which  the  sable 
sons  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage  to  freedom, 
(ind  become  merged  in  a  population  congenial  to 
themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  supported  the  com- 
promise measures,  the  two  essential  features  of  which 
were,  that  the  white  people  of  the  Territories  should 
oe  permitted  to  decide  for  themselves  whether  they 
would  enslave  the  colored  people  or  not,  and  that 
the  'ree  States  of  the  North  should  return  to  the 
South  persons  who  attempted  to  escape  from  slavery. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  never  ashamed  of  his  lowly  origin: 
on  the  contrary,  he  often  took  pride  in  avowing  that 
he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own  exertions.  "Sir," 
said  he  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  "  I  do  -net  forget 
that  I  am  a  mechanic ;  neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam 
was  a  tailor  and  sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Sav- 
ior was  the  son  of  a  carpenter." 

In  the  Charleston-Baltimore  convention  of  i8i*j,  ne 
,«ras  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for  the 
'Presidency.  In  1861,  when  the  purpose  of  the  South- 
ern Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took  a  decided 
<tand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held  that  "  slavery 
must  be  held  subordinate  to  the  Union  at  whatever 
cost."  He  returned  to  Tennessee,  and  repeatedly 
imperiled  his  own  life  to  protect  the  Unionists  of 
Tennesee.  Tennessee  having  seceded  from  the 
Union,  President  Lincoln,  on  March  4th,  1862,  ap- 
pointed him  Military  Governor  of  the  State,  and  he 
established  the  most  stringent  military  rule.  His 
numerous  proclamations  attracted  wide  attention.  In 

1864,  he  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the    United 
States,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April  15, 

1865,  became  President.     In  a  speech  two  days  later 
he  said,  "  The  American  people  must  be   taught,   if 
they  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime  and 
must  be  punished ;  that   the     Government  will   not 
always  beat  with  its  enemies ;  that  it  is   strong  not 
only  to  protect,  but   to   punish.     *     *    The  people 
must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  the   blackest  of 
crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished."    Yet  his  whole 
administration,  the  history  of  which  is  so  well  known, 
was  in  utter  inconsistency  with,  and  the  most  violent 


opposition  to.  the  principles  laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress ;  and  he  char- 
acterized Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and  lawlessly 
defied  it,  in  everything  possible,  to  the  utmost.  In 
the  beginning  of  1868,  on  account  of  "high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal  of  which  was  the 
removal  of  Secretary  Stanton,  in  violation  of  the  Ten- 
ure of  Office  Act,  articles  of  impeachment  were  pre- 
ferred against  him,  and  the  trial  began  March  23. 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was  at 
length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It  was 
certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  article  so 
would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty-four  voices  pronounced 
the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds  vote  was  neces- 
sary to  his  condemnation,  he  was  pronounced  ac- 
quitted, notwithstanding  the  great  majority  against 
him:  The  change  of  one  vote  from  the  not  guilty 
side  would  have  sustained  the  impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term,  was 
but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though  impotent!;-, 
his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own  party  did  not 
think  it  expedient  to  renominate  him  for  the  Presi- 
dency. The  Nation  rallied,  with  enthusiasm  unpar- 
alleled since  the  days  of  Washington,  around  the  name 
of  Gen.  Grant.  Andrew  Johnson  was  forgotten. 
The  bullet  of  the  assassin  introduced  him  to  the 
President's  chair.  Notwithstanding  this,  never  was 
there  presented  to  a  man  a  better  opportunity  to  im- 
mortalize his  name,  and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a 
nation.  He  failed  utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home 
in  Greenville,  Tenn.,  taking  no  very  active  part  in 
politics  until  1875.  On  Jan.  26,  after  an  exciting 
struggle,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  of  Ten- 
nessee, United  States  Senator  in  the  forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special 
session  convened  by  President  Grant,  on  the  sth  of 
March.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1875,  the  ex-President 
made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near  Carter 
Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his  journey,  he  was 
apparently  in  his  usual  vigorous  health,  but  on  reach- 
ing the  residence  of  his  child  the  following  day,  was 
stricken  with  paralysis,  rendering  him  unconscious. 
He  rallied  occasionally,  but  finally  passed  away  at 
2  A.M.,  July  31,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  fun- 
eral was  attended  at  Geenville,  on  the  ^d.  of  August, 
with  every  demonstration  of  respect, 


EIGHTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


LYSSES  S.  GRANT,  the 
eighteenth  President  of  the 
United  States,  was  born  on 
the  agth  of  April,  1822,  of 
Christian  parents,  in  a  humble 
home,  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after 
his  father  moved  to  George- 
town, Brown  Co.,  O.  In  this  re- 
mote frontier  hamlet,  Ulysses 
received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, in  the  year  1839,  he  entered 
the  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point.  Here  he  was  regarded  as  a 
solid,  sensible  young  man  of  fair  abilities,  and  of 
sturdy,  honest  character.  He  took  respectable  rank 
as  a  scholar.  In  June,  1843,  he  graduated,  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  lieutenant  of  in- 
fantry to  one  of  the  distant  military  posts  in  the  Mis- 
souri Territory.  Two  years  he  past  in  these  dreary 
solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond  and  exasperating 
Indians. 

The  war  with  Mexico  came.  Lieut.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His  first 
battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no  chance  here 
for  the  exhibition  of  either  skill  or  heroism,  nor  at 
Resaca  de  la  Palma,  his  second  battle.  At  the  battle 
of  Monterey,  his  third  engagement,  it  is  said  that 
fte  performed  a  signal  service  of  daring  and  skillful 
horsemanship.  His  brigade  had  exhausted  its  am- 
munition. A  messenger  must  be  sent  for  more,  along 
a  route  exposed  to  the  bullets  of  the  foe.  Lieut. 
Grant,  adopting  an  expedient  learned  of  the  Indians, 
grasped  the  mane  of  his  horse,  and  hanging  upon  one 
side  of  the  aniroal,  ran  the  gauntlet  in  entire  safety. 


From  Monterey  he  was  sent,  with  the  fourth  infantry, 
to  aid  Gen.  Scott,  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz.  In 
preparation  for  the  march  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  he 
was  appointed  quartermaster  of  his  regiment.  At  the 
battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  he  was  promoted  to  a 
first  lieutenancy,  and  was  brevetted  captain  at  Cha- 
pultepec. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant  re- 
turned with  his  regiment  to  New  York,  and  was  again 
sent  to  one  of  the  military  posts  on  the  frontier.  The 
discovery  of  gold  in  California  causing  an  immense 
tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to  the  Pacific  shores,  Capt. 
Grant  was  sent  with  a  battalion  to  Fort  Dallas,  in 
Oregon,  for  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  im- 
migrants. Life  was  wearisome  in  those  wilds.  Capt. 
Grant  resigned  his  commission  and  returned  to  the 
States ;  and  having  married,  entered  upon  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  small  farm  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  had  but 
little  skill  as  a  farmer.  Finding  his  toil  not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering  into 
the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother,  at  Ga- 
lena, 111.  This  was  in  the  year  1860.  As  the  tidings 
of  the  rebels  firing  on  Fort  Sumpter  reached  the  ears 
of  Capt.  Grant  in  his  counting-room,  he  said, — 
"Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me  for  the  army:  though 
I  have  served  him  through  one  war,  I  do  not  fe«l  that 
I  have  yet  repaid  the  debt.  I  am  still  ready  to  discharge 
my  obligations.  I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  my  «word 
and  see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too." 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  a  csmpany  of  vol- 
unteers, and  led  them  as  their  captain  to  Springfield, 
the  capital  of  the  State,  where   their   services   were 
offered  to  Gov.  Yates.     The  Governor,  impressed  by 
the  zeal  and  straightforward  executive  ability  of  Capt. : 
Grant,  gave  him  a  desk  in  his  office,  to  assist  in   the; 
volunteer  organization  that  was  being  formed  in    the 
State  in  behalf  of  the  Government.     On  the  IJ*K  ol 


38 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


June,  1861,  Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as 
Colonel  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers. His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who 
had  served  for  15  years  in  the  regular  army,  were  such 
that  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier- 
IGeneral  and  was  placed  in  command  at  Cairo.  The 
rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Paducah,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Tennessee  River.  Scarcely  had  its  folds  ap- 
peared in  the  breeze  ere  Gen.  Grant  was  there.  The 
rebels  fled.  Their  banner  fell,  and  the  star  and 
stripes  were  unfurled  in  its  stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determination 
and  immediately  began  active  duty.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning, and  until  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Richmond 
he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy  with  great  vigor  and 
effectiveness.  At  Belmont,  a  few  days  later,  he  sur- 
prised and  routed  the  rebels,  then  at  Fort  Henry 
won  another  victory.  Then  came  the  brilliant  fight 
at  Fort  Donelson.  The.  nation  was  electrified  by  the 
victory,  and  the  brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was 
immediately  made  a  Major-General,  and  the  military 
Jistrict  of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

-Like  all  great  captains,  Gen.  Grant  knew  well  how 
to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  immediately 
jpushed  on  to  the  enemies'  lines.  Then  came  the 
;  terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  and  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen.  Pemberton  made  an 
unconditional  surrender  of  the  city  with  over  thirty 
thousand  men  and  one-hundred  and  seventy-two  can- 
non. The  fall  of  Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most 
severe  blow  which  the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered, 
and  opened  up  the  Mississippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 

Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Texas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown  from 
his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from  which  he 
.was  laid  up  for  months.  He  then  rushed  to  the  aid 
iflfGens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas  at  Chattanooga,  and 
by  a  wonderful  series  of  strategic  and  technical  meas- 
ures put  the  Union  Army  in  fighting  condition.  Then 
followed  the  bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lookout 
Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  with  great  loss.  This  won  for  him  un- 
bounded praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1864,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of  lieutenant- 
general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred  on  Gen.  Grant. 
He  repaired  to  Washington  to  receive  his  credentials 
and  enter  upon  tb^  duties  of  his  new  office 


Gen.  Grant  decided  as  soon  as  he  took  charge  of 
the  army  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed  National 
troops  for  an  attack  upon  Richmond,  the  nominal 
capital  of  the  Rebellion,  and  endeavor  there  to  de- 
stroy the  rebel  armies  which  would  be  promptly  as- 
sembled from  all  quarters  for  its  defence.  The  whole 
continent  seemed  to  tremble  under  the  tramp  of  these 
majestic  armies,  rushing  to  the  decisive  battle  field. 
Steamers  were  crowded  with  troops.  Railway  trains 
were  burdened  with  closely  packed  thousands.  His 
plans  were  comprehensive  and  involved  a  series  of 
campaigns,  which  were  executed  with  remarkable  en- 
ergy and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the  sur- 
render of  Lee,  April  9,  1865. 

The  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved.  The 
almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  Nation  declared  Gen. 
Grant  to  be  the  most  prominent  instrument  in  its  sal- 
vation. The  eminent  services  he  had  thus  rendered 
the  country  brought  him  conspicuously  forward  as  the 
Republican  candidate  for  the  Presidential  chair. 

At  the  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago. 
May  21,  1868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the 
Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election  received  a 
majority  of  the  popular  vote,  and  214  out  of  294 
electoral  votes. 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Republican  party 
which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5 th  of  June,  1872, 
placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for  a  second  term 
by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selection  was  emphati- 
cally indorsed  by  the  people  five  months  later,  292 
electoral  votes  being  cast  for  him. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  term,  Gen.  Grant 
started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the  world.  He 
visited  almost  every  country  of  the  civilized  world, 
and  was  everywhere  received  with  such  ovations 
and  demonstrations  of  respect  and  honor,  private 
as  well  as  public  and  official,  as  were  never  before 
bestowed  upon  any  citizen  of  the  United  States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before  the 
Republican  National  Convention  in  1880  for  a  re- 
nomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New  York  and 
embarked  in  the  brokerage  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  Grant  &  Ward.  The  latter  proved  a  villain, 
wrecked  Grant's  fortune,  and  for  larceny  was  sent  to 
the  penitentiary.  The  General  was  attacked  with 
cancer  in  the  throat,  but  suffered  in  his  stoic-like 
manner,  never  complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as 
General  of  the  Army  and  retired  by  Congress.  The 
cancer  soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23, 
1885,  the  nation  went  in  mourning  over  the  death  of 
the  illustrious  General. 


$ 


-a 


NINETEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


9« 


UTHERFORD  B.  HAYES, 
the  nineteenth  President  of 
the  United  States,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  O.,  Oct.  4,  1822,  al- 
most three  months  after  the 
death  of  his  father,  Rutherford 
Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both 


the  paternal  and  maternal  sides, 
was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said, 
as  far  back  as  1280,  when  Hayes  and 
Rutherford  were  two  Scottish  chief- 
tains, fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert 
Bruce.  Both  families  belonged  to  the 
nobility,  owned  extensive  estates, 
and  had  a  large  following.  Misfor- 
;ane  ov«<aking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scot- 
land in  i6cSo,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  son 
George  wat.  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  life.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter,  mar- 
ried Sarah  Lee,  and  lived  from  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage until  his  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn.  Ezekiel, 
son  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  1724,  and  was  a  manufac- 
turer of  scythes  at  Bradford,  Conn.  Rutherford  Hayes, 
son  of  Ezekiel  ai/d  grandfather  of  President  Hayes,  was 
born  in  New  Haven,  in  August,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer, 
blacksmith  and  tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to 
Vermont  at  an  uiiknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro, 
where  he  established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son  Ruth- 
erford Hayes  the  father  of  President  Hayes,  was 


born.  He  was  married,  in  September,  1813,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  whose  ancestors  emi- 
grated thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having  been 
among  the  wealthiest  and  best  famlies  of  Norwich. 
Her  ancestry  on  the  male  side  are  traced  back  to 
1635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the  principal  founders 
of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grandfathers  were  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industrious, 
frugal  and  opened-hearted  man.  He  was  of  a  me- 
chanical turn,  and  could  mend  a  plow,  knit  a  stock- 
ing, or  do  almost  anything  else  that  he  choose  to 
undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Church,  active 
in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  town,  and  con- 
ducted his  business  on  Christian  principles.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  of  1812,  for  reasons  inexplicable 
to  his  neighbors,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to  Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day 
when  there  were  no 'canals,  steamers,  nor  railways, 
was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  inspection  was 
first  made,  occupying  four  months.  Mr.  Hayes  deter 
mined  to  move  to  Delaware,  where  the  family  arrived 
in  1817.  He  died  July  22,  1822,  a  victim  of  malarial 
fever,  less  than  three  months  before  the  birth  of  the 
son,  of  whom  we  now  write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  be- 
reavement, found  the  support  she  so  much  needed  in 
her  brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from  Ver- 
mont, and  in  an  orphan  girl  whom  she  had  adopted 
some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Mrs.  Hayes  at  this  period  was  very  weak,  and  the 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


subject  of  this  sketch  was  so  feeble  at  birth  that  he 
was  not  expected  to  live  beyond  a  month  or  two  at 
most.  As  the  months  went  by  he  grew  weaker  and 
weaker,  so  that  the  neighbors  were  in  the  habit  of  in- 
quiring from  time  to  time  "  if  Mrs.  Haves'  baby  died 
last  night."  On  one  occasion  a  neighbor,  who  was  on 
familiar  terms  with  the  family,  after  alluding  to  the 
'boy's  big  head,  and  the  mother's  assiduous  care  of 
liim,  said  in  a  bantering  way,  "  That's  right !  Stick  to 
him.  You  have  got  him  along  so  far,  and  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  would  really  come  to  something  yet." 

"  You  need  not  laugh,"  said  Mrs.  Hayes.  "  You 
\vait  and  see.  You  can't  tell  but  I  shall  make  him 
President  of  the  United  States  yet."  The  boy  lived, 
in  spite  of  the  universal  predictions  of  his  speedy 
death;  and  when,  in  1825,  his  older  brother  was 
drowned,  he  became,  if  possible,  still  dearer  to  his 
mother. 

The  boy  was  seven  years  old  before  he  w^nt  to 
school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neglected. 
He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his  mother  and 
sister  as  he  would  have  done  at  school.  His  sports 
were  almost  wholly  within  doors,  his  playmates  being 
his  sister  and  her  associates.  These  circumstances 
tended,  no  doubt,  to  foster  that  gentleness  of  dispo- 
sition, and  that  delicate  consideration  for  the  feelings 
of  others,  which  are  marked  traits  of  his  character. 

His  uncle  Sardis  Birchard  took  the  deepest  interest 
y'n  his  education ;  and  as  the  boy's  health  had  im- 
proved, and  he  was  making  good  progress  in  his 
studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college.  His  pre- 
paration commenced  with  a  tutor  at  home;  but  he 
was  afterwards  sent  for  one  year  to  a  professor  in  the 
Wesleyan  University,  in  Middletown,  Conn.  He  en- 
tered Kenyon  College  in  1838,31  the  age  of  sixteen, 
and  was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  in  1842. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Sparrow,  Esq., 
in  Columbus.  Finding  his  opportunities  for  study  in 
Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  determined  to  enter 
the  Law  School  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  where  he.  re- 
mained two  years. 

In  1 845,  after  graduating  at  the  Law  School,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  shortly 
afterward  went  into  practice  as  an  attorney-at-law 
with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fremont.  Here  he  re- 
mained three  years,  acquiring  but  a  limited  practice, 
and  apparently  unambitious  of  distinction  in  his  pro- 
Cession. 

\n  1849  he  moved  to  Cincinnati,  where  his  ambi- 
tion found  a  new  stimulus.  For  several  years,  how- 
ever, his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events,  occurring  at 
this  period,  had  a  powerful  influence  upon  his  subse- 
quent ";fe.  One  of  these  was  his  marrage  with  Miss 
Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Webb,  of 
Chilicothe;  the  other  was  his  introduction  to  the  Cin- 
cinnati Literary  Club,  a  body  embracing  among  its 
members  such  men  as^hief  Justice 


Gen.  John  Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many 
others  hardly  less  distinguished  in  after  life.  The 
marriage  was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of  our 
Presidents  was  more  universally  admired,  reverenced 
and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and  no  one  did 
more  than  she  to  reflect  honor  upon  American  woman, 
hood.  The  Literary  Club  brought  Mr.  Hayes  into 
constant  association  with  young  men  of  high  char- 
acter and  noble  aims,  and  lured  him  to  display  the 
qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his  bashfulness  and 
modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas;  but  he  declined  to  ac. 
cept  the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  office  ol 
city  solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City  Council 
elected  him  for  the  unexpired  term. 

In  1 86 1,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  was  at 
the  zenith  of  his  professional  !i£_.  His  rank  at  the 
bar  was  among  the  the  first.  But  the  news  of  the 
attack  on  Fort  Sumpter  found  him  eager  to  take  uo 
arms  for  the  defense  of  his  country. 

His  military  record  was  bright  and  illustrious.  In 
October,  1861,  he  was  made  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and 
in  August,  1862,  promoted  Colonel  of  the  791!)  Ohio 
regiment,  but  he  refused  to  leavfe  his  old  comrades 
and  go  among  strangers.  Subsequently,  however,  \\t 
was  made  Colonel  of  his  old  regiment  At  the  battle 
of  South  Mountain  he  received  a  wound,  and  while 
faint  and  bleeding  displayed  courage  and  fortitude 
that  won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his  regiment,  after 
his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General,  and  placed 
in  command  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha  division, 
and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  the  battles 
of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  he  was 
promoted  Brigadier-General.  He  was  also  brevetted 
Major-General,  "for  gallant  and  distinguished  services 
during  the  campaigns  of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."  In 
the  course  of  his  arduous  services,  four  horses  were 
shot  from  under  him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress,  from 
the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long  been  Dem- 
ocratic. He  was  not  present  during  the  campaign, 
and  after  his  election  was  importuned  to  resign  his 
commission  in  the  army ;  but  he  finally  declared,  "I 
shall  never  corne  to  Washington  until  I  can  come  by 
the  way  of  Richmond."  He  was  re-elected  in  1866. 

In  1867,  Gen  Hayes  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio, 
over  Hon.  Allen  G.  Thurman,  a  populai  Democrat. 
In  1869  was  re-eieoted  over  George  H.  Pendleton. 
H«  was  elected  Governor  for  the  third  term  in  1875. 

Tn  1876  he  was  the  standard  beater  of  the  Repub- 
lican Party  in  the  Presidential  contest,  and  after  a 
hard  long  contest  was  chosen  President,  and  was  in 
augurated  Monday,  March  5,  1875.  He  served  his 
full  term,  not,  however,  with  satisfaction  to  his  party, 
but  his  administration  was  an  average  or*? 


URBAN* 


TWENTIETH  PRESIDENT. 


AMES  A.  GARFIELD,  twen- 
tieth President  of  the  United 
States,    was    born   Nov.    19, 
1831,  in  the  woods  of  Orange, 
Cuyahoga  Co.,  O      His   par- 
ents were  Abram  and    Eliza 
(Ballou)   Garfield,   both   of  New 
England  ancestry  and  from  fami- 
lies well  known  in  the  early  his- 
,  tory  of  that  section  of  our  coun- 
try, but  had  moved  to  the  Western 
Reserve,  in  Ohio,  early  in  its  settle- 
ment. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was 
born  was  not  unlike  the  houses  of 
}  poor  Ohio  farmers  of  that  day.  It 
^ds  about  20x30  feet,  built  of  logs,  with  t lie  spaces  be- 
.ween  the  logs  filled  with  clay.  His  father  was  a 
riard  working  farmer,  and  he  soon  had  his  fields 
jleared,  an  orchard  planted,  and  a  log  barn  built. 
The  household  comprised  the  father  and  mother  and 
(heir  four  children — Mehetabel,  Thomas,  Mary  and 
'ames.  In  May,  1823^  the  father,  from  a  cold  con- 
tacted in  helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire,  died.  At 
chis  time  James  was  about  eighteen  months  old,  and 
Thomas  about  ten  years  old.  No  one,  perhaps,  can 
(ell  how  much  James  was  indebted  to  his  brother's 
roil  and  self-sacrifice  during  the  twenty  years  suc- 
ceeding his  father's  death,  but  undoubtedly  very 
much.  He  now  lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sis- 
itrs  live  in  Solon,  O.,  near  their  birthplace. 

The  early  educational  advantages  young  Garfield 
enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the  most  of 
them.  He  labored  at  farm  work  for  others,  did  car- 
penter work,  chopped  wood,  or  did  anything  that 
would  bring  in  a  few  dollars  to  aid  his  widowed 
mother  in  he'  struggles  to  keep  the  little  family  to- 


gether. Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield  ever  ashamed  of  his 
origin,  and  he  never  forgot  the  friends  of  his  strug- 
gling childhood,  youth  and  manhood,  neither  did  they 
ever  forget  him.  When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor, 
the  humblest  fiiend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly 
greeted  as  ever.  The  poorest  laborer  was  sure  of  the 
sympathy  of  one  who  had  known  all  the  bitterness 
of  want  and  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple,  plain, 
modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  ambition  of  young  Garfield  until  ha 
was  about  sixteen  years  old  was  to  be  a  captain  of 
a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.     He  was  anxious  to  go  aboard 
a  vessel,  which  his  mother  strongly  opposed.     Shel 
finally  consented  to  his  going  to  Cleveland,  with  the 
understanding,  however,  that  he  should  try  to  obtain 
some  other  kind  of  employment.     He  walked  all  the 
way  to  Cleveland.   This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city 
Afier  making  many  applications  for  work,  and  trying 
to  get  aboard  a   lake  vessel,  and  not  meeting  with 
success,  he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Canal.     He  re- 
mained at  this  work  but  a  short  time  when  he  wen': 
home,    and  attended   the   seminary   at  Chester  for 
about  three  years,  when  he  entered  Hiram  and  the 
Eclectic  Institute,  teaching  a  few  terms  of  school  in 
the  meantime,  and  doing  other  work.     This  school 
was  started  by  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in   1850,  of 
which  church  he  was  then  a  member.     He  became 
janitor  and  bell-ringer  in  order  to  help  pay  his  way 
He  then  became  both  teacher  and  pupil.     He  soon 
"  exhausted  Hiram  "  and  needed  more  ;  hence,  in  the 
fall  of  1854,  he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1856,  taking  one  of  the  highest  h<x.- 
ors  of  his  class.     He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram 
College  as  its  President.     As  above  stated,  he   early 
united   with   the   Christian   or   Diciples    Church    at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a  devoted,  zealous  mem- 
ber, often  preaching  in  its  pulpit  and    places  where 
he  happened  to  be.     Dr.  Noah  Porter,  President  of 
Yale  College,  says  cf  him  in  reference  to  his  religion: 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


"  President  Garfield  was  more  than  a  man  of 
strong  moral  and  religious  convictions.  His  whole 
history,  from  boyhood  to  the  last,  shows  that  duty  to 
man  and  to  God,  and  devotion  to  Christ  and  life  and 
faith  and  spiritual  commission  were  controlling  springs 
of  his  being,  and  to  a  more  than  usual  degree.  In 
my  judgment  there  is  no  more  interesting  feature  of 
his  character  than  his  loyal  allegiance  to  the  body  of 
Christians  in  which  he  was  trained,  and  the  fervent 
sympathy  which  he  ever  showed  in  their  Christian 
communion.  Not  many  of  the  few  'wise  and  mighty 
and  noble  who  are  called '  show  a  similar  loyalty  to 
the  less  stately  and  cultured  Christian  communions 
in  which  they  have  been  reared.  Too  often  it  is  true 
that  as  they  step  upward  in  social  and  political  sig- 
nificance they  step  upward  from  one  degree  to 
another  in  some  of  the  many  types  of  fashionable 
Christianity.  President  Garfield  adhered  to  the 
church  of  his  mother,  the  church  in  which  he  was 
•rained,  and  in  which  he  served  as  a  pillar  and  an 
evangelist,  and  yet  with  the  largest  and  most  unsec- 
tarian  charity  for  all  'who  love  our  Lord  in  sincerity.'" 

Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Lucretia  Rudolph,  Nov.  1 1,  1858,  who  proved  herself 
worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom  all  the  world  loved  and 
mourned.  To  them  were  born  seven  children,  five  of 
whom  are  still  living,  four  boys  and  one  girl. 

Mr.  Garfield  made  his  first  political  speeches  in  1856, 
m  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and  three 
years  later  he  began  to  speak  at  county  mass-meet- 
ings, and  became  the  favorite  speaker  wherever  he 
was.  During  this  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Ohio 
Senate.  He  also  began  to  study  law  at  Cleveland, 
and  in  1861  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  The  great 
Rebellion  broke  out  in  the  early  part  of  this  year, 
and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once  resolved  to  fight  as  he  had 
talked,  and  enlisted  to  defend  the  old  flag.  He  re- 
ceived his  commission  as  Lieut.-Colonel  of  the  Forty- 
second  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  Aug. 
14,  1861.  He  was  immediately  put  into  active  ser- 
vice, and  before  he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  hvaction, 
was  placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantry 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the 
work  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  officer 
[Humphrey  Marshall)  reputed  to  be  the  ablest  of 
those,  not  educated  to  war  whom  Kentucky  had  given 
to  the  Rebellion.  This  work  was  bravely  and  speed- 
ily accomplished,  although  against  great  odds.  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  on  his  success  commissioned  him 
Brigadier-General,  Jan.  10,  1862;  and  as  "he  had 
been  the  youngest  man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years 
before,  so  now  he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the 
army."  He  was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh, 
in  its  operations  around  Corinth  and  its  march  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  member  of  the 
General  Court-Martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen.  Fitz-John 
Porter.  He  was  then  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Rose- 
crans,  and  was  assigned  to  the  "Chief  of  Staff." 

The  military  Wstory  of  Gen.  Garfield  closed  with 


his  brilliant  services  at  Chickamauga,  where  he  won 
the  stars  of  the  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his  part  Ge«  Garfield  wa» 
elected  to  Congress  in  the  fall  of  1862  from  the 
Nineteenth  District  of  Ohio.  This  section  of  Ohio 
had  been  represented  in  Congress  for  sixty  year* 
mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  Whittlesey  and  Joshvu. 
R.  Giddings.  It  was  not  without  a  struggle  that  he 
resigned  his  place  in  the  army.  At  the  time  he  en- 
tered Congress  he  was  the  youngest  member  in  that 
body.  There  he  remained  by  successive  re- 
elections  until  he  was  elected  President  in  1880. 
Of  his  labors  in  Congress  Senator  Hoar  says :  "  Since 
the  year  1864  you  cannot  think  of  a  question  which 
has  been  debated  in  Congress,  or  discussed  before  a 
tribunel  of  the  American  people,  in  regard  to  which 
you  will  not  find,  if  you  wish  instruction,  the  argu- 
ment on  one  side  stated,  in  almost  every  instance 
better  than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  speech  made  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the  hustings  by 
Mr.  Garfield." 

Upon  Jan.  14,  1880,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elected  to 
the  U.  S.  Senate,  and  on  the  eighth  of  June,  of  the 
same  year,  was  nominated  as  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  President  at  the  great  Chicago  Convention. 
He  was  elected  in  the  following  November,  and  on 
March  4,  1881,  was  inaugurated.  Probably  no  ad- 
ministration ever  opened  its  existence  under  brighter 
auspices  than  that  of  President  Garfield,  and  every 
day  it  grew  in  favor  with  the  people,  and  by  the  first 
of  July  he  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  pre- 
liminary work  of  his  administration  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Williams 
College.  While  on  his  way  and  at  the  depot,  in  com- 
pany with  Secretary  Elaine,  a  man  stepped  behind 
him,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired  directly  at  his  back. 
The  President  tottered  and  fell,  and  as  he  did  so  the 
assassin  fired  a  second  shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the 
left  coat  sleeve  of  his  victim,  but  inflicting  no  further 
injury.  It  has  been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was 
"  the  shot  that  was  heard  round  the  world  "  Never 
before  in  the  history  of  the  Nation  had  anything  oc- 
curred which  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  peop'° 
for  the  moment,  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was  smit- 
ten on  the  brightest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his  life,  and 
was  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  hope.  For  eighty 
days,  all  during  the  hot  months  of  July  and  August, 
he  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  however,  remained 
master  of  himself  till  the  last,  and  by  his  magnificent 
bearing  was  teaching  the  country  and  the  world  the 
noblest  of  human  lessops — how  to  live  grandly  in  the 
very  clutch  of  death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpass- 
ingly great  in  death.  He  passed  serenely  away  Sept. 
19,  1883,  at  Elberon,  N.  J.,on  the  very  bank  of  the 
ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  previous.  The 
world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  never  had  done  on  the 
death  of  any  other  man  who  had  ever  lived  upon  it. 
The  murderer  was  duly  tried,  found  guilty  and  exe- 
cuted, in  one  year  after  he  committed  the  fou?  deed. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBAN* 


, 


TWENTY-FIRST  PRESIDENT. 


HESTER      A.      ARTHUR, 
twenty-first    President  of  the 
United   States,    was    born    in 
Franklin  Courty,  Vermont,  on 
the  fifth  of  Odober,  1830,  and  is 
the  oldest   of  a   family    of  two 
sons  and   five   daughters.     His 
father  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 
Arthur,  a  Baptist  cJ'.rgy  man,  who 
emigrated  to  tb'.s  country  frorn 
the  county  Antrim,  Ireland,   in 
his  1 8th  year,  and  died  in  1875,  in 
Newtonville,   neai    Albany,  after  a 
long  and  successful  ministry. 

Young  Arthur  was  educated  at 
Union  College,  S<  henectady,  where 
he  excelled  in  all  his  studies.  Af- 
ter his  graduation  he  taught  school 
in  Vermont  for  two  years,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time  came  to 
New  York,  with  $500  in  his  pocket, 
and  catered  the  office  of  ex- Judge 
E.  D.  Culver  as  student.  After 
I  being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and  room-mate, 
Henry  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  intention  of  practicing 
in  the  West,  and  for  three  months  they  roamed  about 
in  the  Western  States  in  search  of  an  eligible  site, 
out  in  the  end  returned  to  New  York,  where  they 
hung  out  their  shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  success^ 
ful  career  almost  from  the  start.  General  Arthur 
soon  afterward  nawr-'-d  the  daughter  of  Lieutenant 


Herndon,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  was  lost  at 
sea.  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  to  his  widow  in 
recognition  of  the  bravery  he  displayed  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr.  Arthur's 
nomination  to  the  Vice  Presidency,  leaving  two 
children. 

Gen.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celebrity 
in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon  suit, 
brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves  who  had 
been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  New  York  City.  It  was  in  1852  that  Jon-, 
athan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to  New  York  with 
his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them  to  Texas,  when 
they  were  discovered  and  freed.  The  Judge  decided 
that  they  could  not  be  held  by  the  owner  under  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law.  A  howl  of  rage  went  up  from 
the  South,  and  the  Virginia  Legislature  authorized  the 
Attorney  General  of  that  State  to  assist  in  an  appeal. 
Wm.  M.  Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed 
to  represent  the  People,  and  they  won  their  .case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  Charles  O'Conor  here  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  slave-holders,  but  he  too  was  beaten  by  Messrs 
Evarts  and  Arthur,  and  a  long  step  was  taken  toward 
the  emancipation  of  the  black  race. 

Another  great  service  was  rendered  by  General 
Arthur  in  the  same  cause  in  1856.  Lizzie  Jennings, 
a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off  a  Fourth 
Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had  paid  her  fare. 
General  Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf,  and  secured  a 
verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next  day  the  compa- 
ny issued  an  order  to  admit  colored  persons  to  ride 
on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car  companies  quickly 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


followed  their  example.  Before  that  the  Sixth  Ave- 
nue Company  ran  a  few  special  cars  for  colored  per- 
sons smd  the  rjftjer  Hires  refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 


General  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  Convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  the  war  he  was  Judge-Advocate  of  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  Gov- 
ernor Morgan,  of  that  State,  appointed  him  Engineer- 
in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  1861,  he  was  made  Inspec- 
tor General,  and  soon  afterward  became  Quartermas- 
ter-General. In  each  of  these  offices  he  rendered 
great  service  to  the  Government  during  the  war.  At 
the  end  of  Governor  Morgan's  term  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  the  law,  forming  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Ransom,  and  then  Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney 
of  New  York,  was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  prac- 
tice of  this  well-known  firm  was  very  large  and  lucra- 
tive, each  of  the  gentlemen  composing  it  were  able 
lawyers,  and  possessed  a  splendid  local  reputation,  if 
not  indeed  one  of  national  extent. 

He  always  took  a  leading  part  in  State  and  city 
politics.  He  was  appointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of 
New  York  by  President  Grant,  Nov.  21  1872,  to  suc- 
ceed Thomas  Murphy,  and  held  the  office  until  July, 
20,  1878,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  with  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  at  the  famous 
National  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago  in 
June,  1880.  This  was  perhaps  the  greatest  political 
convention  that  ever  assembled  on  the  continent.  It 
was  composed  of  the  'sading  politicians  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  all  able  men,  and  each  stood  firm  and 
fought  vigorously  and  with  signal  tenacity  for  their 
respective  candidates  that  were  before  the  conven- 
tion for  the  nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  re- 
ceived the  nomination  for  President  and  Gen.  Arthur 
for  Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  history  of 
c/ur  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  standard-bearer  of 
the  Democratic  party,  was  a  popular  man,  and  his 
party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his  election. 

Finally  the  election  came  and  the  country's  choice 
,vas  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  inaugurated 
vvlarch  4,  1881,  as  President  and  Vice-President. 
/V  few  months  only  had  passed  ere  the  newly  chosen 
President  was  the  victim  of  the  assassin's  bullet.  Then 
came  terrible  weeks  of  suffering,  —  those  moment*  of 
anxious  suspense,  wher>  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  na- 


tions were  throbbing  in  unison,  longing  for  the  re- 
covery of  the  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remark- 
able patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours 
and  weeks,  and  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible  suf- 
fering man  has  often  been  called  upon  to  endure,  was 
seemingly  more  than  human.  It  was  certainly  God- 
like. During  all  this  period  of  deepest  anxiety  Mr. 
Arthur's  every  move  was  watched,  and  be  it  said  to  hisi 
credit  that  his  every  action  displayed  only  an  earnest 
desire  that  the  suffering  Garfield  might  recover,  to 
serve  the  remainder  of  the  term  he  had  so  auspi- 
ciously begun.  Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested 
in  deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most 
honored  position  in  the  world  was  at  any  moment 
likely  to  fall  to  him. 

At  last  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President  Gar- 
field  from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as  nevei 
before  in  its  history  over  the  death  of  any  othei 
man,  wept  at  his  bier.  Then  it  became  the  duty  of 
the  Vice  President  to  assume  the  responsibilities  o( 
the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath  in  New  York, 
Sept.  20,  1881.  The  position  was  an  embarrassing 
one  to  him,  made  doubly  so  from  the  facts  that  all 
eyes  were  on  him,  anxious  to  know  what  he  would  do, 
what  policy  he  would  pursue,  and  who  he  would  se- 
lect as  advisers.  The  duties  of  the  office  had  been 
greatly  neglected  during  the  President's  long  illness,' 
and  many  important  measures  were  to  be  immediately 
decided  by  him ;  and  still  farther  to  embarrass  him  he 
did  not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many  on 
this  point.  Under  these  trying  circumstances  President 
Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Government  in  his  own 
hands ;  and,  as  embarrassing  as  were  the  condition  o( 

affair.-'  he  happily  surprised  the  nation,  acting  so 
wiselv  hat  but  few  criticised  us  administration. 
He  served  the  nation  well  and  faithfully,  until  the 
close  of  his  administration,  March  4,  1885,  and  was 
a  popular  candidate  before  his  party  for  a  second 
term.  His  name  was  ably  presented  before  the  con- 
vention at  Chicago,  and  was  received  with  great 
favor,  and  doubtless  but  for  the  personal  popularity 
of  one  of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have 
been  selected  as  the  standard-bearer  of  his  party 
for  another  campaign.  He  retired  to  private  life  car- 
rying with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American  peo- 
ple, whom  he  had  served  in  a  manner  satisfactory 
to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself. 


TWENTY-SECOND  PRESIDENT. 


103 


TEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVE- 
LAND, the  twenty- second  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States,  was 
born  in  1837,  in  the  obscure 
town  of  Caldwell,  Essex  Co., 
N.  J.,  and  in  a  little  two-and-a- 
half-story  white  house  which  is  still 
standing,  characteristically  to  mark 
the  humble  birth-place  of  one  of 
America's  great  men  in  striking  con- 
trast with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in 
origin  and  born  in  the  cradle  of 
wealth.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his 
father,  who  was  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, with  a  large  family  and  a  small  salary,  moved, 
by  way  of  the  Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to 
Fayetteville,  in  search  of  an  increased  income  and  a 
larger  field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about-  five  miles  from 
Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour  was  born. 

At  the  last  mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  "  good,  old-fashioned 
way,"  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after  the 
manner  of  all  village  boys,  in  doing  the  things  he 
ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  distinguishing  trait  of 
all  geniuses  and  independent  thinkers.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  age  of  14  years,  he  had  outgrown  the 
capacity  of  the  village  school  and  expressed  a  most 


emphatic  desire  to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  thi« 
his  father  decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him  to 
become  self-supporting  by  the  quickest  possible 
means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayetteville  seemed 
to  be  a  position  in  a  country  store,  where  his  father 
and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had  considerable 
influence.  Grover  was  to  be  paid  $50  for  his  services 
the  first  year,  and  if  he  proved  trustworthy  he  was  to 
receive  $100  the  second  year.  Here  the  lad  com- 
menced his  career  as  salesman,  and  in  two  years  he 
had  earned  so  good  a  reputation  for  trustworthiness 
that  his  employers  desired  to  retain  him  for  an  in- 
definite length  of  time.  Otherwise  he  did  not  ex- 
hibit as  yet  any  particular  "  flashes  of  genius  "  or 
eccentricities  of  talent.  He  was  simply  a  good  boy. 
But  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in  Fayette- 
ville, he  went  with  the  family  in  their  removal  to 
Clinton,  where  he  had  an  opportunity  of  attending  a 
high  school.  Here  he  industriously  pursued  his 
studies  until  the  family  removed  with  him  to  a  point 
on  Black  River  known  as  the  "  Holland  Patent,"  a 
village  of  500  or  600  people,  15  miles  north  of  Utica, 
N.  Y.  At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching 
but  three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept,  at  a 
small  salary,  the  position  of  "  under-teacher  "  in  an 
asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully  for  two 
years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good  reputation  in 
this  capacity,  he  concluded  that  teaching  was  not  his 


1O4 


S.   GROVES  CLEVELAND. 


calling  for  life,  and,  reversing  the  traditional  order, 
he  left  the  city  to  seek  his  fortune,  instead  of  going 
to  a  city.  He  first  thought  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as 
there  was  some  charm. in  that  name  for  him;  but 
before  proceeding  to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffalo  to 
»sk  the  advice  of  his  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted 
stock-breeder  of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not 
speak  enthusiastically.  "  What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  boy?"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  study 
law,"  was  the  reply,  "Good  gracious!"  remarked 
ih«*  old  gentleman ;  "  do  you,  indeed  ?  What  ever  put 
that  into  your  head?  How  much  money  have  you 
got?"  "Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  haven't  got 
any." 

After  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  him  a 
place  temporarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at  $50  a 
year,  while  lie  could  "look  around."  One  day  soon 
afterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  office  of  Rogers, 
Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and  told  Ihem  what  he 
wanted.  A  number  of  young  men  were  already  en- 
gaged in  the  office,  but  Grover's  persistency  won,  and 
he  was  finally  permitted  to  come  as  an  office  boy  and 
Have  the  use  of  the  law  library,  for  the  nominal  sum 
of  $3  or  $4  a  week.  Out  of  this  he  had  to  pay  for 
his  board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and,  although 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorably  severe  one,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair  and  his  overcoat — he  had 
none — yet  he  was  nevertheless  prompt  and  regular. 
On  the  first  day  of  his  service  here,  his  senior  em- 
ployer threw  down  a  copy  of  Blackstone  before  him 
with  a  bang  that  made  the  dust  fly,  saying  "That's 
where  they  all  begin."  A  titter  ran  around  the  little 
circle  of  clerks  and  students,  as  they  thought  that 
was  enough  to  scare  young  Grover  out  of  his  plans ; 
but  in  due  time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleveland 
exhibited  a  talent  for  executiveness  rather  than  for 
chasing  principles  through  all  their  metaphysical 
possibilities.  "  Let  us  quit  talking  and  go  and  do 
it,"  was  practically  his  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland  was 
elected  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
which  Buffalo  is  situated;  and  in  such  capacity  it  fell 
to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  pi>".!shment  upon  two 
criminals.  In  1881  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
City  of  Buffalo,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  with  es- 
pecial reference  to  the  bringing  about  certain  reforms 


in  the  administration  of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that 
city.  In  this  office,  as  well  as  that  of  Sheriff,  his 
performance  of  duty  has  generally  been  considered 
fair,  with  possibly  a  few  exceptions  which  were  fer- 
reted out  and  magnified  during  the  last  Presidential 
campaign.  As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in 
a  veto  message,  we  quote  from  one  vetoing  an  iniqui- 
tous street-cleaning  contract :  "  This  is  a  time  foi 
plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your  action  shall 
be  plainly  stated.  I  regard  it  as  the  culmination  of 
a  mos  bare-faced,  impudent  and  shameless  scheme 
to  betray  the  interests  of  the  people  and  to  worse 
than  squander  the  people's  money."  The  New  York 
Sun  afterward  very  highly  commended  Mr.  Cleve- 
land's administration  as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  there- 
upon recommended  him  for  Governor  of  the  Empire 
State.  To  the  latter  office  he  was  elected  in  1882, 
and  his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  State  was 
generally  satisfactory.  The  mistakes  he  made,  if 
any,  were  made  very  public  throughout  the  nation 
after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  For  this  high  office  he  was  nominated  July 
ir,  1884,  by  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at 
Chicago,  when  other  competitors  were  Thomas  F. 
Bayard,  Roswell  P.  Flower,  Thomas  A.  Hendricks, 
Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  etc.;  and  he 
was  elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  about  a 
thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Repub- 
lican statesman,  James  G.  Blaine.  President  Cleve- 
land resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New  York  in 
January,  1885,  in  order  to  prepare  for  his  duties  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  ihe  United  States,  in  which 
capacity  his  term  commenced  at  noon  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1885. 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy 
between  those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continu- 
ance of  silver  coinage  and  those  who  were  opposed, 
Mr.  Cleveland  answering  for  the  latter,  even  before 
his  inauguration. 

On  June  2,  1886,  President  Cleveland  married 
Frances,  daughter  of  his  deceased  friend  and 
partner,  Oscar  Folsom,  of  the  Buffalo  Bar.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  one  daugh- 
ter, Ruth.  In  the  campaign  of  1888,  President 
Cleveland  was  renominated  by  his  party,  but  the 
Republican  candidate,  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison, 
was  victorious.  In  the  nominations  of  1892  these 
two  candidates  for  the  highest  position  in  the  gift 
of  the  people  were  again  pitted  against  each  other 
and  President  Cleveland  was  victorious  by  an 
overwhelming  majority. 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


'TWENTY-THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


ENJAMIN  HARRISON,  the 
twenty-third  President,  is 
the  descendant  of  one  of  the 
historical  families  of  this 
country.  The  head  of  the 
family  was  a  Major  General 
Harrison,  one  of  Oliver 
Cromwell's  trusted  follow- 


ers and  fighters.  In  the  zenith  of  Crom- 
well's power  it  became  the  duty  of  this 
Harrison  to  participate  in  tne  trial  of 
Charles  I,  and  afterward  tc  sign  the 
death  warrant  of  the  king.  He  subse- 
quently paid  for  this  with  his  life,  being 
hung  Oct.  13,  1660.  His  descendants 
came  to  America,  and  the  next  of  the 
family  that  appears  in  history  is  Benja- 
rnin  Harrison,  of  Virginia,  great-grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and 
after  whom  he  was  named.  Benjamin  Harrison 
was  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress  during 
the  years  1 774-5-6,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
va  three  times  elected  Governor  of  Virginia. 

William  Henry  Harrison,  the  son  of  the 


distinguished  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  after  a  suo. 
cessful  career  as  a  soldier  during  the  War  of  1812, 
and  with-a  clean  record  as  Governor  of  the  North- 
western Territory,  was  elected  President  of  the 
United  States  in  1840.  His  career  was  cut  short 
by  death  within  one  month  after  ais  inruguration. 
President  Harrison  was  born  at  Nortli  Bond. 
Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  20, 18S30  His  life  up  to 
the  time  of  his  graduation  by  the  Miami  University, 
at  Oxford,  Ohio,  was  the  uneventful  one  of  a  coun- 
try lad  of  a  family  of  small  means.  His  father  was 
able  to  give  him  a  good  education,  and  nothing 
more.  He  became  engaged  while  at  college  to  tho 
daughter  of  Dr.  Scott,  Principal  of  a  female  schoo 
at  Oxford.  After  graduating  he  determined  to  en- 
ter upon  the  study  of  the  law.  He  went  to  Cin 
cinnati  and  then  read  law  for  two  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  that  time  young  Harrison  receivt.il  tta 
only  inheritance  of  his  life ;  his  aunt  dying  left  him 
a  lot  valued  at  $800.  He  regarded  this  legacy  as  a 
fortune,  and  decided  to  get  married  at  once,  take 
this  money  and  go  to  some  Eastern  town  an;  be- 
gin the  practice  of  law.  He  sold  his  lot,  and  with 
the  money  in  hie  pocket,  be  started  out  witu  his 
young  wife  to  fight  for  »  place  in  the  world-  He 


108 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON. 


decided  to  go  to  Indianapolis,  which  was  eren  at 
that  time  a  town  of  promise.  He  met  with  slight 
encouragement  at  first,  making  scarcely  anything 
the  first  year.  He  worked  diligently,  applying  him- 
self closely  to  his  calling,  built  up  an  extensive 
practice  and  took  a  leading  rank  in  the  legal  pro- 
i'ession.  He  is  the  father  of  two  children. 

In  1860  Mr.  Harrison  was  nominated  for  the 
position  of  Supreme  Court  Reporter,  and  then  be- 
gan his  experience  as  a  stump  speakei  He  can- 
vassed the  State  thoroughly,  and  was  elected  by  a 
handsome  majority.  In  1862  he  raised  the  17th 
Indiana  Infantry,  and  was  chosen  its  Colonel.  His 
regiment  was  composed  of  *he  rawest  of  material, 
out  Col.  Harrison  employed  all  his  tiuie  at  first 
mastering  military  tactics  and  drilling  his  men, 
when  he  therefore  came  to  move  toward  the  East 
with  Sherman  his  regiment  was  one  of  the  best 
drilled  and  organized  in  the  army.  At  Resaca  he 
especially  distinguished  himself,  and  for  his  bravery 
at  Peachtree  Creek  he  was  made  a  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral, Gen.  Hooker  speaking  of  him  in  the  most 
complimentary  terms. 

During  the  absence  of  Gen.  Harrison  in  the  field 
ho  S'jpreme  Court  declared  the  office  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  Reporter  vacant,  and  another  person 
was  elected  to  the  position.  From  the  time  of  leav- 
ing Indiana  with  his  regiment  until  the  fall  ot  1864 
he  had  taken  no  leave  of  absence,  but  having  been 
nominated  that  year  for  the  same  office,  he  got  a 
thirty-day  leave  of  absence,  and  during  that  time 
made  a  brilliant  canvass  of  the  State,  and  was  elected 
for  another  terra.  He  then  started  to  rejoin  Sher- 
man, but  on  the  way  was  stricken  down  with  scarlet 
jever,  and  after  a  most  trying  siege  made  his  way 
to  the  front  in  time  to  participate  in  the  closing 
incidents  of  the  war. 

In  1868  Gen.  Harrison  declined  re-election  as 
reporter,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In  1876 
fle  was  a  candidate  for  Governor.  Although  de- 
eated,  the  brilliant  campaign  ho  irade  won  i'or  him 
,1  National  reputation,  and  he  was  much  sought,  es- 
peciai.y  in  the  East,  to  make  speeches.  In  1880, 
as  usual,  he  took  an  active  part  in  tae  campaign, 
and  wu  elected  to  the  Tailed  States  Senate.  Here 
ue  set-ved  six  years,  and  .-as  known  as  one  ox  the 
ibJest  men,  best  lawyer'  <.ud  stronger  debaters  in 


that  body.  With  the  expiration  of  his  Senatorial 
term  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  Ins  profession, 
becoming  the  head  of  one  of  the  strongest  firms  in 
the  State. 

The  political  campaign  of  1888  was  one  of  the 
most  memorable  in  the  history  of  our  country.  The 
convention  which  assembled  in  Chicago  in  June  an^ 
named  Mr.  Harrison  as  the  chief  standard  bearer 
of  the  Republican  party,  was  great  in  every  partic- 
ular, and  on  this  account,  and  the  attitude  it  as. 
sumed  upon  the  vital  questions  of  the  day,  chief 
among  which  was  the  tariff,  awoke  a  deep  interest 
in  the  campaign  throughout  the  Nation.  Shortly 
after  the  nomination  delegations  began  to  visit  Mr. 
Harrison  at  Indianapolis,  his  home.  This  move- 
ment became  popular,  and  from  all  sections  of  the 
country  societies,  clubs  and  delegations  journeyed 
thither  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  distinguished 
statesman.  The  popularity  of  these  was  greatly 
increased  on  account  of  the  remarkable  speeches 
made  by  Mr.  Harrison.  He  spoke  daily  all  through 
the  summer  and  autumn  to  these  visiting  delega- 
tions, and  so  varied,  masterly  and  eloquent  were 
his  speeches  that  they  at  once  placed  him  in  the 
foremost  rank  of  American  orators  and  statesmen. 

On  account  of  his  eloquence  as  a  speaker  and  hi" 
power  as  a  debater,  he  was  called  upon  at  an  un- 
commonly early  age  to  take  part  in  the  discussion 
of  the  great  questions  that  then  began  t  j  agitate 
the  country.     He  was   an   uncompromising  ant: 
slavery  man,  and  was  matched  against  some  oi!  t-e 
most  eminent  Democratic  speakers  of  his  Stat^ 
No  man  who  felt  the  touch  of  his  blade  d3':red  «. 
be  pitted  with  him  again.     With  all  his  e'oq-ence 
as  an  orator  he  never  spoke  for  oratorical.  e'.V^t. 
but  his  words  always  went  like  bullets  to  the  mark 
He  is  purely  American  in  his  ideas  and  k  a  spier 
did  type  of  the  American  statesman.     Gifted  witt 
quick  perception,  a  logical  mind  and  a  ready  tongue, 
he  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  impromptu 
speakers  in  the  Nation.     Many  of  these  speeches 
sparkled  with  the  rarest  of  eloquence  and  contained 
arguments  of  greatest  weight.     Many  of  his  terse 
statements  have  already  become  aphorisms.     Orig! 
nal  in  thought  precise  ia.  logic,  terse  in  statement, 
yet  withal  faultless  in  eloquence,  he  is  recognized  as 
tu«  sound  statesman  and  brill  Ian   orator  o-  ta^  0*7 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


rn 


HADRACH  BOND,  the  first 
Governor  of  Illinois  after  its 
organization  as  a  State,  serving 
from  1818  to  1822,  was  born  in 
Frederick  County,  Maryland, 
in  the  year  1773,  and  was 
raised  a  farmer  on  his  father's 
plantation,  receiving  only  a  plain 
English  education.  He  emigrated 
to  this  State  in  1794,  when  it  was  a 
part  of  the  "Northwest  Territory," 
continuing  in  the  vocation  in  which 
he  had  been  brought  up  in  his  native 
State,  in  the  "  New  Design,"  near 
Eagle  Creek,  in  what  is  now  Monroe 
County.  He  served  several  terms  as 
a  member  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  Indiana  Territory,  after  it  was  organized  as  such, 
and  in  1812-14  he  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Twelfth 
and  Thirteenth  Congresses,  taking  his  seat  Dec.  3, 
1812,  and  serving  until  Oct.  3,  1814.  These  were 
the  times,  the  reader  will  recollect,  when  this  Gov- 
ernment had  its  last  struggle  with  Great  Britain. 
The  year  1812  is  also  noted  in  the  history  of  this 
State  as  that  in  which  the  first  Territorial  Legislature 
was  held.  It  convened  at  Kaskaskia,  Nov.  25,  and 
adjourned  Dec.  26,  following. 

While  serving  'as  Delegate  to  Congress,  Mr.  Bond 
was  instrumental  in  procuring  the  right  of  pre-emp- 
tion on  the  public  domain.  On  the  expiration  of  his 
term  at  Washington  he  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
Public  Moneys  at  Kaskaskia,  then  the  capital  of  tire 
Territory.  In  company  with  John  G.  Comyges, 


Thomas  H.  Harris,  Charles  Slade,  Michael  Jones, 
Warren  Brown.  Edward  Humphries  and  Charles  W 
Hunter,  he  became  a  proprietor  of  the  site  of  the 
initial  city  of  Cairo,  which  they  hoped,  from  its  favor- 
able location  at  the  junction  of  the  two  greai 
rivers  near  the  center  of  the  Great  West,  would 
rapidly  develop  into  a  metropolis.  To  aid  the  enter- 
prise, they  obtained  a  special  charter  from  the  Legis- 
lature, incorporating  both  the  City  and  the  Bank  of 
Cairo. 

In  1818  Mr.  Bond  was  elected  the  first  Governot 
of  the  State  of  Illinois,  being  inaugurated  Oct.  6 
that  year,  which  was  several  weeks  before  Illinois 
was  actually  admitted.  The  facts  are  these:  In 
January,  1818,  the  Territorial  Legislature  sent  a  peti- 
tion to  Congress  for  the  admission  of  Illinois  as  a 
State,  Nathaniel  Pope  being  then  Delegate.  The 
petition  was  granted,  fixing  the  northern  line  of  the 
State  on  the  latitude  of  the  southern  extremity  of 
Lake  Michigan;  but  the  bill  was  afterward  so  amend- 
ed as  to  extend  this  line  to  its  present  latitude.  In 
July  a  convention  was  called  at  Kaskaskia  to  draft  a 
constitution,  which,  however,  was  not  submitted  to 
the  people.  By  its  provisions,  supreme  judges,  pros 
ecuting  attorneys,  county  and  circuit  judges,  record- 
ers and  justices  of  the  peace  were  all  to  be  appointed 
by  the  Governor  or  elected  by  the  Legislature.  This 
constitution  was  accepted  by  Congress  Dec.  30.  At 
that  time  Illinois  comprised  but  eleven  counties, 
namely,  Randolph,  Madison,  Gallatin,  Johnson, 
Pope,  Jackson,  Crawford,  Bond,  Union,  Washington 
and  Franklin,  the  northern  portion  of  the  State  be- 
ing mainly  in  Madison  County.  Thus  it  appears 
that  Mr.  Bond  was  honored  by  the  naming  of  a 


SHADRACH  BOND. 


county  before  he  was  elected  Governor.  The  present 
county  of  Bond  is  of  small  limitations,  about  60  to  80 
miles  south  of  Springfield.  For  Lieutenant  Governor 
the  people  chose  Pierre  Menard,  a  prominent  and 
worthy  Frenchman,  after  whom  a  county  in  this  State 
is  named.  In  this  election  there  were  no  opposition 
candidates,  as  the  popularity  of  these  men  had  made 
their  promotion  to  the  chief  offices  of  the  SLate,  even 
before  the  constitution  was  drafted,  a  foregone  con- 
clusion. 

The  principal  points  that  excited  the  people  in 
reference  to  political  issues  at  this  period  were  local 
or  "internal  improvements,"  as  they  were  called, 
State  banks,  location  of  the  capital,  slavery  and  the 
personal  characteristics  of  the  proposed  candidates. 
Mr.  Bond  represented  the  "  Convention  party,"  for 
introducing  slavery  into  the  State,  supported  by  Elias 
Kent  Kane,  His  Secretary  of  State,  and  John  Mc- 
Lean, while  Nathaniel  Pope  and  John  P.  Cook  led 
the  anti-slavery  element.  The  people,  however,  did 
not  become  very  much  excited  over  this  issue  until 
1820,  when  the  famous  Missouri  Compromise  was 
adopted  by  Congress,  limiting  slavery  to  the  south 
of  the  parallel  of  36°  30'  except  in  Missouri.  While 
this  measure  settled  the  great  slavery  controversy, 
so  far  as  the  average  public  sentiment  was  tempor- 
arily concerned,  until  1854,  when  it  was  repealed 
under  the  leadership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  issue 
as  considered  locally  in  this  State  was  not  decided 
until  1824,  after  a  most  furious  campaign.  (See 
sketch  of  Gov.  Coles.)  The  ticket  of  1818  was  a 
compromise  one,  Bond  representing  (moderately)  the 
pro-slavery  sentiment  and  Menard  the  anti-slavery. 

An  awkward  element  in  the  State  government 
under  Gov.  Bond's  administration,  was  the  imperfec- 
tion of  the  State  constitution.  The  Convention 
wished  to  have  Elijah  C.  Berry  for  the  first  Auditor 
of  Public  Accounts,  but,  as  it  was  believed  that  the 
new  Governor  would  not  appoint  him  to  the  office, 
the  Convention  declared  in  a  schedule  that  "  an 
auditor  of  public  accounts,  an  attorney  general  and 
such  other  officers  of  the  State  as  may  be  necessary, 
may  be  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly."  The 
Constitution,  as  it  stood,  vested  a  very  large  appoint- 
ing power  in  the  Governor ;  but  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  one  man  into  office,  a  total  change  was  made, 
and  the  power  vested  in  the  Legislature.  Of  this 
provision  the  Legislature  took  advantage,  and  de- 


clared that  State's  attorneys,  canal  commissioners, 
bank  directors,  etc.,  were  all  "  officers  of  the  State ' 
and  must  therefore  be  appointed  by  itself  independ- 
ently of  the  Governor. 

During  Gov.  Bond's  administration  a  general  law 
was  passed  for  the  incorporation  of  academies  and 
towns,  and  one  authorizing  lotteries.  The  session  of 
1822  authorized  the  Governor  to  appoint  commis- 
sioners, to  act  in  conjunction  with  like  commissioners 
appointed  by  the  State  of  Indiana,  to  report  on  the 
practicability  and  expediency  of  improving  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Wabash  River ;  also  inland  navigation 
generally.  Many  improvements  were  recommended, 
some  of  which  have  been  feebly  worked  at  even  till 
the  present  day,  those  along  the  Wabash  being  of  no 
value.  Also,  during  Gov.  Bond's  term  of  office,  the 
capital  of  the  State  was  removed  from  Kaskaskia  to 
Vandalia.  In  1820  a  law  was  passed  by  Congress 
authorizing  this  State  to  open  a  canal  through  the 
public  lands.  The  State  appointed  commissioners 
lo  explore  the  route  and  prepare  the  necessary  sur- 
veys and  estimates,  preparatory  to  its  execution; 
but,  being  unable  out  of  its  own  resources  to  defray 
the  expenses  of  the  undertaking,  it  was  abandoned 
until  some  time  after  Congress  made  the  grant  of 
land  for  the  purpose  of  its  construction. 

On  the  whole,  Gov.  Bond's  administration  was 
fairly  good,  not  being  open  to  severe  criticism  from 
any  party.  In  1824,  two  years  after  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  office,  he  was  brought  out  as  a  candi- 
date for  Congress  against  the  formidable  John  P. 
Cook,  but  received  only  4,374  votes  to  7,460  for  the 
latter.  Gov.  Bond  was  no  orator,  but  had  made 
many  fast  friends  by  a  judicious  be^towment  of  his 
gubernatorial  patronage,  and  these  worked  zealously 
for  him  in  the  campaign. 

In  1827  ex-Gov.  Bond  was  appointed  by  the  Leg- 
islature, with  Wm.  P.  McKee  and  Dr.  Gershom 
Jayne,  as  Commissioners  to  locate  a  site  for  a  peni- 
tentiary on  the  Mississippi  at  or  near  Alton. 

Mr.  Bond  was  of  a  benevolent  and  convivial  dis- 
position, a  man  of  shrewd  observation  and  clear  ap- 
preciation of  events.  His  person  was  erect,  stand- 
ing six  feet  in  height,  and  after  middle  life  became 
portly,  weighing  200  pounds.  His  features  were 
strongly  masculine,  complexion  dark,  hair  jet  and 
eyes  hazel ;  was  a  favorite  with  the  ladies.  He  died 
April  i  r,  1830,  in  peace  and  contentment 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBAN* 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


j£t>war&  Coles. 


DWARD  COLES,  second 
Governor  of  Illinois,  1823- 
6,  was  born  Dec.  15,  1786, 
in  Albemarle  Co.,  Va.,  on 
the  old  family  estate  called 
"Enniscorthy,"  on  the 
Green  Mountain.  His  fath- 
er, John  Coles,  was  a  Colonel  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Having  been  fit- 
ted for  college  by  private  tutors,  he 
was  sent  to  Hampden  Sidney,  where 
he  remained  until  the  autumn  of  1805, 
when  he  was  removed  to  William  and 
Mary  College,  at  Williamsburg,  Va. 
This  college  he  left  in  the  summer  of 
1807,  a  short  time  before  the  final  and  graduating 
examination.  Among  his  classmates  were  Lieut. 
Gen.  Scott,  President  John  Tyler,  Wm.  S.  Archer, 
United  States  Senator  from  Virginia,  and  Justice 
Baldwin,  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  The 
President  of  the  latter  college,  Bishop  Madison,  was 
a  cousin  of  President  James  Madison,  and  that  cir- 
cumstance was  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Coles  becoming 
personally  acquainted  with  the  President  and  re- 
ceiving a  position  as  his  private  secretary,  1809-15. 
The  family  of  Coles  was  a  prominent  one  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  their  mansion  was  the  seat  of  the  old- 
fashioned  Virginian  hospitality.  It  was  visited  by 
such  notables  as  Patrick  Henry,  Jefferson,  Madison, 
Monroe,  the  Randolphs,  Tazewell,  Wirt,  etc.  At  the 
age  of  23,  young  Coles  found  himself  heir  to  a  plant- 
ation and  a  considerable  number  of  slaves.  Ever 
since  his  earlier  college  days  his  attention  had  been 
drawn  to  the  question  of  slavery.  He  read  every- 


thing on  the  subject  that  came  in  his  way,  and 
listened  to  lectures  on  the  rights  of  man.  The  more 
he  reflected  upon  the  subject,  the  more  impossible 
was  it  for  him  to  reconcile  the  immortal  declaration 
"that  all  men  are  bom  free  and  equal "  with  the 
practice  of  slave-holding.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to 
free  his  slaves  the  first  opportunity,  and  even  remove 
his  residence  to  a  free  State.  One  reason  which  de- 
termined him  to  accept  the  appointment  as  private 
secretary  to  Mr.  Madison  was  because  he  believed 
that  through  the  acquaintances  lie  could  make  at 
Washington  he  could  better  determine  in  what  part 
of  the  non-slaveholding  portion  of  the  Union  he  woulc 
prefer  to  settle. 

The  relations  between  Mr.  Coles  and  President 
Madison,  as  well  as  Jefferson  and  other  distinguished 
men,  were  of  a  very  friendly  character,  arising  from 
the  similarity  of  their  views  on  the  question  of  slavery 
and  their  sympathy  for  each  other  in  holding  doc- 
trines so  much  at  variance  with  the  prevailing  senti- 
ment in  their  own  State. 

In  1857,  he  resigned  his  secretaryship  and  spent  a 
portion  of  the  following  autumn  in  exploring  the 
Northwest  Territory,  for  the  purpose  of  finding  a  lo- 
cation and  purchasing  lands  on  which  to  settle  his 
negroes.  He  traveled  with  a  horse  and  buggy,  with 
an  extra  man  and  horse  for  emergencies,  through 
many  parts  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri, 
determining  finally  to  settle  in  Illinois.  At  this  time, 
however,  a  misunderstanding  arose  between  our 
Government  and  Russia,  and  Mr.  Coles  was  selected 
to  repair  to  St.  Petersburg  on  a  special  mission,  bear- 
ing important  papers  concerning  the  matter  at  issue 
The  result  was  a  conviction  of  the  Emperor  (Alex- 


ri6 


ED  WARD  COLES. 


ander)  of  the  error  committed  by  his  minister  at 
Washington,  and  the  consequent  withdrawal  of  the 
the  latter  from  the  post.  On  his  return,  Mr.  Coles 
visited  other  parts  of  Europe,  especially  Paris,  where 
he  was  introduced  to  Gen.  Lafayette. 

In  the  spring  of  1819,  he  removed  with  all  his 
negroes  from  Virginia  to  Edwardsville,  111.,  with  the 
intention  of  giving  them  their  liberty.  He  did  not 
make  known  to  them  his  intention  until  one  beautiful 
morning  in  April,  as  they  were  descending  the  Ohio 
River.  He  lashed  all  the  boats  together  and  called 
all  the  negroes  on  deck  and  made  them  a  short  ad- 
dress, concluding  his  remarks  by  so  expressing  him- 
self that  by  a  turn  of  a  sentence  he  proclaimed  in 
the  shortest  and  fullest  manner  that  they  were  no 
longer  slaves,  but  free  as  he  was  and  were  at  liberty 
to  proceed  with  him  or  go  ashore  at  their  pleas- 
ure. A  description  of  the  effect  upon  the  negroes  is 
best  desciibed  in  his  own  language  : 

"  The  effect  upon  them  was  electrical.  They  stared 
at  me  and  then  at  each  other,  as  if  doubting  the  ac- 
curacy or  reality  of  what  they  heard.  In  breathless 
silence  they  stood  before  me,  unable  to  utter  a  word, 
but  with  countenances  beaming  with  expression  which 
no  words  could  convey,  and  which  no  language 
can  describe.  As  they  began  to  see  the  truth  of 
what  they  had  heard,  and  realize  their  situation,  there 
came  on  a  kind  of  hysterical,  giggling  laugh.  After 
a  pause  of  intense  and  unutterable  emotion,  bathed 
in  tears,  and  with  tremulous  voices,  they  gave  vent  to 
their  gratitude  and  implored  the  blessing  of  God 
on  me." 

Before  landing  he  gave  them  a  general  certificate 
of  freedom,  and  afterward  conformed  more  particu- 
larly with  the  law  of  this  State  requiring  that  each 
individual  should  have  a  certificate.  This  act  of 
Mr.  Coles,  all  the  more  noble  and  heroic  considering 
the  overwhelming  pro-slavery  influences  surrounding 
him,  has  challenged  the  admiration  of  every  philan- 
thropist of  modern  times. 

March  5,  1819,  President  Monroe  appointed  Mr. 
Coles  Registrar  of  the  Land  Office  at  Edwardsvihe, 
at  that  time  one  of  the  principal  land  offices  in  the 
State.  While  acting  in  this  capacity  and  gaining 
many  friends  by  his  politeness  and  general  intelli- 
gence, the  greatest  struggle  that  ever  occurred  in 
Illinois  on  the  slavery  question  culminated  in  the 
furious  contest  characterizing  the  campaigns  and 
elections  of  1822-4.  In  tne  summer  of  1823,  when  a 
new  Governor  was  to  be  elected  to  succeed  Mr. 
Bond,  the  pro-slavery  element  divided  into  factions, 
putting  forward  for  the  executive  office  Joseph 
Phillips,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State,  Thomas  C. 
Browne  and  Gen.  James  B.  Moore,  of  the  State  Mil- 
itia. The  anti-slavery  element  united  upon  Mr. 
Coles,  and,  after  one  of  the  most  bitter  campaigns, 
succeeded  in  electing  him  as  Governor.  His  plural- 
ity over  Judge  Phillips  was  only  59  in  a  total  vote  of 


over  8,000.  The  Lieutenant  Governor  was  elected 
by  the  slavery  men.  Mr.  Coles' inauguration  speech 
was  marked  by  calmness,  deliberation  and  such  a 
wise  expression  of  appropriate  suggestions  as  to 
elicit  the  sanction  of  all  judicious  politicians.  But 
he  compromised  not  with  evil.  In  his  message  to 
the  Legislature,  the  seat  of  Government  being  then 
at  Vandalia,  he  strongly  urged  the  abrogation  of  the 
modified  form  of  slavery  which  then  existed  in  this 
State,  contrary  to  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  His  posi- 
tion on  this  subject  seems  the  more  remarkable,  when 
it  is  considered  that  he  was  a  minority  Governor,  the 
population  of  Illinois  being  at  that  time  almost  ex- 
clusively from  slave-holding  States  and  by  a  large 
majority  in  favor  of  the  perpetuation  of  that  old  relic 
of  barbarism.  The  Legislature  itself  was,  of  course, 
a  reflex  of  the  popular  sentiment,  and  a  majority  of 
them  were  led  on  by  fiery  men  in  denunciations  of 
the  conscientious  Governor,  and  in  curses  loud  and 
deep  upon  him  and  all  his  friends.  Some  of  the 
public  men,  indeed,  went  so  far  as  to  head  a  sort  of 
mob,  or  "  shiveree  "  party,  who  visited  the  residence 
of  the  Governor  and  others  at  Vandalia  and  yelled 
and  groaned  and  spat  fire. 

The  Constitution,  not  establishing  or  permitting 
slavery  in  this  State,  was  thought  therefore  to  be 
defective  by  the  slavery  politicians,  and  they  desired 
a  State  Convention  to  be  elected,  to  devise  and  sub- 
mit a  new  Constitution;  and  the  dominant  politics 
of  the  day  was  "Convention"  and  "anti-Conven- 
tion." Both  parties  issued  addresses  to  the  people, 
Gov.  Coles  himself  being  the  author  of  the  address 
published  by  the  latter  party.  This  address  revaaled 
the  schemes  of  the  conspirators  in  a  masterly  .uan- 
ner.  It  is  difficult  for  us  at  this  distant  day  to  esti- 
mate the  critical  and  extremely  delicate  situation  in 
which  the  Governor  was  placed  at  that  time. 

Our  hero  maintained  himself  honorably  and  with 
supreme  dignity  throughout  his  administration,  and 
in  his  honor  a  county  in  this  State  is  named.  He 
was  truly  a  great  man,  and  those  who  lived  in 
this  State  during  his  sojourn  here,  like  those  who 
live  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  were  too  near  to  see 
and  recognize  the  greatness  that  overshadowed  them. 

Mr.  Coles  was  married  Nov.  28,  1833,  by  Bishop 
De  Lancey,  to  Miss  Sally  Logan  Roberts,  a  daughter 
of  Hugh  Roberts,  a  descendant  of  Welsh  ancestry, 
who  came  to  this  country  with  Wm.  Penn  in  1682. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service,  Gov. 
Coles  continued  his  residence  in  Edwardsville,  sup- 
erintending his  farm  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  fond 
of  agriculture,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  first  agri- 
cultural society  in  the  State.  On  account  of  ill 
health,  however,  and  having  no  family  to  tie  him 
down,  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Eastern  cities. 
About  1832  he  changed  his  residence  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  died  July  7,  1868,  and  is  buried  at 
Woodland,  near  that  city. 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

UR3ANA 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


119 


_  INI  AN  EDWARDS,  Governor 
from  1827  to  1830,  was  a  son 
of  Benjamin  Edwards,  and 
was  born  in  Montgomery 
County,  Maryland,  in  March, 
K  1775.  His  domestic  train- 
ing was  well  fitted  to  give 
mind  strength,  firmness  and 
bo.  orable  principles,  and  a  good 
foundation  was  laid  for  the  elevated 
character  to  which  he  afterwards 
attained.  His  parents  were  Bap- 
tists, and  very  strict  in  their  moral 
principles.  His  education  in  early 
youth  was  in  company  with  and 
partly  under  the  tuition  of  Hon.  Win. 
Wirt,  whom  his  father  patronized, 
and  who  was  more  than  two  years 
older.  An  intimacy  was  thus 
formed  between  them  which  was  lasting  for  life.  He 
was  further  educated  at  Dickinson  College,  at  Car- 
lisle, Pa.  He  next  commenced  the  study  of  law,  but 
before  completing  his  course  he  moved  to  Nelson 
County,  Ky.,  to  open  a  farm  for  his  father  and  to 
purchase  homes  and  locate  lands  for  his  brothers  and 
sisters.  Here  he  fell  in  the  company  of  dissolute 
companions,  and  for  several  years  led  the  life  of  a 
spendthrift.  He  was,  however,  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Kentucky  as  the  Representative  of  Nelson 
County  before  he  was  2 1  years  of  age,  and  was  re- 
lected  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote. 


In  1798  he  was  licensed  to  practice  law,  and  the 
following  year  was  admitted  to  the  Courts  pf  Tennes- 
see. About  this  time  he  left  Nelson  County  for 
Russellville,  in  Logan  County,  broke  away  from  his 
dissolute  companions,  commenced  a  reformation  and 
devoted  himself  to  severe  and  laborious  study.  He 
then  began  to  rise  rapidly  in  his  profession,  and  soon 
became  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  inside  of  four  years 
he  filled  in  succession  the  offices  of  Presiding  Judge 
of  the  General  Court,  Circuit  Judge,  fourth  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Appeals  and  Chief  Justice  of  the  State, 
— all  before  he  was  32  years  of  age!  In  addition,  in 
1802,  he  received  a  commission  as  Major  of  a  battal- 
ion of  Kentucky  militia,  and  in  1804  was  chosen  a 
Presidential  Elector,  on  the  Jefferson  and  Clinton 
ticket.  In  1806  he  was  a  candidate  for  Congress, 
but  withdrew  on  being  promoted  to  the  Court  of 
Appeals. 

Illinois  was  organized  as  a  separate  Territory  in 
the  spring  of  r8og,  when  Mr.  Edwards,  then  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Kentucky,  received 
from  President  Madison  the  appointment  as  Gover- 
nor of  the  new  Territory,  his  commission  bearing  date 
April  24,  1809.  Edwards  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  in 
June,  and  on  the  i  (th  of  that  month  took  the  oath  of 
office.  At  the  same  time  he  was  appointed  Superin- 
tendent of  the  United  States  Saline,  this  Government 
interest  then  developing  into  considerable  proportions 
in  Southern  Illinois.  Although  during  the  first  three 
years  of  his  administration  he  had  the  power  to  make 
new  counties  and  appoint  all  the  officers,  yet  he  always 
allowed  the  people  of  each  county,  by  an  informal 


NINIAN  EDWARDS. 


vote,  to  select  their  own  officers,  both  civil  and  mili- 
tary. The  noted  John  J.  Crittenden,  afterward 
United  States  Senator  from  Kentucky,  was  appointed 
by  Gev.  Edwards  to  the  office  of  Attorney  General  of 
the  Territory,  which  office  was  accepted  for  a  short 
time  only. 

The  Indians  in  1810  committing  sundry  depreda- 
tions in  the  Territory,  crossing  the  Mississippi  from 
the  Territory  of  Louisiana,  a  long  correspondence  fol- 
lowed between  the  respective  Governors  concerning 
the  remedies,  which  ended  in  a  council  with  the  sav- 
ages at  Peoria  in  1812,  and  a  fresh  interpretation  of 
the  treaties.  Peoria  was  depopulated  by  these  de- 
predations, and  was  not  re-settled  for  many  .years 
afterward. 

As  Gov.  Edwards'  term  of  office  expired  by  law  in 
1812,  he  was  re-appointed  for  another  term  of  three 
years,  and  again  in  1815  for  a  third  term,  serving 
until  the  organization  of  the  State  in  the  fall  of  1818 
and  the  inauguration  of  Gov.  Bond.  At  this  time 
ex-Gov.  Edwards  was  sent  to  the  United  States 
Senate,  his  colleague  being  Jesse  B.  Thomas.  As 
Senator,  Mr.  Edwards  took  a  conspicuous  part,  and 
acquitted  himself  honorably  in  all  the  measures  that 
came  up  in  that  body,  being  well  posted,  an  able  de- 
bater and  a  conscientious  statesman.  He  thought 
seriously  of  resigning  this  situation  in  1821,  but  was 
persuaded  by  his  old  friend,  Wm.  Wirt,  and  others  to 
continue  in  office,  which  he  did  to  the  end  of  the 
term. 

He  was  then  appointed  Minister  to  Mexico  by 
President  Monroe.  About  this  time,  it  appears  that 
Mr.  Edwards  saw  suspicious  signs  in  the  conduct  of 
Wm.  H.  Crawford,  Secretary  of  the  United  States 
Treasury,  and  an  ambitious  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency, and  being  implicated  by  the  latter  in  some  of 
his  statements,  he  resigned  his  Mexican  mission  in 
order  fully  to  investigate  the  charges.  The  result 
was  the  exculpation  of  Mr.  Edwards. 

Pro- slavery  regulations,  often  termed  "Black  Laws," 
disgraced  the  statute  books  of  both  the  Territory  and 
;he  State  of  Illinois  during  the  whole  of  his  career  in 
jhis  commonwealth,  and  Mr.  Edwards  always  main- 
tained the  doctrines  of  freedom,  and  was  an  important 
actor  in  the  great  struggle  which  ended  in  a  victory 
for  his  party  in  1 824. 

In  I826--7  the  Winnebago  and  other  Indians  com- 
mitted some  depredations  in  the  northern  part  of  the 


State,  and  the  white  settlers,  who  desired  the  lands 
and  wished  to  exasperate  the  savages  into  an  evacu- 
ation of  the  country,  magnified  the  misdemeanors  of 
the  aborigines  and  thereby  produced  a  hostility  be- 
tween the  races  so  great  as  to  precipitate  a  little  war, 
known  in  history  as  the  "Winnebago  War."  A  few 
chases  and  skirmishes  were  had,  when  Gen.  Atkinson 
succeeded  in  capturing  Red  Bird,  the  Indian  chief, 
and  putting  him  to  death,  thus  ending  the  contest,  at 
least  until  the  troubles  commenced  which  ended  in 
the  "  Black  Hawk  War  "  of  1832.  In  the  interpre- 
tation of  treaties  and  execution  of  their  provisions 
Gov.  Edwards  had  much  vexatious  work  to  do.  The 
Indians  kept  themselves  generally  within  the  juris- 
diction of  Michigan  Territory,  and  its  Governor, 
Lewis  Cass,  was  at  a  point  so  remote  that  ready  cor- 
respondence with  him  was  difficult  or  impossible. 
Gov.  Edwards'  administration,  however,  in  regard  to 
the  protection  of  the  Illinois  frontier,  seems  to  have 
been  very  efficient  and  satisfactory. 

For  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  after  his  re- 
moval to  Illinois,  Gov.  Edwards  resided  upon  his 
farm  near  Kaskaskia,  which  he  had  well  stocked  with 
horses,  cattle  and  sheep  from  Kentucky,  also  with 
fruit-trees,  grape-vines  and  shrubbery.  He  estab- 
lished saw  and  grist-mills,  and  engaged  extensively 
in  mercantile  business,  having  no  less  than  eight  or  ten 
stores  in  this  State  and  Missouri.  Notwithstanding 
the  arduous  duties  of  his  office,  he  nearly  always  pur- 
chased the  goods  himself  with  which  to  supply  the 
stores.  Although  not  a  regular  practitioner  of  medi- 
cine, he  studied  the  healing  art  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, and  took  great  pleasure  in  prescribing  for,  and 
taking  care  of,  the  sick,  generally  without  charge. 
He  was  also  liberal  to  the  poor,  several  widows  and 
ministers  of  the  gospel  becoming  indebted  to  him 
even  for  their  homes. 

He  married  Miss  Elvira  Lane,  of  Maryland,  in 
1803,  and  they  became  the  affectionate  parents  of 
several  children,  one  of  whom,  especially,  is  well' 
known  to  the  people  of  the  "  Prairie  State,"  namelyv 
Ninian  Wirt  Edwards,  once  the  Superintendent  c< 
Public  Instruction  and  still  a  resident  of  Springfield 
Gov.  Edwards  resided  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Kas- 
kaskia  from  1809  to  1818;  in  Edwardsville  (named 
after  him)  from  that  time  to  1824;  and  from  the  lat- 
ter date  at  Belleville,  St.  Clair  County,  until  his 
death,  July  20,  1833,  of  Asiatic  cholera.  Edwards 
County  is  also  named  in  his  honor. 


URBANA 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


123 


j:OHN  REYNOLDS,  Governor  1831- 
4,  was  born  in  Montgomery  Coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  Feb.  26,  1788. 
His  father,  Robert  Reynolds  and 
his  mother,  nee  Margaret  Moore, 
were  both  natives  of  Ireland,  from 
which  country  they  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1785,  land- 
ing at  Philadelphia.  The  senior 
Reynolds  entertained  an  undying 
hostility  to  the  British  Govern- 
ment. When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  about  .six  months  old, 
his  parents  emigrated  with  him  to 
Tennessee,  where  many  of  their 
relatives  had  already  located,  at  the  base  of  the 
Copper  Ridge  Mountain,  about  14  miles  northeast  of 
the  present  city  of  Knoxville.  There  they  were  ex- 
posed to  Indian  depredations,  and  were  much  molest- 
ed by  them.  In  1794  they  moved  into  the  interior 
of  the  State.  They  were  poor,  and  brought  up  their 
children  to  habits  of  manual  industry. 

In  1800  the  family  removed  to  Kaskaskia,  111.,  with 
eight  horses  and  two  wagons,  encountering  many 
Hardships  on  the  way.  Here  young  Reynolds  passed 
the  most  of  his  childhood,  while  his  character  began 
to  develop,  the  most  prominent  traits  of  which  were 
ambition  and  energy.  He  also  adopted  the  principle 
and  practice  of  total  abstinence  from  intoxicating 
liquors.  In  1807  the  family  made  another  removal. 


this  time  to  the  "  Goshen  Settlement,"  at  the  foot  of 
the  Mississippi  bluffs  three  or  four  miles  southwest 
of  Edwardsville. 

On  arriving  at  his  2oth  year,  Mr.  Reynolds,  seeing 
that  he  must  look  about  for  his  own  livelihood  and 
not  yet  having  determined  what  calling  to  pursue, 
concluded  first  to  attend  college,  and  he  accordingly 
went  to  such  an  institution  of  learning,  near  Knox- 
ville, Tenn.,  where  he  had  relatives.  Imagine  his 
diffidence,  when,  after  passing  the  first  20  years  of 
his  life  without  ever  having  seen  a  carpet,  a  papered 
wall  or  a  Windsor  chair,  and  never  having  lived  in  a 
shingle-roofed  house,  he  suddenly  ushered  himself 
into  the  society  of  the  wealthy  in  the  vicinity  of 
Knoxville!  He  attended  college  nearly  two  years, 
going  through  the  principal  Latin  authors;  but  it 
seems  that  he,  like  the  rest  of  the  world  in  modern 
times,  had  but  very  little  use  for  his  Latin  in  after 
life.  He  always  failed,  indeed,  to  exhibit  any  good 
degree  of  literary  discipline.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  law  in  Knoxville,  but  a  pulmonary  trouble 
came  on  and  compelled  him  to  change  his  mode 
of  life.  Accordingly  he  returned  home  and  re- 
cuperated, and  in  1812  resumed  his  college  and 
law  studies  at  Knoxville.  In  the  fall  of  1812  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Kaskaskia.  About  this  time 
he  also  learned  the  French  language,  which  he 
practiced  with  pleasure  in  conversation  with  his 
family  for  many  years.  He  regarded  this  language 
as  being  superior  to  all  others  for  social  intercourse. 


JOHN  REYNOLDS. 


From  his  services  in  the  West,  in  the  war  of  1812, 
he  obtained  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Old  Ranger."  He 
was  Orderly  Sergeant,  then  Judge  Advocate. 

Mr.  Reynolds  opened  his  first  law  office  in  the 
winter  and  spring  of  1814,  in  the  French  village  of 
Cahokia,  then  the  capital  of  St.  Clair  County. 

In  the  fall  of  1818  he  was  elected  an  Associate 
Justice  upon  the  Supreme  Bench  by  the  General 
Assembly.  In  1825  he  entered  more  earnestly  than 
ever  into  the  practice  of  law,  and  the  very  next  year 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  where  he 
acted  independently  of  all  cliques  and  private  inter- 
ests. In  1828  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  were  for 
the  first  time  distinctively  organized  as  such  in  Illi- 
nois, and  the  usual  party  bitterness  grew  up  and 
raged  on  all  sides,  while  Sir.  Reynolds  preserved  a 
iudicial  calmness  and  moderation.  The  real  animus 
of  the  campaign  was  "  Jackson  "  and  "  an ti- Jackson," 
*he  former  party  carrying  the  State. 

In  August,  1830,  Mr.  Reynolds  was  elected  Gov- 
ernor, amid  great  excitement.  Installed  in  office,  he 
did  all  within  his  power  to  advance  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation, internal  improvements,  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal,  the  harbor  at  Chicago,  settling  the  coun- 
try, etc.;  also  recommended  the  winding  up  of  the 
State  Bank,  as  its  affairs  had  become  dangerously 
complicated.  In  his  national  politics,  he  was  a 
moderate  supporter  of  General  Jackson.  But  the 
most  celebrated  event  of  his  gubernatorial  admin- 
istration was  the  Black  Hawk  War,  which  occurred 
in  1832.  He  called  out  the  militia  and  prosecuted 
the  contest  with  commendable  diligence,  appearing 
in  person  on  the  battle-grounds  during  the  most 
critical  periods.  He  was  recognized  by  the  President 
as  Major-General,  and  authorized  by  him  to  make 
treaties  with  the  Indians.  By  the  assistance  of  the 
general  Government  the  war  was  terminated  without 
much  bloodshed,  but  after  many  serious  fights.  This 
war,  as  well  as  everything  else,  was  materially  re- 
tarded by  the  occurrence  of  Asiatic  cholera  in  the 
West.  This  was  its  first  appearance  here,  and  was 
the  next  event  in  prominence  during  Gov.  Reynolds' 
term. 

South  Carolina  nullification  coming  up  at  this  time, 
t  was  heartily  condemned  by  both  President  Jackson 
i.nd  Gov.  Reynolds,  who  took  precisely  the  same 
grounds  as  the  Unionists  in  the  last  war. 

On  the  termination  of  his  gubernatorial  term  in 
.834,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  Member  of  Con- 
gress, still  considering  .himself  a  backwoodsman,  as 
r.e  had  scarcely  been  outside  of  the  State  since  he 
became  of  age,  and  had  spent  nearly  all  his  youthful 
lays  in  the  wildest  region  of  the  frontier.  His  first 
move  in  Congress  was  to  adopt  a  resolution  that  in 
all  elections  made  by  the  House  for  officers  the  votes 
should  be  given  viva  voce,  each  member  in  his  place 
naming  aloud  the  person  for  whom  he  votes.  This 
created  considerable  heated  discussion,  but  was  es- 


sentially adopted,  and  remained  the  controlling  prin- 
ciple for  many  years.  The  ex-Governor  was  scarcely 
absent  from  his  seat  a  single  day,  during  ei^ht  ses- 
sions of  Congress,  covering  a  period  of  seven  years, 
and  he  never  vacillated  in  a  party  vote;  but  he  failed 
to  get  the  Democratic  party  to  foster  his  "  National 
Road  "  scheme.  He  says,  in  "  My  Own  Times  "  (a 
large  autobiography  he  published),  that  it  was  only 
by  rigid  economy  that  he  avoided  insolvency  while  in 
Washington.  During  his  sojourn  in  that  city  he  was 
married,  to  a  lady  of  the  place. 

In  1837,  while  out  of  Congress,  and  in  company 
with  a  few  others,  he  built  the  first  railroad  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  namely,  one  about  six  miles  long, 
leading  from  his  coal  mine  in  the  Mississippi  bluff  to 
the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  St.  Louis.  Having  not 
the  means  to  purchase  a  locomotive,  they  operated  it 
by  horse-power.  The  next  spring,  however,  the  com- 
pany sold  out,  at  great  sacrifice. 

In  1839  the  ex-Governor  was  appointed  one  of  the 
Canal  Commissioners,  and  authorized  to  borrow 
money  to  prosecute  the  enterprise.  Accord'ngly,  he 
repaired  to  Philadelphia  and  succeeding  in  obtaining 
a  million  dollars,  which,  however,  was  only  a  fourth 
of  what  was  wanted.  The  same  year  he  and  his 
wife  made  at  our  of  Europe.  This  year,  also,  Mr. 
Reynolds  had  the  rather  awkward  little  responsibility 
of  introducing  to  President  Van  Buren  the  noted 
Mormon  Prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  as  a  "  Latter-Day 
Saint!" 

In  1846  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  from  St.  Clair  County,  more  particu 
larly  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  feasible  charter 
for  a  macadamized  road  from  Belleville  to  St.  Louis, 
a  distance  of  nearly  14  miles.  This  was  immediately 
built,  and  was  the  first  road  of  the  kind  in  the  State. 
He  was  again  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1852,  when 
he  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.  In  1860,  aged 
and  infirm,  he  attended  the  National  Democratic 
Convention  at  Charleston,  S.  C.,  as  an  anti-Douglas 
Delegate,  where  he  received  more  attention  from  the 
Southern  Delegates  than  any  other  member.  He 
supported  Breckenridge  for  the  Presidency.  After 
the  October  elections  foreshadowed  the  success  of 
Lincoln,  he  published  an  address  urging  the  Demo- 
crats to  rally  to  the  support  of  Douglas.  Immedi- 
ately preceding  and  during  the  late  war,  his  corre- 
spondence evinced  a  clear  sympathy  for  the  Southern 
secession,  and  about  the  first  of  March,  1861,  he 
urged  upon  the  Buchanan  officials  the  seizure  of  the 
treasure  and  arms  in  the  custom-house  and  arsenal 
at  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Reynolds  was  a  rather  talkative 
man,  and  apt  in  all  the  Western  phrases  and  catch- 
words that  ever  gained  currency,  besides  many  cun- 
ning and  odd  ones  of  his  own  manufacture. 

He  was  married  twice,  but  had  no  children.  He 
died  in  Belleville,  in  May,  1865,  just  after  the  close 
of  the  war. 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILUNOIS 


•    ' 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS.* 


127 


ILLIAM  LEE  D.  EWING, 
Governor  of  Illinois  Nov.  3 
to  17,  1834,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  and  probably 
of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  had 
a  fine  education,  was  a  gentle- 
man of  polished  manners  and 
refined  sentiment.  In  1830  John  Rey- 
nolds was  elected  Governor  of  the  State, 
and  Zadok  Casey  Lieutenant  Governor, 
and  for  the  principal  events  that  followed, 
and  the  characteristics  of  the  times,  see 
sketch  of  Gov.  Reynolds.  The  first  we 
see  in  history  concerning  Mr.  Ewing,  in- 
forms us  that  he  was  a  Receiver  of  Public 
Moneys  at  Vandalia  soon  after  the  organization  of 
Uiis  State,  and  that  the  public  moneys  in  his  hands 
were  deposited  in  various  banks,  as  they  are  usually 
•'.the  present  day.  In  1823  the  State  Bank  was 
•obbed,  by  which  disaster  Mr.  Ewing  lost  a  thousand- 
dollar  deposit. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  had  a  commission  as 
Colonel  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  in  emergencies 
h<?  acted  also  as  Major.  In  the  summer  of  1832, 
when  :'t  was  rumored  among  the  whites  that  Black 
Hawk  and  liis  men  had  encamped  somewhere  on 
Rock  River,  Gen.  Henry  was  sent  on  a  tour  of 
reconnoisance,  and  with  orders  to  drive  the  Indians 
from  the  State.  After  some  opposition  from  his 
subordinate  officers,  Henry  resolved  to  proceed  up 
Rock  River  in  search  of  the  enemy.  On  the  igth  of 
<uly,  early  in  the  morning,  five  baggage  wagons, 


camp  equipage  and  all  heavy  and  cumbersome  arti- 
cles were  piled  up  and  left,  so  that  the  army  might 
make  speedy  and  forced  marches.  For  some  miles 
the  travel  was  exceedingly  bad,  crossing  swamps 
and  the  worst  thickets;  but  the  large,  fresh  trail 
gave  life  and  animation  to  the  Americans.  Gen. 
Dodge  and  Col.  Ewing  were  both  acting  as  Majors, 
and  composed  the  "  spy  corps  "  or  vanguard  of  the 
army.  It  is  supposed  the  army  marched  nearly  50 
miles  this  day,  and  the  Indian  trail  they  followed 
became  fresher,  and  was  strewed  with  much  property 
and  trinkets  of  the  red-skins  that  they  had  lost  or 
thrown  away  to  hasten  their  march.  During  the 
following  night  there  was  a  terrific  thunder-storm,  and 
the  soldiery,  with  all  their  appurtenances,  were  thor- 
oughly drenched.  * 

On  approaching  nearer  the  Indians  the  next  day. 
Gen.  Dodge  and  Major  Ewing,  each  commanding  a 
battalion  of  men,  were  placed  in  front  to  bring  on  the 
battle,  but  the  savages  were  not  overtaken  this  day 
Forced  marches  were  continued  until  they  reached. 
Wisconsin  River,  where  a  veritable  battle  ensued, 
resulting  in  the  death  of  about  68  of  Black  Hawk's 
men.  The  next  day  they  continued  the  chase,  and 
as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  trail  of  the  Indians 
leading  toward  the  Mississippi,  Maj.  Ewing  formed 
his  battalion  in  order  of  battle  and  awaited  the  order 
of  Gen.  Henry.  The  latter  soon  appeared  on  the 
ground  and  ordered  a  charge,  which  directly  resulted 
in  chasing  the  red  warriors  across  the  great  river. 
Maj.  Ewing  and  his  command  proved  particularly 
efficient  in  war,  as  it  seems  they  were  the  chief  actors 
in  driving  the  main  body  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  in- 


128 


WILLIAM  L    D.  EWING. 


eluding  Black  Hawk  himself,  across  the  Mississippi, 
while  Gen.  Atkinson,  commander-in-chief  of  the  ex- 
pedition, with  a  body  of  the  army,  was  hunting  for 
them  in  another  direction. 

In  the  above  affair  Maj.  Ewmg  is  often  referred  to 
as  a  "  General,"  which  title  he  had  derived  from  his 
connection  with  the  militia. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  (1832) 
that  Lieutenant  Governor  Casey  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress and  Gen.  Ewing,  who  had  been  elected  to  the 
Senate,  was  chosen  to  preside  over  that  body.  At 
the  August  election  of  1834,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  also 
elected  to  Congress,  more  than  a  year  ahead  of  the 
time  at  which  he  could  actually  take  his  seat,  as  was 
then  the  law.  His  predecessor,  Charles  Slade,  had 
just  died  of  Asiatic  cholera,  soon  after  the  elec- 
tion, and  Gov.  Reynolds  was  chosen  to  serve  out  his 
unexpired  term.  Accordingly  he  set  out  for  Wash- 
ington in  November  of  that  year  to  take  his  seat  in 
Congress,  and  Gen.  Ewing,  by  virtue  of  his  office  as 
President  of  the  Senate,  became"  Governor  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  his  term  covering  only  a  period  of 
15  days,  namely,  from  the  3d  to  the  i7th  days,  in- 
clusive, of  November.  On  the  171)1  the  Legislature 
met,  and  Gov.  Ewing  transmitted  to  that  body  his 
message,  giving  a  statement  of  the  condition  of  the 
affairs  of  the  State  at  that  time,  and  urging  a  contin- 
uance of  the  policy  adopted  by  his  predecessor ;  and 
on  the  same  day  Governor  elect  Joseph  Duncan 
was  sworn  into  office,  thus  relieving  Mr.  Ewing  from 


the  responsible  situation.  This  is  the  only  time  that 
such  a  juncture  has  happened  in  the  history  of  Illi- 
nois. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1835,  Gen.  Ewing  was 
elected  a  United  States  Senator  to  serve  out  the 
unexpired  term  of  Elias  Kent  Kane,  deceased.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  a  very  prominent  figure  in  the 
early  politics  of  Illinois,  and  a  county  in  this  State  is 
named  in  his  honor.  The  election  of  Gen.  Ewing  to 
the  Senate  was  a  protracted  struggle.  His  competi- 
tors were  James  Semple,  who  afterwards  held  several 
important  offices  in  this  State,  and  Richard  M. 
Young,  afterward  a  United  States  Senator  and  a 
Supreme  Judge  and  a  man  of  vast  influence.  On 
the  first  ballot  Mr.  Semple  had  25  votes,  Young  19 
and  Ewing  18.  On  the  eighth  ballot  Young  was 
dropped ;  the  ninth  and  tenth  stood  a  tie ;  but  on 
the  1 2th  Ewing  received  40,  to  Semple  37,  and  was 
accordingly  declared  elected.  In  1837  Mr.  Ewing 
received  some  votes  for  a  continuance  of  his  term  in 
Congress,  when  Mr.  Young,  just  referred  to,  was 
elected.  In  1842  Mr.  Ewing  was  elected  State 
Auditor  on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Ford. 

Gen.  Ewing  was  a  gentleman  of  culture,  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  and  was  much  in  public  life.  In  person 
he  was  above  medium  height  and  of  heavy  build, 
with  auburn  hair,  blue  eyes,  large-sized  head  and 
short  face.  He  was  genial,  social,  friendly  and 
affable,  with  fair  talent,  though  of  no  high  degree  of 
originality.  He  died  March  25,  1846. 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URGANA 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


131 


OSEPH  DUNCAN,  Governor 
1834-8,  was  born  at  Paris, 
Ky.,  Feb.  23,  1794.  At  the 
tender  age  of  19  years  he  en- 
listed in  the  war  against  Great 
Britain,  and  as  a  soldier  he 
cquitted  himself  with  credit.  He 
was  an  Ensign  under  the  daunt- 
less Croghan  at  Lower  Sandusky, 
or  Fort  Stephenson.  In  Illinois 
he  first  appeared  in  a  public  capa- 
city as  Major-General  of  the  Militia, 
A  position  which  his  military  fame 
had  procured  him.  Subsequently 
he  became  a  State  Senator  from 
|  Jackson  County,  and  is  honorably 
mentioned  for  introducing  the  first  bill  providing  for 
a  free-school  system.  In  1826,  when  the  redoubt- 
able John  P^Cook,  who  had  previously  beaten  such 
men  as  John  McLean,  Elias  Kent  Kane  and  ex- 
Gov.  Bond,  came  up  for  the  fourth  time  for  Congress, 
Mr.  Duncan  was  brought  forward  against  him  by  his 
friends,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  all  the  politicians. 
As  yet  he  was  but  little  known  in  the  State.  He  was 
an  original  Jackson  man  at  that  time,  being  attached 
to  his  political  fortune  in  admiration  of  the  glory  of 
his  military  achievements.  His  chances  of  success 
against  Cook  were  generally  regarded  as  hopeless, 
hut  he  entered  upon  the  campaign  undaunted.  His 
speeches,  though  short  and  devoid  of  ornament,  were 
full  of  good  sense.  He  made  a  diligent  canvass  of 
the  State,  Mr.  Cook  being  hindered  by  the  condition  of 
his  health.  The  most  that  was  expected  of  Mr. 
Duncan,  under  the  circumstances,  was  that  he  would 


obtain  a  respectable  vote,  but  without  defeating  Mr. 
Cook.  The  result  of  the  campaign,  however,  was  a 
source  of  surprise  and  amazement  to  both  friends 
and  foes,  as  Mr.  Duncan  came  out  641  votes  ahead! 
He  received  6,321  votes,  and  Mr.  Cook  5,680.  Un- 
til this  denouement,  the  violence  of  party  feeling 
smoldering  in  the  breasts  of  the  people  on  account 
of  the  defeat  of  Jackson,  was  not  duly  appreciated. 
Aside  from  the  great  convention  struggle  of  1824,  no 
other  than  mere  local  and  personal  considerations 
had  ever  before  controlled  an  election  in  Illinois. 

From  the  above  date  Mr.  Duncan  retained  his 
seat  in  Congress  until  his  election  as  Governor  in 
August,  1834.  The  first  and  bloodless  year  of  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Rey- 
nolds to  the  position  of  Brigadier-General  of  the 
volunteers,  and  he  conducted  his  brigade  to  Rock 
Island.  But  he  was  absent  from  the  State,  in  Wash- 
ington, during  the  gubernatorial  campaign,  and  did 
not  personally  participate  in  it,  but  addressed  circu- 
lars to  his  constituents.  His  election  was,  indeed, 
attributed  to  the  circumstance  of  his  absence,  be- 
cause his  estrangement  from  Jackson,  formerly  his 
political  idol,  and  also  from  the  Democracy,  largely 
in  ascendency  in  the  State,  was  complete;  but  while 
his  defection  was  well  known  to  his  Whig  friends, 
and  even  to  the  leading  Jackson  men  of  this  State, 
the  latter  were  unable  to  carry  conviction  of  that  fact 
to  the  masses,  as  mail  and  newspaper  facilities  at 
that  day  were  far  inferior  to  those  of  the  present 
time.  Of  course  the  Governor  was  much  abused 
afterward  by  the  fossilized  Jackson  men  who  re- 
garded party  ties  and  affiliations  as  nbove  all 
other  issues  that  could  arise;  but  he  was  douctless 


»3* 


JOSEPH  DUNCAN. 


sincere  in  his  opposition  to  the  old  hero,  as  the  latter 
4. ad  vetoed  several  important  western  measures 
which  were  dear  to  Mr.  Duncan.  In  his  inaugural 
message  he  threw  off  the  mask  and  took  a  bold  stand 
ngainst  the  course  of  the  President.  The  measures 
r.e  recommended  in  his  message,  however,  were  so 
desirable  that  the  Legislature,  although  by  a  large 
majority  consisting  of  Jackson  men,  could  not  refrain 
from  endorsing  them.  These  measures  related 
Taainly  to  banks  and  internal  improvements. 

It  was  while  Mr.  Duncan  was  Governor  that  the 
people  of  Illinois  went  whirling  on  with  bank  and  in- 
ternal improvement  schemes  that  well  nigh  bank- 
•upted  the  State.  The  hard  times  of  1837  came  on, 
and  the  disasters  that  attended  the  inauguration  of 
Ihese  plans  and  the  operation  of  the  banks  were  mu- 
tually charged  upon  the  two  political  parties.  Had 
any  one  man  autocratic  power  to  introduce  and 
carry  on  any  one  of  these  measures,  he  would  proba- 
bly have  succeeded  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public ; 
but  as  many  jealous  men  had  hold  of  the  same  plow 
handle,  no  success  followed  and  each  blamed  the  other 
cor  the  failure.  In  this  great  vortex  Gov.  Duncan 
was  carried  along,  suffering  the  like  derogation  of 
character  with  his  fellow  citizens. 

At  the  height  of  the  excitement  the  Legislature 
"  provided  for  "  railroads  from  Galena  to  Cairo,  Alton 
to  Shawneetown,  Alton  to  Mount  Carmel,  Alton  to  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  State  in  the  direction  of 
Terre  Haute,  Quincy  via  Springfield  to  the  Wabash, 
Bloomington  to  Pekin,  and  Peoria  to  Warsaw, — in  all 
about  1,300  miles  of  road.  It  also  provided  for  the 
improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  Kaskaskia, 
Illinois,  Great  and  Little  Wabash  and  Rock  Rivers  ; 
also  as  a  placebo,  $200,000  in  money  were  to  be  dis- 
jibuted  to  the  various  counties  wherein  no  improve- 
ments were  ordered  to  be  made  as  above.  The 
estimate  for  the  expenses  for  all  these  projects  was 
placed  at  a  little  over  $10,000,000,  which  was  not 
more  man  half  enough !  That  would  now  be  equal  to 
saddling  upon  the  State  a  debt  of  $225,000,000 !  It 
was  sufficient  to  bankrupt  the  State  several  times 
over,  even  counting  all  the  possible  benefits. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  events  that  ever  occurred 
in  this  fair  State  was  the  murder  of  Elijah  P.  Love- 
ly in  the  fall  of  1837,  at  Alton,  during  Mr.  Duncan's 
lerm  as  Governor.  Lovejoy  was  an  "  Abolitionist," 
editing  the  Observer  at  that  place,  and  the  pro- 
slavery  slums  there  formed  themselvei  into  a  mob, 


and  after  destroying  successively  three  presses  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Lovejoy,  surrounded  the  warehouse 
where  the  fourth  press  was  stored  away,  endeavoring 
to  destroy  it,  and  where  Lovejoy  and  his  friends 
were  entrenching  themselves,  and  shot  and  killed  the 
brave  reformer! 

About  this  time,  also,  the  question  of  removing  the 
State  capital  again  came  up,  as  the  20  years'  limit  for 
its  existence  at  Vandalia  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
There  was,  of  course,  considerable  excitement  over 
the  matter,  the  two  main  points  competing  for  it  be- 
ing Springfield  and  Peoria.  The  jealousy  of  the  lat- 
ter place  is  not  even  yet,  45  years  afterward,  fully 
allayed. 

Gov.  Duncan's  term  expired  in  1838.  In  1842 
he  was  again  proposed  as  a  candidate  for  the  Execu- 
tive chair,  this  time  by  the  Whig  party,  against  Adant 
W.  Snyder,  of  St.  Clair  County,  the  nominee  of  the 
Democrats.  Charles  W.  Hunter  was  a  third  candi- 
date for  the  same  position.  Mr.  Snyder,  however,  died 
before  the  campaign  had  advanced  very  far,  and  his 
party  substituted  Thomas  Ford,  who  was  elected 
receiving  46,901  votes,  to  38,584  for  Duncan,  and 
909  for  Hunter.  The  cause  of  Democratic  success 
at  this  time  is  mainly  attributed  to  the  temporary 
support  of  the  Mormons  which  they  enjoyed,  and  the 
want  of  any  knowledge,  on  the  part  of  the  masses, 
that  Mr.  Ford  was  opposed  to  any  given  policy  en- 
tertained in  the  respective  localities. 

Gov.  Duncan  was  a  man  of  rather  limited  educa- 
tion, but  with  naturally  fine  abilities  he  profited 
greatly  by  his  various  public  services,  and  gathered 
a  store  of  knowledge  regarding  public  affairs  which 
served  him  a  ready  purpose.  He  possessed  a  clear 
judgment,  decision,  confidence  in  himself  and  moral 
courage  to  carry  out  his  convictions  of  right.  In  his 
deportment  he  was  well  adapted  to  gain  the  admira 
tion  of  the  people.  His  intercourse  with  them  was 
both  affable  and  dignified.  His  portrait  at  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion,  from  which  the  accompanying  was 
made,  represents  him  as  having  a  swarthy  complex- 
ion, high  cheek  bones,  broad  forehead,  piercing  blaci; 
eyes  and  straight  black  hair. 

He  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  Illinois  College  at 
Jacksonville,  a  member  of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
died,  after  a  short  illness,  Jan.  15,  1844,  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  leaving  a  wife 
but  no  children.  Two  children,  born  to  them,  had 
died  in  infancy. 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URbANA 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


135 


IHOMAS  CARLIN,  tiie  sixth 

Governor  of  the  State  of 
Illinois,  serving  from  1838 
to  1842,  was  also  a  Ken- 
tuckian,  being  born  near 
Frankfort,  that  State,  July 
18,  1789,  of  Irish  paternity. 
The  opportunities  for  an  education 
being  very  meager  in  his  native 
place,  he,  on  approaching  years  of 
judgment  and  maturity,  applied 
himself  to  those  branches  of  learn- 
ing that  seemed  most  important, 
and  thus  became  a  self-made  man  ; 
and  his  taste  for  reading  and 
study  remained  with  him  through 
life.  In  1803  his  father  removed 
to  Missouri,  then  a  part  of  "  New  Spain,"  where  he 
died  in  1810. 

In  1812  young  Carlin  came  to  Illinois  and  partici- 
pated in  all  the  "ranging"  service  incident  to  the 
war  of  that  period,  proving  himself  a  soldier  of  un- 
daunted bravery.  In  1814  he  married  Rebecca 
Huitt,  and  lived  for  four  years  on  the  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
scari,  where  he  followed  farming,  and  then  removed 
to  Greene  County.  He  located  the  town  site  of  Car- 
no 'ton,  in  that  county,  and  in  1825  made  a  liberal 
donation  of  land  for  county  building  purposes.  He 
was  the  first  Sheriff  of  that  county  after  its  separate 
organization,  and  afterward  was  twice  elected,  as  a 
Jackson  Democrat,  to  the  Illinois  Senate.  In  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  commanded  a  spy  battalion,  a 
post  of  considerable  danger.  In  1834  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Jackson  to  the  position  of 
Receiver  of  Public  Moneys,  and  to  fulfill  the  office 


more  conveniently  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Quincy 
While,  in  1838,  the  unwieldy  internal  improvement 
system  of  the  State  was  in  full  operation,  with  all  its 
expensive  machinery,  amidst  bank  suspensions 
throughout  the  United  States,  a  great  stringency  in 
the  money  market  everywhere,  and  Illinois  bonds 
forced  to  sale  at  a  heavy  discount,  and  the  "  hardest 
limes  "  existing  that  the  people  of  the  Prairie  State 
ever  saw,  the  general  election  of  State  officers  was 
approaching.  Discreet  men  who  had  cherished  the 
hope  of  a  speedy  subsidence  of  the  public  infatua- 
tion, met  with  disappointment.  A  Governor  and 
Legislature  were  to  be  elected,  and  these  were  now 
looked  forward  to  for  a  repeal  of  the  ruinous  State 
policy.  But  the  grand  scheme  had  not  yet  lost  its 
dazzling  influence  upon  the  minds  of  the  people. 
Time  and  experience  had  not  yet  fully  demonstrated 
its  utter  absurdity.  Hence  the  question  of  arresting 
its  career  of  profligate  expenditures  did  not  become 
a  leading  one  with  the  dominant  party  during  th; 
campaign,  and  most  of  the  old  members  of  the  Leg 
islature  were  returned  at  this  election. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  Democrats,  in  State 
Convention  assembled,  nominated  Mr.  Carlin  for  the 
office  of  Governor,  and  S.  H.  Anderson  for  Lieuten- 
ant Governor,  while  the  Whigs  nominated  Cyrus  Ed- 
wards, brother  of  Ninian  Edwards,  formerly  Governor, 
and  W.  H.  Davidson.  Edwards  came  out  strongly 
for  a  continuance  of  the  State  policy,  while  Carlir 
remained  non-committal.  This  was  the  first  time 
that  the  two  main  political  parties  in  this  State  were 
unembarrassed  by  any  third  party  in  the  field.  The 
result  of  the  election  was :  Carlin,  35,573;  Ander- 
son, 30,335  ;  Edwards,  29,629 ;  and  Davidson,  28,- 

Upon  the  meeting  of  the  subsequent  Legislature 
(1839),  the  retiring  Governor  (JDuncan)  in  his  mes- 


THOMAS  CARL1N. 


sage  spoke  in  emphatic  terms  of  the  impolicy  of  the 
internal  improvement  system,  presaging  the  evils 
threatened,  and  mged  that  body  to  do  their  utmost 
to  correct  the  great  error ;  yet,  on  the  contrary,  the 
Legislature  not  only  decided  to  continue  the  policy 
but  also  added  to  its  burden  by  voting  more  appro- 
priations and  ordering  more  improvements.  Although 
the  money  market  was  still  stringent,  a  further  loan 
of  $4,000,000  was  ordered  for  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal  alone.  Ch'cago  at  that  time  began  to 
loom  up  and  promise  to  be  an  important  city,  even 
the  great  emporium  of  the  West,  as  it  has  since  in- 
deed came  to  be.  Ex-Gov.  Reynolds,  an  incompe- 
tent financier,  was  commissioned  to  effect  the  loan, 
and  accordingly  hastened  to  the  East  on  this  respons- 
ible errand,  and  negotiated  the  loans,  at  considera- 
ble sacrifice  to  the  State.  Besides  this  embarrassment 
to  Carlin's  administration,  the  Legislature  also  de- 
clared that  he  had  no  authority  to  appoint  a  Secretary 
of  State  until  a  vacancy  existed,  and  A.  P.  Field,  a 
Whig,  who  had  already  held  the  post  by  appointment 
.hrough  three  administrations,  was  determined  to 
keep  the  place  a  while  longer,  in  spite  of  Gov.  Car- 
lin's preferences.  The  course  of  the  Legislature  in 
ihis  regard,  however,  was  finally  sustained  by  the 
Supreme  Court,  in  a  quo  warranto  case  brought  up 
before  it  by  John  A.  McClernand,  whom  the  Gov- 
ernor had  nominated  for  the  office.  Thereupon  that 
dignified  body  was  denounced  as  a  "Whig  Court!" 
endeavoring  to  establish  the  principle  of  life-tenure 
of  office. 

A  new  law  was  adopted  re-organizing  the  Judici- 
ary, and  under  it  five  additional  Supreme  Judges 
were  elected  by  the  Legislature,  namely,  Thomas 
Ford  (afterward  Governor),  Sidney  Breese,  Walter  B. 
Scates,  Samuel  H.  Treat  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas — 
all  Democrats. 

It  was  during  Cov.  Carlin's  administration  that  the 
noisy  campaign  of  "  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too  "  oc- 
curred, resulting  in  a  Whig  victory.  This,  however, 
did  net  affect  Illinois  politics  very  seriously. 

Another  prominent  event  in  the  West  during  Gov. 
Carlin's  term  of  office  was  the  excitement  caused  by 
the  Mormons  and  their  removal  from  Independence, 
Mo.,  to  Nauvoo,  111.,  in  1840.  At  the  same  time 
they  began  to  figure  somewhat  in  State  politics.  On 
account  of  their  believing — as  they  thought,  accord- 
ing to  the  New  Testament — that  they  should  have 


"  all  things  common,"  and  that  consequently  "  all 
the  earth  "  and  all  that  is  upon  it  were  the"  Lord's  " 
and  therefore  the  property  of  his  "  saints,"  they 
were  suspected,  and  correctly,  too,  of  committing 
many  of  the  deeds  of  larceny,  robbery,  etc.,  that 
were  so  rife  throughout  this  country  in  those  days. 
Hence  a  feeling  of  violence  grew  up  between  the 
Mormons  and  "anti-Mormons."  In  the  State  of 
Missouri  the  Mormons  always  supported  the  Dem- 
ocracy until  they  were  driven  out  by  the  Democratic 
government,  when  they  turned  their  support  to  the 
Whigs.  They  were  becoming  numerous,  and  in  the 
Legislature  of  1840-1,  therefore,  it  became  a  matter 
of  great  interest  with  both  parties  to  conciliate  these 
people.  Through  the  agency  of  one  John  C.  Ben- 
nett, a  scamp,  the  Mormons  succeeded  in  rushing 
through  the  Legislature  (both  parties  not  daring  to 
oppose)  a  charter  for  the  city  of  Nauvoo  which  vir- 
tually erected  a  hierarchy  co-ordinate  with  the  Fed- 
eral Government  itself.  In  the  fall  of  1841  the 
Governor  of  Missouri  made  a  demand  upon  Gov. 
Carlin  for  the  body  of  Joe  Smith,  the  Mormon  leader, 
as  a  fugitive  from  justice.  Gov.  Carlin  issued  thi 
writ,  but  for  some  reason  it  was  returned  unserved. 
It  was  again  issued  in  1842,  and  Smith  was  arrested, 
but  was  either  rescued  by  his  followers  or  discharged 
by  the  municipal  court  on  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus. 

In  December,  1841,  the  Democratic  Convention 
nominated  Adam  W.  Snyder,  of  Belleville,  for  Gov- 
ernor. As  he  had  been,  as  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, rather  friendly  to  the  Mormons,  the  latter 
naturally  turned  their  support  to  the  Democratic 
party.  The  next  spring  the  Whigs  nominated  Ex- 
Gov.  Duncan  for  the  same  office.  In  the  meantime 
the  Mormons  began  to  grow  more  odious  to  the 
masses  of  the  people,  and  the  comparative  prospects 
of  the  respective  parties  for  success  became  very 
problematical.  Mr.  Snyder  died  in  May,  and 
Thomas  Ford,  a  Supreme  Judge,  was  substituted  as 
a  candidate,  and  was  elected. 

At  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term,  Mr.  Carlin 
removed  back  to  his  old  home  at  Carrollton,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  as  before  his  ele- 
vation to  office,  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1849 
he  served  out  the  unexpired  term  of  J.  D.  Fry  in  the 
Illinois  House  of  Representatives,  and  died  Feb.  4, 
1852,  at  his  residence  at  Carrollton,  leaving  a  wife 
and  seven  children. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


til 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


139 


JHOMAS  FORD,  Governor 
from  1842  to  1846,  and  au- 
thor of  a  very  interesting 
history  of  Illinois,  was  bom 
at  Uniontown,  Pa.,  in  the 
year  1 800.  His  mother,  after 
the  death  of  her  first  hus- 
band (Mr.  Forquer),  married  Rob- 
ert Ford,  who  was  killed  in  1802, 
by  the  Indians  in  the  mountains 
of  Pennsylvania.  She  was  conse- 
quently left  in  indigent  circum- 
stances, with  a  large  family,  mostly 
girls.  With  a  view  to  better  her 
condition,  she,  in  1804,  removed  to 
Missouri,  where  it  had  been  cus- 
tomary by  the  Spanish  Govern- 
ment to  give  land  to  actual  settlers;  but  upon  her 
arrival  at  St.  Louis  she  found  the  country  ceded  to 
the  United  States,  and  the  liberal  policy  toward  set- 
tlers changed  by  the  new  ownership.  After  some 
sickness  to  herself  and  family,  she  finally  removed  to 
Illinois,  and  settled  some  three  miles  south  of  Water- 
loo, but  the  following  year  moved  nearer  the  Missis- 
»ippi  bluffs.  Here  young  Ford  received  his  first  1 


schooling,  under  the  instructions  of  a  Mr.  Humphrey, 
for  which  he  had  to  walk  three  miles.  His  mother, 
though  lacking  a  thorough  education,  was  a  woman 
of  superior  mental  endowments,  joined  to  energy 
and  determination  of  character.  She  inculcated  in 
her  children  those  high-toned  principles  which  dis- 
tinguished her  sons  in  public  life.  She  exercised  a 
rigid  economy  to  provide  her  children  an  education ; 
but  George  Forquer,  her  oldest  son  (six  years  older 
than  Thomas  Ford),  at  an  early  age  had  to  quit 
school  to  aid  by  his  labor  in  the  support  of  the  family. 
He  afterward  became  an  eminent  man  in  Illinois 
affairs,  and  but  for  his  early  death  would  probably 
have  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

Young  Ford,  with  somewhat  better  opportunities, 
received  a  better  education,  though  limited  to  the 
curriculum  of  the  common  school  of  those  pioneer 
times.  His  mind  gave  early  promise  of  superior  en- 
dowments, with  an  inclination  for  mathematics.  His 
proficiency  attracted  the  attention  of  Hon.  Daniel  P. 
Cook,  who  became  his  efficient  patron  and  friend. 
The  latter  gentleman  was  an  eminent  Illinois  states- 
man who,  as  a  Member  of  Congress,  obtained  a  grant 
of  300,000  acres  of  land  to  aid  in  completing  the 
Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal,  and  after  whom  the 
county  of  Cook  was  named.  Through  the  advice  of 


THOMAS  FORD. 


this  gentleman,  Mr.  Ford  turned  his  attention  to  the 
study  of  law;  but  Forquer,  then  merchandising,  re- 
garding his  education  defective,  sent  him  to  Transyl- 
vania University,  where,  however,  he  remained  but 
one  term,  owing  to  Forquer's  failure  in  business.  On 
his  return  he  alternated  his  law  reading  with  teach- 
tr.g  school  for  support. 

In  1829  Gov.  Edwards  appointed  him  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  and  in  1831  he  was  re-appointed  by  Gov. 
Reynolds,  and  after  that  he  was  four  times  elected  a 
Judge  by  the  Legislature,  without  opposition,  twice  a 
Circuit  Judge,  once  a  Judge  of  Chicago,  and  as  As- 
sociate Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  when,  in  1841, 
the  latter  tribunal  was  re-organized  by  the  addition 
of  five  Judges,  all  Democrats.  Ford  was  assigned  to 
the  Ninth  Judicial  Circuit,  and  while  in  this  capacity 
he  was  holding  Court  in  Ogle  County  he  received  a 
notice  of  his  nomination  by  the  Democratic  Conven- 
tion for  the  office  of  Governor.  He  immediately  re- 
signed his  place  and  entered  upon  the  canvass.  In 
August,  1842,  he  was  elected,  and  on  the  8th  of  De- 
cember following  he  was  inaugurated. 

All  the  offices  which  he  had  held  were  unsolicited 
by  him.  He  received  them  upon  the  true  Jefferson- 
Jan  principle, — Never  to  ask  and  never  to  refuse 
office.  Both  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  Judge  he  stood 
deservedly  high,  but  his  cast  of  intellect  fitted  him 
rather  for  a  writer  upon  law  than  a  practicing  advo- 
cate in  the  courts.  In  the  latter  capacity  he  was  void 
of  the  moving  power  of  eloquence,  so  necessary  to 
success  with  juries.  As  a  Judge  his  opinions  were 
?ound,  lucid  and  able  expositions  of  the  law.  In 
practice,  he  was  a  stranger  to  the  tact,  skill  and  in- 
einuating  address  of  the  politician,  but  he  saw  through 
.he  arts  of  demagogues  as  well  as  any  man.  He  was 
plain  in  his  demeanor,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  at 
one  time  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office, 
during  a  session  of  the  Legislature,  he  was  taken  by 
a  stranger  to  be  a  seeker  for  the  position  of  door- 
keeper, and  was  waited  upon  at  his  hotel  near  mid- 
night by  a  knot  of  small  office-seekers  with  the  view 
of  effecting  a  "  combination !  " 

Mr.  Ford  had  not  the  "  brass  "  of  the  ordinary 
politician,  nor  that  impetuosity  which  characterizes  a 
political  leader.  He  cared  little  for  money,  and 
hardly  enough  for  a  decent  support.  In  person  he 
was  of  small  stature,  slender,  of  dark  complexion, 
with  black  hair,  sharp  features,  deep-set  eyes,  a 
pointed,  aquiline  nose  having  a  decided  twist  to  one 
side,  and  a  small  mouth. 

The  three  most  important  events  in  Gov.  Ford's 
administration  were  the  establishment  of  the  high 
nnanci.il  credit  of  the  State,  the  "  Mormon  War  "and 
.he  Mexican  War. 

In  the  first  of  these  the  Governor  proved  himself 
to  be  eminently  wise.  On  coming  into  office  he  found 
the  State  badly  paralyzed  by  the  ruinous  effects  of 
the  notorious  "  internal  improvement "  schemes  of 


the  preceding  decade,  with  scarcely  anything  to 
show  by  way  of  "improvement."  The  enterprise 
that  seemed  to  be  getting  ahead  more  than  all  the 
rest  was  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  As  this 
promised  to  be  the  most  important  thoroughfare, 
feasible  to  the  people,  it  was  well  under  headway  in 
its  construction.  Therefore  the  State  policy  was 
almost  concentrated  upon  it,  in  order  to  rush  it  ontc 
completion.  The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  State 
was  growing  so  large  as  to  frighten  the  people,  and 
they  were  about  ready  to  entertain  a  proposition  for 
repudiation.  But  the  Governor  had  the  foresight  to 
recommend  such  measures  as  would  maintain  the 
public  credit,  for  which  every  citizen  to-day  feels 
thankful. 

But  perhaps  the  Governor  is  remembered  more  for 
his  connection  with  the  Mormon  troubles  than  for 
anything  else;  for  it  was  during  his  term  of  office 
that  the  "  Latter-Day  Saints"  became  so  strong  at 
Nauvoo,  built  their  temple  there,  increased  their  num- 
bers throughout  the  counf-y,  committed  misdemean- 
ors, taught  dangerous  doctrines,  suffered  the  loss  of 
theirleader,  Jo  Smith,  by  a  violent  death,  were  driven 
out  of  Nauvoo  to  the  far  West,  etc.  Having  been  a 
Judge  for  so  many  years  previously,  Mr.  Ford  of 
course  was  no'i-committal  concerning  Mormon  affairs, 
and  was  therefore  claimed  by  both  parties  and  also 
accused  by  each  of  sympathizing  too  greatly  with  the 
other  side.  Mormonism  claiming  to  be  a  system  of 
religion,  the  Governor  no  doubt  was  "  between  two 
fires,"  and  felt  compelled  to  touch  the  matter  rather 
"  gingerly-"  and  doubtless  felt  greatly  relieved  when 
th.it  pestilential  people  left  the  State.  Such  compli- 
cated matters,  especially  when  religion  is  mixed  up 
with  them,  expose  every  person  participating  in 
them  to  criticism  from  all  parties. 

The  Mexican  War  was  begun  in  the  spring  of 
1845,  and  was  continued  into  the  gubernatorial  term 
of  Mr.  Ford's  successor.  The  Governor's  connection 
with  this  war,  however,  was  not  conspicuous,  as  it 
was  only  administrative,  commissioning  officers,  etc. 

Ford's  "  History  of  Illinois  "  is  a  very  readable  and 
entertaining  work,  of  450  small  octavo  pages,  and  is 
destined  to  increase  in  value  with  the  lapse  of  time. 
It  exhibits  a  natural  flow  of  compact  and  forcible 
thought,  never  failing  to  convey  the  nicest  sense.  In 
tracing  with  his  trenchant  pen  the  devious  operations 
of  the  professional  politician,  in  which  he  is  inimit- 
able, his  account  is  open,  perhaps,  to  the  objection 
that  all  his  contemporaries  are  treated  as  mere  place- 
seekers,  while  many  of  them  have  since  been  judged 
by  the  people  to  be  worthy  statesmen.  His  writings 
seem  slightly  open  to  the  criticism  that  they  exhibit 
a  little  splenetic  partiality  against  those  of  his  con- 
temporaries who  were  prominent  during  his  term  of 
office  as  Governor. 

The  death  of  Gov.  Ford  took  place  at  Peoria,  111., 
Nov.  2,  1850. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


Augustus  C.  French. 


AUGUSTUS  C.   FRENCH, 
Governor  of  Illinois  from 
1846  to  1852,  was  born  in 
the   town  of  Hill,  in   the 
State  of  New  Hampshire, 
Aug.  2,  1808.     He  was  a 
descendant  in   the  fourth 
generation  of  Nathaniel 
French,  who  emigrated  from  England 
in  1687  and  settled  in  Saybury,  Mass. 
In  early  life  young  French  lost  his 
father,   but  continued   to   receive  in- 
struction   from    an     exemplary     and 
Christian  mother  until  he  was  19  years 
old,  when  she  also  died,  confiding  to 
his  care  and  trust  four  younger  broth- 
ers and  one  sister.     He  discharged  his  trust  with 
parental  devotion.     His  education  in  early  life  was 
such  mainly  as  a  common  school   afforded.     For  a 
brief  period   he   attended    Dartmouth   College,   but 
from  pecuniary  causes  and  the  care  of  his  brothers 
and  sister,  he  did  not  graduate.     He  subsequently 
read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in   1831,  and 
shortly  afterward  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  first  at 
Albion,  Edwards  County,  where  he  established  him- 
self in  the  practice  of  law.     The  following  year  he 
removed  to  Paris,  Edgar  County.     Here  he  attained 
eminence  in  his  profession,  and  entered  public  life 
by  representing  that  county  in  the  Legislature.     A 
strong  attachment  sprang  up  between  him  and  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas. 

In  1839,  Mr.  French  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Palestine,  Craw- 
ford County,  at  which  place  he  was  a  resident  when 


elevated  to  the  gubernatorial  chair.  In  1844  he  was 
a  Presidential  Elector,  and  as  such  he  voted  for 
James  K.  Polk. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention  of  1846,  meet- 
ing at  Springfield  Feb.  10,  nominated  Mr.  French 
for  Governor.  Other  Democratic  candidates  were 
Lyman  Trumbull,  John  Calhoun  (subsequently  of 
Lecompton  Constitution  notoriety),  Walter  B.  Scales, 
Richard  M.  Young  and  A.  W.  Cavarly, — an  array  of 
very  able  and  prominent  names.  Trumbull  was  per- 
haps defeated  in  the  Convention  by  the  rumor  that 
he  was  opposed  to  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal, 
as  he  had  been  a  year  previously.  For  Lieutenant 
Governor  J.  B.  Wells  was  chosen,  while  other  candi- 
dates were  Lewis  Ross,  Wm.  McMurtry,  Newton 
Cloud,  J.  B.  Hamilton  and  W.  W.  Thompson.  The 
resolutions  declared  strongly  against  the  resuscita- 
tion of  the  old  State  Banks. 

The  Whigs,  who  were  in  a  hopeless  minority,  held 
their  convention  June  8,  at  Peoria,  and  selected 
Thomas  M.  Kilpatrick,  of  Scott  County,  for  Governor, 
and  Gen.  Nathaniel  G.  Wilcox,  of  Schuyler,  for 
Lieutenant  Governor. 

In  the  campaign  the  latter  exposed  Mr.  French's 
record  and  connection  with  the  passage  of  the  in- 
ternal improvement  system,  urging  it  against  his 
election ;  but  in  the  meantime  the  war  with  Mexico 
broke  out,  regarding  which  the  Whig  record  was  un- 
popular in  this  State.  The  war  was  the  absorbing 
and  dominating  question  of  the  period,  sweeping 
every  other  political  issue  in  its  course.  The  elec- 
tion in  August  gave  Mr.  French  58,700.  votes,  and 
Kilpatrick  only  36,775.  Richard  Eells,  Abolitionist 
candidate  for  the  same  office,  received  5,152  votas 


'-14 


AUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH. 


By  the  new  Constitution  of  1848,  a  new  election  for 
State  officers  was  ordered  in  November  of  that  year, 
before  Gov.  French's  terra  was  half  out,  and  he  was 
re-elected  for  the  term  of  four  years.  He  was  there- 
fore the  incumbent  for  six  consecutive  years,  the 
only  Governor  of  this  State  who  has  ever  served  in 
that  capacity  so  long  at  one  time.  As  there  was  no 
organized  opposition  to  his  election,  he  received  67,- 
453  votes,  to  5,639  for  Pierre  Menard  (son  of  the 
first  Lieutenant  Governor),  4,748  for  Charles  V. 
Dyer,  3,834  for  W.  L.  D.  Morrison,  and  1,361  for 
James  L.  D.  Morrison.  But  Wm.  McMurtry,  of 
Knox  County,  was  elected  Lieutenant  Governor,  in 
place  of  Joseph  B.  Wells,  who  was  before  elected 
and  did  not  run  again. 

Governor  French  was  inaugurated  into  office  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  Mexican  War,  which  closed 
during  the  summer  of  1847,  although  the  treaty  of 
Guadalupe  Hidalgo  was  not  made  until  Feb.  2, 
1848.  The  policy  of  Gov.  French's  party  was  com- 
mitted to  that  war,  but  in  connection  with  that  affair 
he  was,  of  course,  only  an  administrative  officer. 
During  his  term  of  office,  Feb.  19,  1847,  the  Legisla- 
ture, by  special  permission  of  Congress,  declared  that 
all  Government  lands  sold  to  settlers  should  be  im- 
mediately subject  to  State  taxation ;  before  this  they 
were  exempt  for  five  years  after  sale.  By  this  ar- 
rangement the  revenue  was  materially  increased. 
About  the  same  lime,  the  distribution  of  Government 
.and  warrants  among  the  Mexican  soldiers  as  bounty 
threw  upon  the  market  a  great  quantity  of  good 
lands,  and  this  enhanced  the  settlement  of  the  State. 
The  same  Legislature  authorized,  with  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Governor,  the  sale  of  the  Northern 
Cross  Railroad  (from  Springfield  to  Meredosia,  the 
first  in  the  State  and  now  a  section  of  the  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  &  Pacific).  It  sold  for  $100,000  in  bonds, 
although  it  had  cost  the  State  not  less  than  a  million. 
The  salt  wells  and  canal  lands  in  the  Saline  reserve 
in  Gallatin  County,  granted  by  the  general  Govern- 
ment to  the  State,  were  also  authorized  by  the 
Governor  to  be  sold,  to  apply  on  the  State  debt.  In 
1850,  for  the  first  time  since  1839,  the  accruing  State 
revenue,  exclusive  of  specific  appropriations,  was 
sufficient  to  meet  the  current  demands  upon  the 
treasury.  The  aggregate  taxable  property  of  the 
State  at  this  time  was  over  $100,000,000,  and  the 
population  851,470. 


In  1849  the  Legiilature  adopted  the  township  or- 
ganization law,  which,  however,  proved  defective, 
and  was  properly  amended  in  1851.  At  its  session 
in  the  latter  year,  the  General  Assembly  also  passed 
a  law  to  exempt  homesteads  from  sale  on  executions 
This  beneficent  measure  had  been  repeatedly  utged 
upon  that  body  by  Gov.  French. 

In  1850  some  business  men  in  St.  Louis  com- 
menced to  build  a  dike  opposite  the  lower  part  of 
their  city  on  the  Illinois  side,  to  keep  the  Mississippi 
in  its  channel  near  St.  Louis,  instead  of  breaking 
away  from  them  as  it  sometimes  threatened  to  do. 
This  they  undertook  without  permission  from  the 
Legislature  or  Executive  authority  of  this  State ;  and 
as  many  of  the  inhabitants  there  complained  that 
the  scheme  would  inundate  and  ruin  much  valuable 
land,  there  was  a  slight  conflict  of  jurisdictions,  re- 
sulting in  favor  of  the  St.  Louis  project;  and  since 
then  a  good  site  has  existed  there  for  a  city  (East  St. 
Louis),  and  now  a  score  of  railroads  center  there. 

It  was  in  September,  1850,  that  Congress  granted 
to  this  State  nearly  3,000,000  acres  of  land  in  aid  of 
the  completion  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
which  constituted  the  most  important  epoch  in  the 
railroad — we  might  say  internal  improvement — his- 
tory of  the  State.  The  road  was  rushed  on  to  com- 
pletion, which  accelerated  the  settlement  of  the  in- 
terior of  the  State  by  a  good  class  of  industrious  citi- 
zens, and  by  the  charter  a  good  income  to  the  State 
'Treasury  is  paid  in  from  the  earnings  of  the  road. 

In  185  i  the  Legislature  passed  a  law  authorizing 
free  stock  banks,  which  was  the  source  of  much  leg- 
islative discussion  for  a  number  of  years. 

But  we  have  not  space  further  to  particularize 
concerning  legislation.  Gov.  French's  administra- 
tion was  not  marked  by  any  feature  to  be  criticised, 
while  the  country  was  settling  up  as  never  before. 

In  stature,  Gov.  French  was  of  medium  height, 
squarely  built,  light  complexioned,  with  ruddy  face 
and  pleasant  countenance.  In  manners  he  was 
plain  and  agreeable.  By  nature  he  was  somewhat 
diffident,  but  he  was  often  very  outspoken  in  his  con- 
victions of  duty.  In  .public  speech  he  was  not  an 
orator,  but  was  chaste,  earnest  and  persuasive.  In 
business  he  was  accurate  and  methodical,  and  in  his 
administration  he  kept  up  the  credit  of  the  State. 

He  died  in  1865,  at  his  home  in  Lebanon,  St. 
Clair  Co.,  HI. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


[:OEL  A.  MATTESON,  Governor 
1853-6,  was  born  Aug.  8,  1808, 
in  Jefferson  County,  New  York, 
to  which  place  his  father  had  re- 
moved from  Vermont  three  years 
before.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
in  fair  circumstances,  but  a  com- 
mon English  education  was  all 
that  his  only  son  received.  Young 
Joel  first  tempted  fortune  as  a 
small  tradesman  in  Prescott, 
Canada,  before  he  was  of  age. 
He  returned  from  that  place  to 
his  home,  entered  an  academy, 
taught  school,  visited  the  prin- 
cipal Eastern  cities,  improved  a  farm  his  father  had 
given  him,  made  a  tour  in  the  South,  worked  there 
in  building  railroads,  experienced  a  storm  on  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  visited  the  gold  diggings  of  Northern 
Georgia,  and  returned  via  Nashville  to  St.  Louis  and 
through  Illinois  to  his  father's  home,  when  he  mar- 
ried. In  1833,  having  sold  his  farm,  he  removed, 
with  his  wife  and  one  child,  to  Illinois,  and  entered 
a  claim  on  Government  land  near  the  head  of  Au 
Sable  River,  in  what  is  now  Kendall  County.  At 
that  time  there  were  not  more  than  two  neighbors 
within  a  range  of  ten  miles  of  his  place,  and  only 
xhree  or  four  houses  between  him  and  Chicago.  He 
opened  a  large  farm.  His  family  was  boarded  12 


miles  away  while  he  erected  a  house  on  his  claim, 
sleeping,  during  this  time,  under  a  rude  pole  shed. 
Here  his  life  was  once  placed  in  imminent  peril  by 
a  huge  prairie  rattlesnake  sharing  his  bed. 

In  1835  he  bought  largely  at  the  Government  land 
sales.  During  the  speculative  real-estate  mania  which 
broke  out  in  Chicago  in  1 8  36  and  spread  over  the  State, 
he  sold  his  lands  under  the  inflation  of  that  period 
and  removed  to  Joliet.  In  1838  he  became  a  heavy 
contractor  on  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  Upon 
the  completion  of  his  job  in  1841,  when  hard  times 
prevailed,  business  at  a  stand,  contracts  paid  in  State 
scrip;  when  all  the  public  works  except  the  canal 
were  abandoned,  the  State  offered  for  sale  700  tons 
of  railroad  iron,  which  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Mat- 
teson  at  a  bargain.  This  he  accepted,  shipped  and 
sold  at  Detroit,  realizing  a  very  handsome  profit, 
enough  to  pay  off  all  his  canal  debts  and  leave  him  a 
surplus  of  several  thousand  dollars.  His  enterprise 
next  prompted  him  to  start  a  woolen  mill  at  Joliet, 
in  which  he  prospered,  and  which,  after  successive 
enlargements,  became  an  enormous  establishment 

In  1842  he  was  first  elected  a  State  Senator,  but, 
by  a  bungling  apportionment,  jc'^n  Pearson,  a  Senator 
holding  over,  was  found  to  be  in  the  same  district, 
and  decided  to  be  entitled  to  represent  it.  Mat- 
teson's  seat  was  declared  vacant.  Pearson,  however 
with  a  nobleness  difficult  to  appreciate  in  this  day  of 


148 


JOEL  A.  MATTE  SON. 


greed  for  office,  unwilling  to  represent  his  district 
under  the  circumstances,  immediately  resigned  his 
unexpired  term  of  two  years.  A  bill  was  passed  in  a 
few  hours  ordering  a  new  election,  and  in  ten  days' 
time  Mr.  Matteson  was  returned  re-elected  and  took 
his  seat  as  Senator.  From  his  well-known  capacity 
as  a  business  man,  he  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Finance,  a  position  he  held  during 
this  half  and  two  full  succeeding  Senatorial  terms, 
discharging  its  important  duties  with  ability  and  faith- 
fulness. Besides  his  extensive  woolen-mill  interest, 
when  work  was  resumed  on  the  canal  under  the  new 
wan  of  $1,600,000  he  again  became  a  heavy  con- 
tractor, and  also  subsequently  operated  largely  in 
building  railroads.  Thus  he  showed  himself  a  most 
energetic  and  thorough  business  man. 

He  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  the  Demo- 
cratic State  Convention  which  met  at  Springfield 
April  20,  1852.  Other  candidates  before  the  Con- 
vention were  D.  L.  Gregg  and  F.  C.  Sherman,  of 
Cook ;  John  Dement,  of  Lee  ;  Thomas  L.  Harris,  of 
Menard ;  Lewis  W.  Ross,  of  Fulton ;  and  D.  P.  Bush, 
of  Pike.  Gustavus  Koerner,  of  St.  Clair,  was  nom- 
inated for  Lieutenant  Governor.  For  the  same  offices 
the  Whigs  nominated  Edwin  B.  Webb  and  Dexter  A. 
Knowlton.  Mr.  Matteson  received  80,645  votes  at 
the  election,  while  Mr.  Webb  received  64,408.  Mat- 
teson "s  forte  was  not  on  the  stump;  he  had  not  cul- 
tivated the  art  of  oily  flattery,  or  the  faculty  of  being 
all  things  to  all  men.  His  intellectual  qualities  took 
rather  the  direction  of  efficient  executive  ability.  His 
turn  consisted  not  so  much  in  the  adroit  manage- 
ment of  party,  or  the  powerful  advocacy  of  great  gov- 
ernmental principles,  as  in  those  more  solid  and 
enduring  operations  which  cause  the  physical  devel- 
opment and  advancement  of  a  State, — of  commerce 
and  business  enterprise,  into  which  he  labored  with 
success  to  lead  the  people.  As  a  politician  he  was 
just  and  liberal  in  his  views,  and  both  in  official  and 
private  life  he  then  stood  untainted  and  free  from 
blemish.  As  a  man,  in  active  benevolence,  social 
rirtues  and  all  the  amiable  qualities  of  neighbor  or 
citizen,  he  had  few  superiors.  His  messages  present 
a  perspicuous  array  of  facts  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
State,  and  are  often  couched  in  forcible  and  elegant 
diction. 

The  greatest  excitement  during  his  term  of  office 
was  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  by  Con- 


gress, under  the  leadership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in 
1854,  when  the  bill  was  passed  organizing  the  Terri- 
tory of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  A  large  portion  of 
the  Whig  party  of  the  North,  through  their  bitter  op- 
position to  the  Democratic  party,  naturally  drifted 
into  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  and  thus  led  to  what 
was  temporarily  called  the  "  And- Nebraska  "  party, 
while  the  followers  of  Douglas  were  known  as  "  Ne- 
braska or  Douglas  Democrats."  It  was  during  this 
embryo  stage  of  the  Republican  party  that  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  brought  forward  as  the  "  Anti-Nebraska  " 
candidate  for  the  United  States  Senatorship,  while 
Gen.  James  Shields,  the  incumbent,  was  re-nom- 
inated by  the  Democrats.  But  after  a  fewballotings 
in  the  Legislature  (1855),  these  men  were  dropped, 
and  Lyman  Trumbull,  an  Anti-Nebraska  Democrat, 
was  brought  up  by  the  former,  and  Mr.  Matteson, 
then  Governor,  by  the  latter.  On  the  nth  ballot 
Mr.  Trumbull  obtained  one  majority,  and  was  ac- 
cordingly declared  elected.  Before  Gov.  Matteson  "s 
term  expired,  the  Republicans  were  fully  organized 
as  a  national  party,  and  in  1856  put  into  the  field  a 
full  national  and  State  ticket,  carrying  the  State,  but 
not  the  nation. 

The  Legislature  of  1855  passed  two  very  import- 
ant measures, — the  present  free-school  system  and  a 
submission  of  the  Maine  liquor  law  to  a  vote  of  the 
people.  The  latter  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority 
of  the  popular  vote. 

During  the  four  years  of  Gov.  Matteson  s  admin- 
istration the  taxable  wealth  of  the  State  was  about 
trebled,  from  $137,818,079  to  $349,951,272;  the  pub- 
lic debt  was  reduced  from  $17,398,985  to  $12,843,- 
144;  taxation  was  at  the  same  time  reduced,  and  the 
State  resumed  paying  interest  on  its  debt  in  New 
York  as  fast  as  it  fell  due ;  railroads  were  increased 
in  their  mileage  from  something  less  than  400  to 
about  3.000 ;  and  the  population  of  Chicago  was 
nearly  doubled,  and  its  commerce  more  than  quad- 
rupled. 

'  Before  closing  this  account,  we  regret  that  we  have 
to  say  that  Mr.  Matteson,  in  all  other  respects  an 
upright  man  and  a  good  Governor,  was  implicated 
in  a  false  re-issue  of  redeemed  canal  scrip,  amount- 
ing to  $224,182.66.  By  a  suit  in  the  Sangamon  Cir- 
cuit Court  the  State  recovered  the  principal  and  all 
the  interest  excepting  $27,500. 

He  died  in   the  winter  of  1872-3,  at  Chicago. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'5* 


ILLIAM  H.  BISSELL,  Gov- 
ernor 1857-60,  was  born 
April  25,  1811,  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  near 
Painted  Post,  Yates  County. 
His  parents  were  obscure, 
honest,  God-fearing  people, 
who  reared  their  children  under  the  daily 
example  of  industry  and  frugality,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  that  class  of  Eastern 
society.  Mr.  Bissell  received  a  respecta- 
le  but  not  thorough  academical  education. 
By  assiduous  application  he  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  medicine,  and  in  his  early 
manhood  came  West  and  located  in  Mon- 
roe County,  this  State,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  that  profession.  But  he  was  not  enam- 
ored of  his  calling:  he  was  swayed  by  a  broader 
ambition,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  mysteries  of  the 
healing  art  and  its  arduous  duties  failed  to  yield  him 
further  any  charms.  In  a  few  years  he  discovered 
his  choice  of  a  profession  to  be  a  mistake,  and  when 
he  approached  the  age  of  30  he  sought  to  begin 
anew.  Dr.  Bissell,  no  doubt  unexpectedly  to  him- 
self, discovered  a  singular  facility  and  charm  of 
speech,  the  exercise  of  which  acquired  for  him  a 
ready  local  notoriety.  It  soon  came  to  be  under- 


stood that  he  desired  to  abandon  his  profession  and 
take  up  that  of  the  law.  During  terms  of  Court  he 
would  spend  his  time  at  the  county  seat  among  the 
members  of  the  Bar,  who  extended  to  him  a  ready 
welcome. 

It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  he  should  drift 
into  public  life.  In  1840  he  was  elected  as  a  Dem- 
ocrat to  the  Legislature  from  Monroe  County,  and 
was  an  efficient  member  of  that  body.  On  his  re- 
turn home  he  qualified  himself  for  admission  to  the 
Bar  and  speedily  rose  to  the  front  rank  as  an  advo- 
cate. His  powers  of  oratory  were  captivating.  With  a 
pure  diction,  charming  and  inimitable  gestures, 
clearness  of  statement,  and  a  remarkable  vein  of  sly 
humor,  his  efforts  before  a  jury  told  with  irresistible 
effect.  He  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  Prosecut- 
ing Attorney  for  the  Circuit  in  which  he  lived,  and 
in  that  position  he  fully  discharged  his  duty  to  the 
State,  gained  the  esteem  of  the  Bar,  and  seldom 
failed  to  convict  the  offender  of  the  law. 

In  stature  he  was  somewhat  tall  and  slender,  and 
with  a  straight,  military  bearing,  he  presented  a  dis- 
tinguished appearance.  His  complexion  was  dark, 
his  head  well  poised,  though  not  large,  his  address 
pleasant  and  manner  winning.  He  was  exemplary 
in  his  habits,  a  devoted  husband  and  kind  parent. 
He  was  twice  married,  the  first  time  to  Miss  James, 


'S2 


WILLIAM  H.  BISSELL, 


of  Monroe  County,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
both  daughters.  She  died  soon  after  the  year  1840, 
and  Mr.  B.  married  for  his  second  wife  a  daughter 
of  Elias  K.  Kane,  previously  a  United  States  Senator 
from  this  State.  She  survived  him  but  a  short  time, 
and  died  without  issue. 

When  the  war  with  Mexico  was  declared  in  1 846, 
Mr.  Bissell  enlisted  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  his 
regiment,  over  Hon.  Don  Morrison,  by  an  almost 
unanimous  vote, — 807  to  6.  Considering  the  limited 
opportunities  he  had  had,  he  evinced  a  high  order  of 
military  talent.  On  the  bloody  field  of  Buena  Vista 
he  acquitted  himself  with  intrepid  and  distinguished 
ability,  contributing  with  his  regiment,  the  Second 
Illinois,  in  no  small  degree  toward  saving  the  waver- 
ing fortunes  of  our  arms  during  that  long  and  fiercely 
contested  battle. 

After  his  return  home,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
was  elected  to  Congress,  his  opponents  being  the 
Hons.  P.  B.  Fouke  and  Joseph  Gillespie.  He  served 
two  terms  in  Congress.  He  was  an  ardent  politician. 
During  the  great  contest  of  1850  he  voted  in  favor 
of  the  adjustment  measures;  but  in  1854  he  opposed 
the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  act  and 
therefore  the  Kansas-Nebraska' bill  of  Douglas,  and 
thus  became  identified  with  the  nascent  Republican 
party. 

During  his  first  Congressional  term,  while  the 
Southern  members  were  following  their  old  practice 
of  intimidating  the  North  by  bullying  language, 
and  claiming  most  of  the  credit  for  victories  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  Jefferson  Davis  claiming  for  the 
Mississippi  troops  all  the  credit  for  success  at  Buena 
Vista,  Mr.  Bissell  bravely  defended  the  Northern 
troops ;  whereupon  Davis  challenged  Bissell  to  a  due), 
which  was  accepted.  This  matter  was  brought  up 
against  Bissell  when  he  was  candidate  for  Governor 
and  during  his  term  of  office,  as  the  Constitution  of 
this  State  forbade  any  duelist  from  holding  a  State 
office. 

In  1856,  when  the  Republican  party  first  put  forth 
a  candidate,  John  C.  Fremont,  for  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  same  party  nominated  Mr.  Bissell 
for  Governor  of  Illinois,  and  John  Wood,  of  Quincy, 
for  Lieutenant  Governor,  while  the  Democrats  nomi- 
nated Hon.  W.  A.  Richardson,  of  Adams  County, 
for  Governor,  and  Col.  R.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Cook 
County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The  result  of  the 


election  was  a  plurality  of  4,729  votes  over  Richard- 
son. The  American,  or  Know-Nothing,  party  had  a 
ticket  in  the  field.  The  Legislature  was  nearly  bal- 
anced, but  was  politically  opposed  to  the  Governor. 
His  message  to  the  Legislature  was  short  and  rather 
ordinary,  and  was  criticised  for  expressing  the  sup- 
posed obligations  of  the  people  to  the  incorporators 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  and  for  re- 
opening the  slavery  question  by  allusions  to  the 
Kansas  troubles.  Late  in  the  session  an  apportion- 
ment bill,  based  upon  the  State  census  of  1855,  was 
passed,  amid  much  partisan  strife.  The  Governor 
at  first  signed  the  bill  and  then  vetoed  it.  A  furious 
debate  followed,  and  the  question  whether  the  Gov- 
ernor had  the  authority  to  recall  a  signature  was 
referred  to  the  Courts,  that  of  last  resort  deciding  in 
favor  of  the  Governor.  Two  years  afterward  another 
outrageous  attempt  was  made  for  a  re-apportionment 
and  to  gerrymander  the  State,  but  the  Legislature 
failed  to  pass  the  bill  over  the  veto  of  the  Governor. 

It  was  during  Gov.  Bissell's  administration  that 
the  notorious  canal  scrip  fraud  was  brought  to  light 
implicating  ex-Gov.  Matteson  and  other  prominent 
State  officials.  The  principal  and  interest,  aggregat- 
ing $255,500,  was  all  recovered  by  the  State  except- 
ing $27,500.  (See  sketch  of  Gov.  Matteson.) 

In  1859  an  attempt  was  discovered  to  fraudu- 
lently refund  the  Macalister  and  Stebbins  bonds  and 
thus  rob  the  State  Treasury  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars.  The  State  Government  was  impli- 
cated in  this  affair,  and  to  this  day  remains  unex- 
plained or  unatoned  for.  For  the  above,  and  other 
matters  previously  mentioned,  Gov.  Bissell  has  been 
severely  criticised,  and  he  has  also  been  most  shame- 
fully libelled  and  slandered. 

On  account  of  exposure  in  the  army,  the  remote 
cause  of  a  nervous  form  of  disease  gained  entrance 
into  his  system  and  eventually  developed  paraplegia, 
affecting  his  lower  extremities,  which,  while  it  left 
his  body  in  comparative  health,  deprived  him  ofloco- 
motion  except  by  the  aid  of  crutches.  While  he  was 
generally  hopeful  of  ultimate  recovery,  this  myste- 
rious disease  pursued  him,  without  once  relaxing  its 
stealthy  hold,  to  the  close  of  his  life,  March  18, 
1860,  over  nine  months  before  the  expiration  of  his 
gubernatorial  term,  at  the  early  age  of  48  years.  He 
died  in  the  faith  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  o) 
which  he  hart  been  a  member  since  1854. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URDANA 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'55 


:OHN  WOOD,  Governor  1860-1,  and 
the  first  settler  of  Quincy,  111., 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Sempro- 
nius  (now  Moravia),  Cayuga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  20,  1798.  He  was 
the  second  child  and  only  son  of 
Dr.  Daniel  Wood.  His  mother, 
•nee  Catherine  Crause,  was  of 
German  parentage,  and  died 
while  he  was  an  infant.  Dr. 
Wood  was  a  learned  and  skillful 
physician,  of  classical  attain- 
ments and  proficient  in  several 
modern  languages,  who,  after 
serving  throughout  the  Revolu- 
tionary' War  as  a  Surgeon,  settled  on  the  land  granted 
him  by  the  Government,  and  resided  there  a  re- 
speoted  and  leading  influence  in  his  section  until  his 
death,  at  the  ripe  age  of  92  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  impelled  by  the  spirit 
of  Western  adventure  then  pervading  everywhere, 
left  his  home,  Nov.  2,  1818,  and  passed  the  succeed- 
ing winter  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  following  sum- 
mer he  pushed  on  to  Illinois,  landing  atShawneetown, 
and  spent  the  fall  and  following  winter  in  Calhoun 
County.  In  1820,  in  company  with  Willard  Keyes, 
he  settled  in  Pike  County,  about  30  miles  southeast 
of  Quincy,  where  for  the  next  two  years  he  pursued 
farming.  In  1821  he  visited  "the  Bluffs"  (as  the 
present  site  of  Quincy  was  called,  then  uninhabited) 
and,  pleased  with  its  prospects,  soon  after  purchased 
a  quarter-section  of  land  near  by,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing fall  (1822)  erected  near  the  river  a  small  cabin, 


1 8  x  20  feet,  the  first  building  in  Quincy,  of  which 
he  then  became  the  first  and  for  some  months  the 
only  occupant. 

About  this  time  he  visited  his  old  friends  in  Pike 
County,  chief  of  whom  was  William  Ross,  the  lead- 
ing man  in  building  up  the  village  of  Atlas,  of  that 
county,  which  was  thought  then  to  be  the  possible 
commencement  of  a  city.  One  day  they  and  others 
were  traveling  together  over  the  country  between  the 
two  points  named,  making  observations  on»the  com- 
parative merits  of  the  respective  localities.  On  ap- 
proaching the  Mississippi  near  Mr.  Wood's  place, 
the  latter  told  his  companions  to  follow  him  and  he 
would  show  them  where  he  was  going  to  build  a  city. 
They  went  about  a  mile  off  the  main  trail,  to  a  high 
point,  from  which  the  view  in  every  direction  was 
most  magnificent,  as  it  had  been  for  ages  and  as  yet 
untouched  by  the  hand  of  man.  Before  them  swept 
by  the  majestic  Father  of  Waters,  yet  unburdened  by 
navigation.  After  Mr.  Wood  had  expatiated  at 
length  on  the  advantages  of  the  situation,  Mr.  Ross 
replied,  "  But  it's  too  near  Atlas  ever  to  amount  to 
anything!" 

Atlas  is  still  a  cultivated  farm,  and  Quincy  is  a 
city  of  over  30,000  population. 

In  1824  Mr.  Wood  gave  a  newspaper  notice, 
as  the  law  then  prescribed,  of  his  intention  to  apply 
to  the  General  Assembly  for  the  formation  of  a  new 
county.  This  was  done  the  following  winter,  result- 
ing in  the  establishment  of  the  present  Adams 
County.  During  the  next  summer  Quincy  was  se- 
lected as  the  county  seat,  it  and  the  vicinity  then 
containing  but  four  adult  male  residents  and  half 


JOHN  WOOD. 


that  number  of  females.  Sinoe  that  period  Mr. 
Wood  resided  at  the  place  of  his  early  adoption  un- 
til his  death,  and  far  more  than  any  other  man  was 
he  identified  with  every  measure  of  its  progress  and 
history,  and  almost  continuously  kept  in  public  posi- 
tions. 

He  was  one  of  the  early  town  Trustees,  and  after 
the  place  became  a  city  he  was  often  a  member  of 
the  City  Council,  many  times  elected  Mayor,  in  the 
face  of  a  constant  large  opposition  political  majority. 
In  1850  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate.  In  1856, 
on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  he  was 
chosen  Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  State,  on  the 
ticket  with  Wm.  H.  Bissell  for  Governor,  and  on  the 
death  of  the  latter,  March  18,  1860,  he  succeeded  to 
the  Chief  Executive  chair,  which  he  occupied  until 
Gov.  Yates  was  inaugurated  nearly  ten  months  after- 
ward. 

Nothing  very  marked  characterized  the  adminis- 
tration of  Gov.  Wood.  The  great  anti-slavery  cam- 
paign of  1860,  resulting  in  the  election  of  the  honest 
Illinoisan,  Abraham  Lincoln,  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
United  States,  occurred  during  the  short  period 
while  Mr.  Wood  was  Governor,  and  the  excitement 
and  issues  of  that  struggle  dominated  over  every 
other  consideration, — indeed,  supplanted  them  in  a 
great  measure.  The  people  of  Illinois,  during  all 
that  time,  were  passing  the  comparatively  petty  strifes 
under  Bissell's  administration  to  the  overwhelming 
issue  of  preserving  the  whole  nation  from  destruction. 

In  1861  ex-Gov.  Wood  was  one  of  the  five  Dele- 
gates from  Illinois  to  the  "  Peace  Convention  "  at 
Washington,  and  in  April  of  the  same  year,  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  appointed 


Quartermaster-General  of  the  State,  which  position 
he  held  throughout  the  war.  In  1864  he  took  com- 
mand as  Colonel  of  the  i37th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  with 
whom  he  served  until  the  period  of  enlistment  ex- 
pired. 

Politically,  Gov.  Wood  was  always  actively  identi- 
fied with  the  Whig  and  Republican  parties.  Few 
men  have  in  personal  experience  comprehended  so 
many  surprising  and  advancing  local  changes  as 
vested  in  the  more  than  half  century  recollections  of 
Gov.  Wood.  Sixty-four  years  ago  a  solitary  settler 
on  the  "Bluffs,"  with  no  family,  and  no  neighbor 
within  a  score  of  miles,  the  world  of  civilization  away 
behind  him,  and  the  strolling  red-man  almost  his 
only  visitant,  he  lived  to  see  growing  around  him, 
and  under  his  auspices  and  aid,  overspreading  the 
wild  hills  and  scraggy  forest  a  teaming  city,  second 
only  in  size  in  the  State,  and  surpassed  nowhere  in 
beauty,  prosperity  and  promise;  whose  people  recog- 
nize as  with  a  single  voice  the  proverbial  honor  and 
liberality  that  attach  to  the  name  and  lengthened 
life  of  their  pioneer  settler,  "the  old  Governor." 

Gov.  Wood  was  twice  married, — first  in  January, 
1826,  to  Ann  M.  Streeter,  daughter  of  Joshua  Streeter, 
formerly  of  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  had 
eight  children.  Mrs.  W.  died  Oct.  8,  1863,  and  in 
June,  1865,  Gov.  Wood  married  Mrs.  Mary  A.,  widow 
of  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Holmes.  Gov.  Wood  died  June  4, 
1880,  at  his  residence  in  Quincy.  Four  of  his  eight 
children  are  now  living,  namely:  Ann  E.,  wife  of 
Gen.  John  Tillson;  Daniel  C.,  who  married  Mary  J. 
Abemethy ;  John,  Jr.,  who  married  Josephine  Skinner, 
and  Joshua  S.,  who  married  Annie  Bradley.  The 
last  mentioned  now  resides  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  and 
all  the  rest  are  still  at  Quincy. 


OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


ICHARD  YATES,  the  "War 
Governor,"  1861-4,  was  born 
Jan.  1 8,  1818,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Ohio  River,  at  Warsaw, 
Gallatin  Co.,  Ky.  His  lather 
moved  in  1831  to  Illinois,  and) 
after  stopping  for  a  time  in 
Springfield,  settled  at  Island 
Grove,  Sangamon  County.  Here, 
after  attending  school,  Richard  joined 
the  family.  Subsequently  he  entered 
Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville, 
where,  in  1837,  he  graduated  with 
first  honors.  He  chose  for  his  pro- 
fession the  law,  the  Hon.  J.  J.  Har- 
din  being  his  instructor.  After  ad- 
mission to  the  Bar  he  soon  rose  to  distinction  as  an 
advocate. 

Gifted  with  a  fluent  and  ready  oratory,  he  soon 
appeared  in  the  political  hustings,  and,  being  a 
passionate  admirer  of  the  great  Whig  leader  of  the 
West.  Henry  Clay,  he  joined  his  political  fortunes  to 
he  party  of  his  idol.  In  1840  he  engaged  with  great 
^.rdor  in  the  exciting  "  hard  cider  "  campaign  for 
Garrison.  Two  years  later  he  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature  from  Morgan  County,  a  Democratic 
stronghold.  He  served  three  or  four  terms  in  the 
Legislature,  and  such  was  the  fascination  of  his  ora- 
tory that  by  1850  his  large  Congressional  District, 
extending  from  Morgan  and  Sangamon  Counties 
i.orth  to  include  LaSalle,  unanimously  tendered  him 
fne  Whig  nomination  for  Congress.  His  Democratic 
opponent  was  Maj.  Thomas  L.  Harris,  a  very  pop- 
v-\ar  man  who  had  won  distinction  at  the  battle  of 
Cerro  Gordo,  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  who  had 
ocaten  Hon.  Stephen  T.  Logan  for  the  same  position, 


two  years  before,  by  a  large  majority.  Yates  wa? 
elected.  Two  years  later  he  was  re-elected,  over 
John  Calhoun. 

It  was  during  Yates  second  term  in  Congress  that 
the  great  question  of  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise was  agitated,  and  the  bars  laid  down  for  re- 
opening the  dreaded  anti-slavery  question.  He  took 
strong  grounds  against  the  repeal,  and  thus  became 
identified  with  the  rising  Republican  party.  Conse- 
quently he  fell  into  the  minority  in  his  district,  which 
was  pro-slavery.  Even  then,  in  a  third  contest,  he 
fell  behind  Major  Harris  only  200  votes,  after  the 
district  had  two  years  before  given  Pierce  2,000 
majority-  for  President. 

The  Republican  State  Convention  of  1860  met  at 
Decatur  May  9,  and  nominated  for  the  office  of  Gov- 
ernor Mr.  Yates,  in  preference  to  Hon.  Norman  B. 
Judd,  of  Chicago,  and  Leonard  Swett,  of  Blooming- 
ton,  two  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  State,  who  were 
also  candidates  before  the  Convention.  Francis  A. 
Hoffman,  of  DuPage  County,  was  nominated  for 
Lieutenant  Governor.  This  was  the  year  when  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  a  candidate  for  President,  a  period  re- 
membered as  characterized  by  the  great  whirlpool 
which  precipitated  the  bloody  War  of  the  Rebellion. 
The  Douglas  Democrats  nominated  J.  C.  Allen  cf 
Crawford  County,  for  Governor,  and  Lewis  W.  Ross, 
of  Fulton  County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The 
Breckenridge  Democrats  and  the  Bell-Everett  party 
had  also  full  tickets  in  the  field.  After  a  most  fear- 
ful campaign,  the  result  of  the  election  gave  Mr. 
Yates  172,196  votes,  and  Mr,  Allen  159,253.  Mr. 
Yates  received  over  a  thousand  more  votes  than  did 
Mr.  Lincoln  himself. 

Gov.  Yates  occupied  the  chair  of  State  during  the 


i6o 


RICHARD     YATES. 


most  critical  period  of  our  country's  history.  In  the 
fate  of  the  nation  was  involved  that  of  each  State. 
The  life  struggle  of  the  former  derived  its  sustenance 
from  the  loyalty  of  the  latter;  and  Gov.  Yates 
seemed  to  realize  the  situation,  and  proved  himself 
both  loyal  and  wise  in  upholding  the  Government. 
He  had  a  deep  hold  upon  the  affections  of  the 
people,  won  by  his  moving  eloquence  and  genial 
manners.  Erect  and  symmetrical  in  person,  of  pre- 
possessing appearance,  with  a  winning  address  and  a 
magnetic  power,  few  men  possessed  more  of  the  ele- 
ments of  popularity.  His  oratory  was  scholarly  and 
captivating,  his  hearers  hardly  knowing  why  they 
were  transported.  He  was  social  and  convivial.  In 
the  latter  respect  he  was  ultimately  carried  too  far. 

The  very  creditable  military  efforts  of  this  State 
during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  in  putting  into  the 
field  the  enormous  number  of  about  200,000  soldiers, 
were  ever  promptly  and  ably  seconded  by  his  excel- 
lency ;  and  the  was  ambitious  to  deserve  the  title  of 
"the  soldier's  friend."  Immediately  after  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  he  repaired  to  the  field  of  carnage  to  look 
after  the  wounded,  and  his  appeals  for  aid  were 
promptly  responded  to  by  the  people.  His  procla- 
mations calling  for  volunteers  were  impassionate 
appeals,  urging  upon  the  people  the  duties  and  re- 
quirements of  patriotism ;  and  his  special  message 
in  1863  to  the  Democratic  Legislature  of  this  State 
pleading  for  material  aid  for  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers  of  Illinois  regiments,  breathes  a  deep  fervor 
of  noble  sentiment  and  feeling  rarely  equaled  in 
beauty  or  felicity  of  expression.  Generally  his  mes- 
sages on  political  and  civil  affairs  were  able  and  com- 
prehensive. During  his  administration,  however, 
there  were  no  civil  events  of  an  engrossing  character, 
although  two  years  of  his  time  were  replete  with 
partisan  quarrels  of  great  bitterness.  Military  ar- 
rests, Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  riot  iri  Fulton 
County,  attempted  suppression  of  the  Chicago  Times 
and  the  usurping  State  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1862,  were  the  chief  local  topics  that  were  exciting 
during  the  Governor's  term.  This  Convention  assem- 
bled Jan.  7,  and  at  once  took  the  high  position  that 
he  law  calling  it  was  no  longer  binding,  and  that  it 
ad  supreme  power;  that  it  represented  a  virtual 
assemblage  of  the  whole  people  of  the  State,  and  was 
sovereign  in  the  exercise  of  all  power  necessary  to 
effect  a  peaceable  revolution  of  the  State  Government 


and  to  the  re-establishment  of  one  for  the  "  happiness, 
prosperity  and  freedom  of  the  citizens,"  limited  only 
by  the  Federal  Constitution.  Notwithstanding  the 
law  calling  the  Convention  required  its  members  to 
take  an  oath  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  State 
as  well  as  that  of  th.e-  general  Government,  they 
utterly  refused  to  take  such  oath.  They  also  as- 
sumed legislative  powers  and  passed  several  import- 
ant "laws!"  Interfering  wkh  the  (then)  present 
executive  duties,  Gov.  Yates  was  provoked  to  tell 
them  plainly  that  "  he  did  not  acknowledge  the  right 
of  the  Convention  to  instruct  him  in  the  performance 
of  his  duty." 

In  1863  the  Governor  astonished  the  Democrats 
by  "  proroguing  "  their  Legislature.  This  body,  after 
a  recess,  met  June  2,  that  year,  and  soon  began  to 
waste  time  upon  various  partisan  resolutions ;  and, 
while  the  two  houses  were  disagreeing  upon  the 
question  of  adjourning  sine  die,  the  Governor,  having 
the  authority  in  such  cases,  surprised  them  all  by 
adjourning  them  "  to  the  Saturday  next  preceding  the 
first  Monday  in  January,  1865  !  "  This  led  to  great 
excitement  and  confusion,  and  to  a  reference  of  the 
Governor's  act  to  the  Supreme  Court,  who  decided  in 
his  favor.  Then  it  was  the  Court's  turn  to  receive 
abuse  for  weeks  and  months  afterward. 

During  the  autumn  of  1864  a  conspiracy  was  de- 
tected at  Chicago  which  had  for  its  object  the  liber- 
ation of  the  prisoners  of  war  at  Camp  Douglas,  the 
burning  of  the  city  and  the  inauguration  of  rebellion 
in  the  North.  Gen.  Sweet,  who  had  charge  of  the 
camp  at  the  time,  first  had  his  suspicions  of  danger 
aroused  by  a  number  of  enigmatically  worded  letters 
which  passed  through  the  Camp  postoffice.  A  de- 
tective afterward  discovered  that  the  rebel  Gen. 
Marmaduke  was  in  the  city,  under  an  assumed 
name,  and  he,  with  other  rebel  officers — Grenfell, 
Morgan,  Cantrell,  Buckner  Morris,  and  Charles 
Walsh — was  arrested,  most  of  whom  were  convicted 
by  a  court-martial  at  Cincinnati  and  sentenced  to 
imprisonment, — Grenfell  to  be  hung.  The  sentence 
of  the  latter  was  afterward  commuted  to  imprison- 
ment for  life,  and  all  the  others,  after  nine  months' 
imprisonment,  were  pardoned. 

In  March,  1873,  Gov.  Yates  was  appointed  a  Gov 
eminent  Director  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  in 
which  office  he  continued  until  his  decease,  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  on  the  271)1  of  November  following. 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

UKbANA 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


163 


Richard  J*  Ogles 


ICHARD  J.  OGLESBY,  Gov- 
ernor 1865-8,  and  re-elected 
in  1872  and  1884,  was  born 
July  25,  1824,  in  Oldham  Co., 
Ky., — the  State  which  might 
be  considered  the  "  mother  of 
Illinois  Governors."  Bereft  of 
his  parents  at  the  tender  age 
of  eight  years,  his  early  education 
was  neglected.  When  12  years  of 
age,  and  after  he  had  worked  a  year 
and  a  half  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
he  removed  with  an  uncle,  Willis 
Oglesby,  into  whose  care  he  had 
been  committed,  to  Decatur,  this 
State,  where  he  continued  his  ap- 
prenticeship as  a  mechanic,  working  six  months  for 
Hon.  E.  O.  Smith. 

In  1844  he  commenced  studying  law  at  Spring- 
field, with  Judge  Silas  Robbins,  and  read  with  him 
one  year.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1845,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at 
Sullivan,  the  county  seat  of  Moultrie  County. 

The  next  year  the  war  with  Mexico  was  com- 
menced, and  in  June,  1846,  Mr.  Oglesby  volunteered, 
was  elected  First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  C,  Fourth  Illinois 
Regiment  of  Volunteers,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Vera  Criii  and  Cerro  Gordo. 

On  his  return  he  sought  to  perfect  his  law  studies 
by  attending  a  course  of  lectures  at  Louisville,  but 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  California  "gold  fever  "  in 
1849,  he  crossed  the  plains  and  mountains  to  the 
new  Eldorado,  driving  a  six-mule  team,  with  a  com- 


pany of  eight  men,  Henry  Prather  being  the  leader. 

In  1852  he  returned  home  to  Macon  County,  and 
was  placed  that  year  by  the  Whig  party  on  the  ticket 
of  Presidential  Electors.  In  1856  he  visited  Europe, 
Asia  and  Africa,  being  absent  20  months.  On  his 
return  home  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Gallagher,  Wait  &  Oglesby. 
In  1858  he  was  the  Republican  nominee  for  the 
Lower  House  of  Congress,  but  was  defeated  by  the 
Hon.  James  C.  Robinson,  Democrat.  In  1860  he 
was  elected  to  the  Illinois  State  Senate ;  and  on  the 
evening  the  returns  of  this  election  were  coming  in, 
Mr.  Oglesby  had  a  fisticuff  encounter  with  "  Cerro 
Gordo  Williams,"  in  which  he  came  out  victorious, 
and  which  was  regarded  as  "  the  first  fight  of  the 
Rebellion."  The  following  spring,  when  the  war 
had  commenced  in  earnest,  his  ardent  nature 
quickly  responded  to  the  demands  of  patriotism  and 
he  enlisted.  The  extra  session  of  the  Legislature 
elected  him  Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry, 
the  second  one  in  the  State  raised  to  suppress  the 
great  Rebellion. 

He  was  shortly  entrusted  with  important  com- 
mands. For  a  time  he  was  stationed  at  Bird's  Point 
and  Cairo;  in  April  he  was  promoted  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral ;  at  Fort  Donelson  his  brigade  was  in  the  van, 
being  stationed  on  the  right  of  General  Grant's  army 
and  the  first  brigade  to  be  attacked.  He  lost  500 
men  before  re-inforcements  arrived.  Many  of  these 
men  were  from  Macon  County.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Corinth,  and,  in  a  brave  charge  at  this 
place,  was  shot  in  the  left  lung  with  an  ounce  ball, 
and  was  carried  from  the  field  in  expectation  of  irn- 


t64 


RICHARD  J.    OGLESBY. 


mediate  death.  That  rebel  ball  he  carries  to  this 
day.  On  his  partial  recovery  he  was  promoted  as 
Major  General,  for  gallantry,  his  commission  to  rank 
from  November,  1862.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  i6th  Army 
Corps,  but,  owing  to  inability  from  the  effects  of  his 
wound,  he  relinquished  this  command  in  July,  that 
year.  Gen.  Grant,  however,  refused  to  accept  his 
resignation,  and  he  was  detailed,  in  December  follow- 
ing, to  court-martial  and  try  the  Surgeon  General  of 
the  Army  at  Washington,  where  he  remained  until 
May,  1864,  when  he  returned  home. 
The  Republican,  or  Union,  State  Convention  of 

1864  was  held  at  Springfield,   May   25,   when  Mr. 
Oglesby  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  Governor, 
while  other  candidates  before  the  Convention  were 
Allen  C.  Fuller,  of  Boone,  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  of  Sanga- 
mon,   and    John   M.    Palmer,  of  Macoupin.     Wm. 
Bross,  of  Chicago,   was  nominated  for  Lieutenant 
Governor.      On  the  Democratic   State  ticket  were 
James  C.   Robinson,  of  Clark,  for  Governor,  and  S. 
Corning  Judd,  of  Fulton,  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 
The  general  election  gave  Gen.  Oglesby  a  majority 
of  about  31,000  votes.     The  Republicans  had  also  a 
majority  in  both  the  Legislature   and  in  the  repre- 
sentation in  Congress. 

Gov.  Oglesby  was  duly  inaugurated  Jan.  17,  1865. 
The  day  before  the  first  time  set  for  his  installation 
death  visited  his  home  at  Decatur,  and  took  from  it 
his  only  son,  an  intelligent  and  sprightly  lad  of  six 
years,  a  great  favorite  of  the  bereaved  parents.  This 
caused  the  inauguration  to  be  postponed  a  week. 

The  political  events  of  the  Legislative  session  of 

1865  were   the   election   of  ex-Gov.    Yates   to  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  the  ratification  of  the  i3th 
amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
abolishing  slavery.      This   session    also    signalized 
itself  by  repealing  the  n  >tori3us  "  black  laws,"  part 
of  which,  although  a  dead  letter,  had  held  their  place 
upon  the  statute  books  since  1819.     Also,  laws  re- 
quiring the  registration  of  voters,  and  establishing  a 
State  Board  of  Equalization,  were  passed  by  this  Leg- 
islature.    But  the  same  body  evinced  that  it  was  cor- 
ruptly influenced  by  a  mercenary  lobby,  as  it  adopted 
some  bad  legislatipn,  over  the  Governor's  veto,  nota- 
bly an  amendment  to  a  charter  for  a  Chicago  horse 
railway,   granted    in    1859  for  25   years,   and   now 
sought  to  be  extended  99  years.     As  this  measure 
was  promptly  passed  over  his  veto  by  both  branches 
of  the  Legislature,  he  deemed  it  useless  further  to 
attempt   to  check  their  headlong  career.     At   this 
session  no  law  of  a  general  useful  character  or  public 
interest  was  perfected,  unless  we  count  such  the 
turning  over  of  the  canal  to  Chicago  to  be  deepened. 
The  session  of  1867  was  still  more   productive  of 
private  and  special  acts.     Many  omnibus  bills  were 
proposed,  and  some  passed.    The  contests  over  the 
.ocation  of  the   Industrial  College,  the  Capital,  the 


Southern  Penitentiary,  and  the  canal  enlargement 
and  Illinois  River  improvement,  dominated  every- 
thing else. 

During  the  year  r872,  it  became  evident  that  if 
the  Republicans  could  re-elect  Mr.  Oglesby  to  the 
office  of  Governor,  they  could  also  elect  him  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  which  they  desired  to  do. 
Accordingly  they  re-nominated  him  for  the  Execu- 
tive chair,  and  placed  upon  the  ticket  with  him  for 
Lieutenant  Governor,  John  L.  Beveridge,  of  Cook 
County.  On  the  other  side  the  Democrats  put  into 
the  field  Gustavus  Koerner  for  Governor  and  John 
C.  Black  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The  election 
gave  the  Republican  ticket  majorities  ranging  from 
3S>334  to  56,174, — the  Democratic  defection  being 
caused  mainly  by  their  having  an  old-time  Whig  and 
Abolitionist,  Horace  Greeley,  on  the  national  ticket 
for  President.  According  to  the  general  understand- 
ing had  beforehand,  as  soon  as  the  Legislature  met 
it  elected  Gov.  Oglesby  to  the  United  States  Senate, 
whereupon  Mr.  Beveridge  became  Governor.  Sena- 
tor Oglesby 's  term  expired  March  4,  1879,  having 
served  his  party  faithfully  and  exhibited  an  order  of 
statesmanship  beyond  criticism. 

During  the  campaign  of  1884  Mr.  Oglesby  was 
nominated  for  a  "third  term"  as  Executive  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  against  Carter  H.  Harrison,  Mayor 
of  Chicago,  nominated  by  the  Democrats.  Both 
gentlemen  "  stumped  "  the  State,  and  while  the  peo- 
ple elected  a  Legislature  which  was  a  tie  on  a  join'; 
ballot,  as  between  the  two  parties,  they  gave  the 
jovial  "  Dick"  Oglesby  a  majority  of  15,018  for  Gov- 
ernor, and  he  was  inaugurated  Jan.  30,  1885.  The 
Legislature  did  not  fully  organize  until  this  date,  on 
account  of  its  equal  division  between  the  two  main 
parties  and  the  consequent  desperate  tactics  of  each 
party  to  checkmate  the  latter  in  the  organization  of 
the  House. 

Gov.  Oglesby  is  a  fine-appearing,  affable  man,  with 
regular,  well  defined  features  and  rotund  face.  In 
stature  he  is  a  little  above  medium  height,  of  a  large 
frame  and  somewhat  fleshy.  His  physical  appear- 
ance is  striking  and  prepossessing,  while  his  straight- 
out,  not  to  say  bluff,  manner  and  speech  are  well 
calculated  favorably  to  impress  the  average  masses. 
Ardent  in  feeling  and  strongly  committed  to  the  pol- 
icies of  his  party,  he  intensifies  Republicanism 
among  Republicans,  while  at  the  same  time  hisjovia. 
and  liberal  manner  prevents  those  of  the  opposite 
party  from  hating  him. 

He  is  quite  an  effective  stump  orator.  With  vehe- 
ment, passionate  and  scornful  tone  and  gestures, 
tremendous  physical  power,  which  in  speaking  he 
exercises  to  the  utmost;  with  frequent  descents  to 
the  grotesque;  and  with  abundant  homely  compari  • 
sons  or  frontier  figures,  expressed  in  the  broadest 
vernacular  and  enforced  with  stentorian  emphasis, 
he  delights  a  promiscuous  audience  beyond  measure 


LIBRARY" 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


107 


•„  ',  .  '.  •.  'i  ~.\  :  ',  .  vi  ^vv^ 


JOHN  M.  PALMER 


•>!• 


fcOHN  Me  AULEY  PALMER,  Gov- 
ernor 1869-72,  v/ns  born  on 
Eagle  Creek,  Scott  Co.,  Ky., 
Sept.  13,  1817.  During  his  in- 
fancy, his  father,  who  had  been 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  re- 
moved to  Christian  Co.,  Ky., 
where  lands  were  cheap.  Here 
the  future  Governor  of  the  great 
Prairie  State  spent  his  childhood 
and  received  such  meager  school- 
ing as  the  new  and  sparsely  set- 
tled country  afforded.  To  this 
he  added  materially  by  diligent 
reading,  for  which  he  evinced  an 
eaily  aptitude.  His  father,  an  ardent  Jackson  man, 
was  also  noted  for  his  anti-slavery  sentiments,  which 
he  thoroughly  impressed  upon  his  children.  In  1831 
he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Madison  County. 
Here  the  labor  of  improving  a  farm  was  pursued  for 
alxmt  two  years,  when  the  death  of  Mr.  Palmer's 
mother  broke  up  the  family.  About  this  time  Alton 
College  was  opened,  on  the  "manual  labor  "  system, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1834  young  Palmer,  with  his 
elder  brother,  Elihu,  entered  this  school  and  remained 
1 8  months.  Next,  for  over  three  years,  he  tried 
variously  coopering,  peddling  and  school-teaching. 

During   the   summer  of   1838  he  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  then  making  his 


first  canvass  for  Congress.  Young,  eloquent  and  in 
political  accord  with  Mr.  Palmer,  he  won  his  confi- 
dence, fired  his  ambition  and  fixed  his  purpose.  The 
following  winter,  while  teaching  near  Canton,  he  be- 
gan to  devote  his  spare  time  to  a  desultory  reading 
of  law,  and  in  the  spring  entered  a  law  office  at  Car- 
linville,  making  his  home  with  his  elder  brother, 
Elihu.  (The  latter  was  a  learned  clergy  man,  of  con- 
siderable orginality  of  thought  and  doctrine.)  On 
the  next  meeting  of  the  Supreme  Court  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar,  Douglas  being  one  of  his  examiners. 
He  was  not  immediately  successful  in  his  profession, 
and  would  have  located  elsewhere  than  Carlinville 
had  he  the  requisite  means.  Thus  his  early  poverty 
was  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  to  it  he  now  attributes 
the  success  of  his  life. 

From  1839  on,  while  he  diligently  pursued  his 
profession,  he  participated  more  or  less  in  local 
politics.  In  1843  he  became  Probate  Judge.  In 
1 847  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Constitutional  Ccn 
vention,  where  he  took  a  leading  part.  In  1852  IK 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  at  the  special 
session  of  February,  1854,  true  to  the  anti-slaver) 
sentiments  bred  in  him,  he  took  a  firm  stand  in  op- 
position  to  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise, 
and  when  the  Nebraska  question  became  a  part; 
issue  he  refused  to  receive  a  re-nomination  for  th< 
Senatorship  at  the  hands  of  the  Democracy,  issuini 
a  circular  to  that  effect.  A  few  weeks  afterward 


i68 


JOHN  MC  AULEY  PALMER. 


however,  hesitating  to  break  with  his  party,  he  par- 
ticipated in  a  Congressional  Convention  which  nomi- 
T.  L.  Harris  against  Richard  Yates,  and  which 
unqualifiedly  approved  the  principles  of  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  act.  But  later  in  the  campaign  he  made 
the  plunge,  ran  for  the  Senate  as  an  Anti-Nebraska 
Democrat,  and  was  elected.  The  following  winter 
ne  put  in  nomination  for  the  [United  States  Senate 
Mr.  Trumbull,  and  was  one  of  the  five  steadfast  men 
who  voted  for  him  until  all  the  Whigs  came  to  their 
support  and  elected  their  man. 

In  1856  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Republican  State 
Convention  at  Bloomington.  He  ran  for  Congress  in 
1859,  but  was  defeated.  In'  1860  he  was  Republican 
Presidential  Elector  for  the  State  at  large.  In  1861 
ne  was  appointed  one  of  the  five  Delegates  (all  Re- 
publicans) sent  by  Illinois  to  the  peace  congress  at 
Washington. 

When  the  civil  conflict  broke  out,  he  offered  his 
services  to  his  country,  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  the 
:4th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Island  No.  10;  at  Farmington,  where  he  skillfully 
extricated  his  command  from  a  dangerous  position  ; 
at  Stone  River,  where  his  division  for  several  hours, 
Dec.  31,  1862,  held  the  advance  and  stood  like  a 
rock,  and  for  his  gallantry  there  he  was  made  Major 
General;  at  Chickamauga,  where  his  and  Van  Cleve's 
divisions  for  two  hours  maintained  their  position 
when  they  were  cut  off  by  overpowering  numbers. 
Under  Gen.  Sherman,  he  was  assigned  to  the  i4th 
Army  Corps  and  participated  in  the  Atlanta  campaign. 
At  Peach-Tree  Creek  his  prudence  did  much  to  avert 
disaster.  In  February,  1865,  Gen.  Palmer  was  as- 
signed to  the  military  administration  of  Kentucky, 
which  was  a  delicate  post.  That  State  was  about 
half  rebel  and  half  Union,  and  those  of  the  latter 
element  were  daily  fretted  by  the  loss  of  their  slaves. 
He,  who  had  been  bred  to  the  rules  of  common  law, 
trembled  at  the  contemplation  of  his  extraordinary 
power  over  the  persons  and  property  of  his  fellow 
men,  with  which  he  was  vested  in  his  capacity  as 
military  Governor ;  and  he  exhibited  great  caution  in 
the  execution  of  the  duties  of  his  post. 

Gen.  Palmer  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Illi- 
nois by  the  Republican  State  Convention  which  met 
at  Peoria  May  6,  1868,  and  his  nomination  would 
probably  have  been  made  by  acclamation  had  he  not 
oersistently  declared  that  he  could  not  accept  a  can- 


didature for  the  office.  The  result  of  the  ensuing 
election  gave  Mr.  Palmer  a  majority  of  44,707  over 
John  R.  Eden,  the  Democratic  nominee. 

On  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  in  January, 
1869,  the  first  thing  to  arrest  public  attention  was 
that  portion  of  the  Governor's  message  which  took 
broad  Slate's  rights  ground.  This  and  some  minor 
points,  which  were  more  in  keeping  with  the  Demo- 
cratic sentiment,  constituted  the  entering  wedge  f  >r 
the  criticisms  and  reproofs  he  afterward  received 
from  the  Republican  party,  and  ultimately  resulted 
in  his  entire  aleniation  from  the  latter  element.  The 
Legislature  just  referred  to  was  noted  for  the  intro- 
duction of  numerous  bills  in  the  interest  of  private 
parties,  which  were  embarrassing  to  the  Governor. 
Among  the  public  acts  passed  was  that  which  limited 
railroad  charges  for  passenger  travel  to  a  maximum 
of  three  cents  per  mile ;  and  it  was  passed  over  the 
Governor's  veto.  Also,  they  passed,  over  his  veto, 
the  "tax-grabbing  law"  to  pay  Milroed  subscriptions, 
the  Chicago  Lake  Front  bill,  etc.  The  new  State 
Constitution  of  1870,  far  superior  to  the  old,  was  a 
peaceful  "  revolution"  which  took  place  during  Gov. 
Palmer's  term  of  office.  The  suffering  caused  by  the 
great  Chicago  Fire  of  October,  1871,  was  greatly 
alleviated  by  the  prompt  responses  of  his  excellency. 

Since  the  expiration  of  Gov.  Palmers 's  term,  he  has 
been  somewhat  prominent  in  Illinois  politics,  and 
has  been  talked  of  by  many,  especially  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  as  the  best  man  in  the  State  for  a 
United  States  Senator.  His  business  during  life  has 
been  that  of  the  law.  Few  excel  him  in  an  accurate 
appreciation  of  the  depth  and  scope  of  its  principles- 
The  great  number  of  his  able  veto  messages  abun- 
dantly testify  not  only  this  but  also  a  rare  capacity  to 
point  them  out.  He  is  a  logical  and  cogent  reasoner 
and  an  interesting,  forcible  and  convincing  speaker, 
though  not  fluent  or  ornate.  Without  brilliancy,  his 
dealings  are  rather  with  facts  and  ideas  than  with 
appeals  to  passions  and  prejudices.  He  is  a  patriot 
and  a  statesman  of  very  high  order.  Physically  he  is 
above  the  medium  height,  of  robust  frame,  ruddy 
complexion  and  sanguine-nervous  temperament.  He 
has  a  large  cranial  development,  is  vivacious,  social 
in  disposition,  easy  of  approach,  unostentatious  in  his 
habits  of  life,  democratic  in  his  habits  and  manners 
and  is  a  true  American  in  his  fundamental  principles 
of  statesmanship. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


GV  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


171 


OHN  LOWRiE  BEVER- 
IDGE, Governor  1 87  3-6,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wich, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
July  6,  1824.  His  parents 
were  George  and  Ann  Bever- 
idge. His  father's  parents,  An- 
drew and  Isabel  Beveridge,  be- 
fore their  marriage  emigrated 
from  Scotland  just  before  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  in 
Washington  County.  His  father 
was  the  eldest  of  eight  brothers,  the 
youngest  of  whom  was  60  years  of 
age  when  the  first  one  of  the  num- 
ber died.  His  mother's  parents, 
James  and  Agnes  Hoy,  emigrated 
from  Scotland  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  also  in 
Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  their 
first-born,  whose  "  native  land  "was 
the  wild  ocean.  His  parents  and 
grandparents  lived  beyond  the  time 
allotted  to  man,  their  average  age 
being  over  80  years.  They  belonged  to  the  "  Asso- 
ciate Church,"  a  seceding  Presbyterian  body  of 


America  from  the  old  Scotch  school ;  and  so  rig'd 
was  the  training  of  young  Beveridge  that  he  never 
heard  a  sermon  from  any  other  minister  except  that 
of  his  own  denomination  until  he  was  in  his  191)1 
year.  Later  in  life  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  relation  he  still 
holds. 

Mr.  Beveridge  received  a  good  common-school  ed- 
ucation, but  his  parents,  who  could  obtain  a  livelihood 
only  by  rigid  economy  and  industry,  could  not  send 
him  away  to  college.  He  was  raised  upon  a  farm, 
and  was  in  his  i8th  year  when  the  family  removed 
to  De  Kalb  County,  this  State,  when  that  section  was 
very  sparsely  settled.  Chicago  had  less  than  7,000 
inhabitants.  In  this  wild  West  he  continued  as  a 
farm  laborer,  teaching  school  during  the  winter 
months  to  supply  the  means  of  an  education.  In  the 
fall  of  1842  he  attended  one  term  at  the  academy  at 
Granville,  Putnam  Co.,  111.,  and  subsequently  several 
terms  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary  at  Mount  Morris, 
Ogle  Co.,  111.,  completing  the  academic  course.  At 
this  time,  the  fall  of  1845,  his  parents  and  brothers 
were  anxious  to  have  him  go  to  college,  even  though 
he  had  not  money  sufficient;  but,  n  A  willing  to  bur- 
den the  family,  he  packed  his  trunk  and  with  only 
$40  in  money  started  South  to  seek  his  fortune 


JOHN  L.  Kb  VERIDGE. 


Poor,  alone,  without  friends  and  influence,  he  thus 
entered  upon  the  battle  of  life. 

First,  he  taught  school  in  Wilson,  Overton  and 
Jackson  Cos.,  Tenn.,  in  which  experience  he  under- 
went considerable  mental  drill,  both  in  book  studies 
and  in  the  ways  of  the  world.  He  read  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar,  in  the  South,  but  did  not  learn 
to  love  the  institution  of  slavery,  although  he  ad- 
mired many  features  of  Southern  character.  In  De- 
cember, 1847,  he  returned  North,  and  Jan.  20,  1848, 
he  married  Miss  Helen  M.  Judson,  in  the  old  Clark- 
Street  M.  E.  church  in  Chicago,  her  father  at  that 
time  being  Pastor  of  the  society  there.  In  the  spring 
of  1848  he  returned  with  his  wife  to  Tennessee, 
where  his  two  children,  Alia  May  and  Philo  Judson, 
were  born. 

in  the  fall  of  1849,  through  the  mismanagement 
of  an  associate,  he  lost  what  little  he  had  accumu- 
lated and  was  left  in  debt.  He  soon  managed  to 
earn  means  to  pay  his  debts,  returned  to  De  Kalb 
Co.,  111.,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Sycamore,  the  county  seat.  On  arrival 
from  the  South  he  had  but  one-quarter  of  a  dollar  in 
money,  and  scanty  clothing  and  bedding  for  himself 
and  family.  He  borrowed  a  little  money,  practiced 
/aw,  worked  in  public  offices,  kept  books  for  some  of 
the  business  men  of  the  town,  and  some  railroad  en- 
gineering, till  the 'spring  of  1854,  when  he  removed 
to  Evanston,  1 2  miles  north  of  Chicago,  a  place  then 
but  recently  laid  out,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Northwestern  University,  a  Methodist  institution. 
Of  the  latter  his  father-in-law  was  then  financial 
agent  and  business  manager.  Here  Mr.  Beveridge 
prospered,  and  the  next  year  (1855)  opened  a  law 
office  in  Chicago,  where  he  found  the  battle  some- 
what hard;  but  he  persevered  with  encouragement 
and  increasing  success. 

Aug.  12,  1861,  his  law  partner,  Gen.  John  F. 
Farnsworth,  secured  authority  to  raise  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  and  authorized  Mr.  Beveridge  to  raise  a 
company  for  it.  He  succeeded  in  a  few  days  in  rais- 
ing the  company,  of  course  enlisting  himself  along 
with  it.  The  regiment  rendezvoused  at  St.  Charles, 
111.,  w.is  mustered  in  Sept.  18,  and  on  its  organiza- 
tion Mr.  B.  was  elected  Second  Major.  It  was  at- 
tached, Oct.  ir,  to  the  Eighth  Cavalry  and  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  served  with  the  regiment 
until  November,  1863,  participating  in  some  40  bat- 


tles and  skirmishes  :  was  at  Fair  Oaks,  the  seven  days 
fight  around  Richmond,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors- 
ville  and  Gettysburg.  He  commanded  the  regiment 
the  greater  part  of  the  summer  of  1 863,  and  it  was  while 
lying  in  camp  this  year  that  he  originated  the  policy 
of  encouraging  recruits  as  well  as  the  fighting  capac- 
ity of  the  soldiery,  by  the  wholesale  furlough  system 
It  worked  so  well  that  many  other  officers  adopted 
it.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  he  recruited  another  com- 
pany, against  heavy  odds,  in  January,  1864,  was 
commissioned  Colonel  of  the  i7th  111.  Cav.,  and 
skirmished  around  in  Missouri,  concluding  with  the 
reception  of  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Kirby  Smith's 
army  in  Arkansas.  In  1865  he  commanded  various 
sub-districts  in  the  Southwest.  He  was  mustered 
out  Feb.  6,  1866,  safe  from  the  casualties  of  war  and 
a  stouter  man  than  when  he  first  enlisted.  His  men 
idolized  him. 

He  then  returned  to  Chicago,  to  practice  law,  with 
no  library  and  no  clientage,  and  no  political  experi- 
ence except  to  help  others  into  office.  In  the  fall  of 
1866  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Cook  County,  serving 
one  term;  next,  until  November,  1870,  he  practiced 
law  and  closed  up  the  unfinished  business  of  his 
office.  He  was  then  elected  State  Senator;  in  No- 
vember, 1871,  he  was  elected  Congressman  at  large; 
in  November,  1872,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Oglesby;  the  latter  be- 
ing elected  to  the  U.  S.  Senate,  Mr.  Beveridge  became 
Governor,  Jan.  21,  1873  Thus,  inside  of  a  few 
weeks,  he  was  Congressman  at  large,  Lieutenant 
Governor  and  Governor.  The  principal  events  oc- 
curring during  Gov.  Beveridge's  administration  were: 
The  completion  of  the  revision  of  the  statutes,  begun 
in  1869;  the  partial  success  of  the  "farmers'  move- 
ment;" "Haines"  Legislature  "  and  Illinois'  exhibit  at 
the  Centennial. 

Since  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term  ex-Gov. 
Beveridge  has  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bever- 
idge &  Dewey,  bankers  and  dealers  in  commercial 
paper  at  7 1  Dearborn  Street  (McCormick  Block), 
Chicago,  and  since  November,  1881.,  he  has  also  been 
Assistant  United  States  Treasurer-  office  in  the 
Government  Building.  His  residence  is  still  at  Ev- 
anston. 

He  has  a  brother  and  two  sisters  yet  residing  in 
De  Kalb  County — James  H.  Beveridge,  Mrs.  J«nn«t 
Henry  and  Mrs.  Isabel  French. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


175 


HELBY  M.  CULLOM,  Gover- 
nor 1877-83,  is  the  sixth  child 
of  the  late  Richard  N.  Cullom, 
and  was  born  Nov.  22,  1829,111 
Wayne  Co.,  Ky.,  where  his  fa- 
ther then  resided,  and  whence 
both  the  Illinois  and  Tennessee 
branches  of  the  family  originated.  In 
the  following  year  the  family  emi- 
grated to  the  vicinity  of  Washington, 
Tazewell  Co.,  111.,  when  that  section 
was  very  sparsely  settled.  They  lo- 
cated on  Deer  Creek,  in  a  grove  at 
the  time  occupied  by  a  party  of  In- 
dians, attracted  there  by  the  superior 
hunting  and  fishing  afforded  in  that 
vicinity.  The  following  winter  was 
known  as  the  "  hard  winter,"  the  snow  'being  very 
deep  and  lasting  and  the  weather  severely  cold;  and 
the  family  had  to  subsist  mainly  on  boiled  corn  or 
hominy,  and  some  wild  game,  for  several  weeks.  In 
the  course  of  time  Mr.  R.  N.  Cullom  became  a  prom- 
inent citizen  and  was  several  times  elected  to  the 
Legislature,  both  before  and  after  the  removal  of  the 
capital  from  Vandalia  to  Springfield.  He  died  about 
'873- 

Until  about  19  years  of  age  young  Cullom  grew  up 

to  agricultural  pursuits,  attending  school  as  he  had 

'•pportunity  during   the   winter.     Within   this   time, 

swever,  he  spent  several  months  teachin<*  school. 


and  in  the  following  summer  he  "  broke  prairie  "  with 
an  ox  team  for  the  neighbors.  With  the  money  ob- 
tained by  these  various  ventures,  he  undertook  a 
course  of  study  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary,  a 
Methodist  institution  at  Mt.  Morris,  Ogle  County: 
but  the  sudden  change  to  the  in-door  life  of  a  stu- 
dent told  severely  upon  his  health,  and  he  was  taken 
home,  being  considered  in  a  hopeless  condition.  While 
at  Mt.  Morris  he  heard  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburne  make 
his  first  speech. 

On  recovering  health,  Mr.  Cullom  concluded  to 
study  law,  under  the  instruction  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
at  Springfield,  who  had  by  this  time  attained  some 
notoriety  as  an  able  lawyer ;  but  the  latter,  being  ab- 
sent from 'his  office  most  of  the  time,  advised  Mr. 
Cullom  to  enter  the  office  of  Stuart  &  Edwards. 
After  about  a  year  of  study  there,  however,  his  health 
failed  again,  and  .he  was  obliged  to  return  once  more 
to  out-door  life.  Accordingly  he  bought  hogs  for 
packing,  for  A.  G.  Tyng,  in  Peoria,  and  while  he  re- 
gained his  health  he  gained  in  purse,  netting  $400  in 
a  few  weeks.  Having  been  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he 
went  to  Springfield,  where  he  was  soon  elected  City 
Attorney,  on  the  Anti-Nebraska  ticket. 

In  1856  he  ran  on  the  Fillmore  ticket  as  a  Presi- 
dential Elector,  and,  although  failing  to  be  elected  as 
such,  he  was  at  the  same  time  elected  a  Representa- 
tive in  the  Legislature  from  Sangamon  County,  by  a 
local  coalition  of  the  American  and  Republican  par- 
ties. On  the  organization  of  the  House,  he  received 
the  vote  of  the  Fillmore  men  for  Speaker.  Practicing 


SHELB  Y  M.    CULLOM. 


law  until  1860,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, as  a  Republican,  while  the  county  went  Demo- 
cratic on  the  Presidential  ticket.  In  January  follow- 
ing he  was  elected  Speaker,  probably  the  youngest 
man  who  had  ever  presided  over  an  Illinois  Legis- 
lature. After  the  session  of  1 86 1,  he  was  a  candidate 
for  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  called  for 
that  year,  but  was  defeated,  and  thus  escaped  the 
disgrace  of  being  connected  with  that  abortive  party 
scheme  to  revolutionize  the  State  Government.  In 
1862  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  but 
was  defeated.  The  same  year,  however,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Lincoln  on  a  Government 
Commission,  in  company  with  Gov.  Boutwell  of 
Massachusetts  and  Cnarles  A.  Dana,  since  of  the 
New  York  Sun,  to  investigate  the  affairs  of  the 
Quartermaster's  and  Commissary  Departments  at 
Cairo.  He  devoted  several  months  to  this  duty. 

In  1864  he  entered  upon  a  larger  political  field, 
being  nominated  as  the  Republican  candidate  for 
Congress  from  the  Eighth  (Springfield)  District,  in 
opposition  to  the  incumbent,  John  T.  Stuart,  who  had 
been  elected  in  1862  by  about  1,500  majority  over 
Leonard  Swett,  then  of  Bloomington,  now  of  Chicago. 
The  result  was  the  election  of  Mr.  Cullom  in  Novem- 
ber following  by  a  majority  of  1,785.  In  1866  he 
was  re-elected  to  Congress,  over  Dr.  E.  S.  Fowler,  by 
the  magnificent  majority  of  4,103!  In  1868  he  was 
again  a  candidate,  defeating  the  Hon.  B.  S.  Edwards, 
another  of  his  old  preceptors,  by  2,884  votes. 

During  his  first  term  in  Congress  he  served  on  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  Expenditures  in 
the  Treasury  Department;  in  his  second  term,  on 
the  Committees  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  on  Territories ; 
arid  in  his  third  term  he  succeeded  Mr.  Ashley,  of 
Ohio,  to  the  Chairmanship  of  the  latter.  He  intro- 
duced a  bill  in  the  House,  to  aid  in  the  execution  of 
law  in  Utah,  which  caused  more  consternation  among 
the  Mormons  than  any  measure  had  previously,  but 
which,  though  it  passed  the  House,  failed  to  pass  the 
Senate. 

The  Republican  Convention  which  met  May  25, 
1876,  nominated  Mr.  Cullom  for  Governor,  while  the 
other  contestant  was  Gov.  Beveridge.  For  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor  they  nominated  Andrew  Shuman,  editor 
of  the  Chicago  Journal.  For  the  same  offices  the 
Democrats,  combining  with  the  Anti-Monopolists, 
placed  in  nomination  Lewis  Steward,  a  wealthy 


farmer  and  manufacturer,  and  A.  A.  Glenn.  The 
result  of  the  election  was  rather  close,  Mr.  Cullom 
obtaining  only  6,800  majority.  He  was  inaugurated 
Jan.  8,  1877. 

Great  depression  prevailed  in  financial  circles  at 
this  time,  as  a  consequence  of  the  heavy  failures  of 
1873  and  afterward,  the  effect  of  which  had  seemed 
to  gather  force  from  that  time  to  the  end  of  Gov. 
Cullom's  first  administration.  This  unspeculative 
period  was  not  calculated  to  call  forth  any  new 
issues,  but  the  Governor's  energies  were  at  one  time 
put  to  task  to  quell  a  spirit  of  insubordination  that 
had  been  begun  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  among  the  laboring 
classes,  and  transferred  to  Illinois  at  Chicago,  East 
St.  Louis  and  Braidwood,  at  which  places  laboring 
men  for  a  short  time  refused  to  work  or  allow  others 
to  work.  These  disturbances  were  soon  quelled  and 
the  wheels  of  industry  again  set  in  motion. 

In  May,  1880,  Gov.  Cullom  was  re-nominated  by 
the  Republicans,  against  Lyman  Trumbull,  by  the 
Democrats;  and  although  the  former  party  was  some- 
what handicapped  in  the  campaign  by  a  zealous 
faction  opposed  to  Grant  for  President  and  to  Grant 
men  for  office  generally,  Mr.  Cullom  was  re-elected 
by  about  3^,565,  to  277,532  for  the  Democratic  State 
ticket.  The  Greenback  vote  at  the  same  time  was 
about  27,000.  Both  Houses  of  the  Legislature  again 
became  Republican,  and  no  representative  of  the 
Greenback  or  Socialist  parties  were  elected.  Gov. 
Cullom  was  inaugurated  Jan.  10,  iS8r.  In  his  mes- 
sage he  announced  that  the  last  dollar  of  the  State 
debt  had  been  provided  for. 

March  4,  1883,  the  term  of  David  Davis  as  United 
States  Senator  from  Illinois  expired,  and  Gov.  Cul- 
lo  n  was  chosen  to  succeed  him.  This  promoted 
Lisutenant-Governor  John  M.  Hamilton  to  the  Gov- 
ernorship. Senator  Cullom's  term  in  the  United 
St.-ites  Senate  will  expire  March  4,  1889. 

A.S  a  practitioner  of  law  Mr.  C.  has  been  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Cullom,  Scholes  &  Mather,  at  Spring- 
field ;  and  he  has  also  been  President  of  the  State 
National  Bank. 

He  has  been  married  twice, — the  first  time  Dec. 
ii!,  1855,  to  Miss  Hannah  Fisher,  by  whom  he  had 
trfo  daughters;  and  the  second  time  May  5,  1863, 
to  Julia  Fisher.  Mrs.  C  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
isl  Episcopal  Church,  with  which  religious  body  Mr. 
C.  is  also  in  sympathy. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


179 


OHN  MARSHALL  HAMIL- 
TON, Governor  1883-5,  was 
born  May  28,  1847,  in  a  log 
house  upon  a  farm  about  two 
miles  from  Richvvood,  Union 
County,  Ohio.  His  father  was 
Samuel  Hamilton,  the  eldest  son 
of  Rev.  Wm.  Hamilton,  who,  to- 
gether with  his  brother,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Hamilton,  was  among  the 
early  pioneer  Methodist  preachers  in 
Ohio.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was,  before  her  marriage, 
Mrs.  Nancy  McMorris,  who  was 
born  and  raised  in  Fauquier  or  Lou- 
doun  County,  Va.,  and  related  to  the 
two  large  families  of  Youngs  and  Marshalls,  well 
known  in  that  commonwealth ;  and  from  the  latter 
family  name  was  derived  the  middle  name  of  Gov. 
Hamilton. 

In  March,  1854,  Mr.  Hamilton's  father  sold  out 
his  little  pioneer  forest  home  in  Union  County,  O., 
and,  loading  his  few  household  effects  and  family 
(of  six  children)  into  two  emigrant  covered  wagons, 
moved  to  Roberts  Township,  Marshall  Co.,  111.,  being 
2 1  days  on  the  route.  Swamps,  unbridged  streams 
and  innumerable  hardships  and  privations  met  them 
on  their  way.  Their  new  home  had  been  previously 
selected  by  the  father.  Here,  after  many  long  years 
of  toil,  they  succeeded  in  paying  for  the  land  and 
taking  a  comfortable  home.  John  was,  of  course, 


brought  up  to  hard  manual  labor,  with  no  schooling 
except  three  or  four  months  in  the  year  at  a  common 
country  school.  However,  he  evinced  a  capacity 
and  taste  for  a  high  order  of  self-education,  by 
studying  or  reading  what  books  he  could  borrow,  as 
the  family  had  but  very  few  in  the  house.  Much  of 
his  study  he  prosecuted  by  the  light  of  a  log  fire  in 
the  old-fashioned  chimney  place.  The  financial 
panic  of  1857  caused  the  family  to  come  near  losing 
their  home,  to  pay  debts ;  but  the  father  and  two 
sons,  William  and  John,  "buckled  to''  and  perse- 
vered in  hard  labor  and  economy  until  they  redeemed 
their  place  from  the  mortgage. 

When  the  tremendous  excitement  of  the  political 
campaign  of  1860  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Rob- 
erts Township,  young  Hamilton,  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  took  a  zeal- 
ous part  in  favor  of  Lincoln's  election.  Making  special 
efforts  to  procure  a  little  money  to  buy  a  uniform,  he 
joined  a  company  of  Lincoln  Wide-Awakes  at  Mag- 
nolia, a  village  not  far  away.  Directly  after  the 
ensuing  election  it  became  evident  that  trouble 
would  ensue  with  the  South,  and  this  Wide-Awake 
company,  like  many  others  throughout  the  country, 
kept  up  its  organization  and  transformed  itself  into  a 
military  company.  During  the  ensuing  summer  they 
met  often  for  drill  and  became  proficient ;  but  when 
they  offered  themselves  for  the  v/ar,  young  Hamilton 
was  rejected  on  account  of  his  youth,  he  being  then 
but  14  years  of  age.  During  the  winter  of  1863-4  he 
attended  an  academy  at  Henry,  Marshall  County, 


r8o 


JOHN  MARSHALL  HAMILTON. 


and  in  the  following  May  he  again  enlisted,  for  the 
fourth  time,  when  he  was  placed  in  the  141x1  111. 
Vol.  Inf.,  a  regiment  then  being  raised  at  Elgin,  111., 
for  the  loo-day  service.  He  took  with  him  1 3  other 
lads  from  his  neighborhood,  for  enlistment  in  the 
service.  This  regiment  operated  in  Southwestern 
Kentucky,  for  about  five  months,  under  Gen.  Paine. 

The  following  winter,  1864-5,  Mr.  Hamilton  taught 
school,  and  during  the  two  college  years  1865-7,  he 
went  through  three  years  of  the  curriculum  of  the 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware,  Ohio.  The 
third  year  he  graduated,  the  fourth  in  a  class  of  46, 
in  the  classical  department.  In  due  time  he  received 
the  degree  of  M.  A.  For  a  few  months  he  was  the 
Principal  of  Marshall  "  College  "  at  Henry,  an  acad- 
emy under  the  auspices  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  By 
this  lime  he  had  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and 
after  earning  some  money  as  a  temporary  Professor 
of  Latin  at  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University  at 
B'.oomington,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Weldon, 
Tipton  &  Benjamin,  of  that  city.  Each  member  of 
this  firm  has  since  been  distinguished  as  a  Judge. 
Admitted  to  the  Bar  in  May,  1870,  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  given  an  interest  in  the  same  firm,  Tipton  hav- 
ing been  elected  Judge.  In  October  following  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H.  Rowell,  at  that  time 
Prosecuting  Attorney.  Their  business  was  then 
small,  but  they  increased  it  to  very  large  proportions, 
practicing  in  all  grades  of  courts,  including  even  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  and  this  partnership  continued 
unbroken  until  Feb.  6,  1883,  when  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  sworn  in  as  Executive  of  Illinois.  On  the  4th 
of  March  following  Mr.  Rowell  took  his  seat  in  Con- 
gress. 

In  July,  1871,  Mr.  Hamilton  married  Miss  Helen 
M.  Williams,  the  daughter  of  Prof.  Wm.  G.  Williams, 
Professor  of  Greek  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  have  two  daughters  and  one  son. 

In  1876  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  by  the  Re- 
publicans for  the  State  Senate,  over  other  and  older 
competitors.  He  took  an  active  pait  "  on  the  stump  " 
in  the  campaign,  for  the  success  of  his  party,  and  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  1,640  over  his  Democratic- 
Greenback  opponent.  In  the  Senate  he  served  on 
the  Committees  on  Judiciary,  Revenue,  State  Insti- 
tutions, Appropriations,  Education,  and  on  Miscel- 
lany ;  and  during  the  contest  for  the  election  of  a 
U,  S.  Senator,  the  Republicans  endeavoring  to  re- 


elect  John  A.  Logan,  he  voted  for  the  war  chief  on 
every  ballot,  even  alone  when  all  the  other  Republi- 
cans had  gone  over  to  the  Hon.  E.  B.  Lawrence  and 
the  Democrats  and  Independents  elected  Judge 
David  Davis.  At  this  session,  also,  was  passed  the 
first  Board  of  Health  and  Medical  Practice  act,  of 
which  Mr.  Hamilton  was  a  champion,  against  ca 
much  opposition  that  the  bill  was  several  times 
"  laid  on  the  table."  Also,  this  session  authorized 
the  location  and  establishment  of  a  southern  peni- 
tentiary, which  was  fixed  at  Chester.  In  the  session 
of  1879  Mr.  Hamilton  was  elected  President  fro  tern. 
of  the  Senate,  and  was  a  zealous  supporter  of  John 
A.  Logan  for  the  U.  S.  Senate,  who  was  this  time 
elected  without  any  trouble. 

In  May,  1880,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  on 
the  Republican  ticket  for  Lieutenant  Governor,  his 
principal  competitors  before  the  Convention  being 
Hon.  Wm.  A.  James,  ex-Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  Judge  Robert  Bell,  of  wabash 
County,  Hon.  T.  T.  Fountain,  of  Perry  County,  and 
Hon.  M.  M.  Saddler,  of  Marion  County.  He  engaged 
actively  in  the  campaign,  and  his  ticket  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  41,200.  As  Lieutenant  Governor, 
he  presided  almost  continuously  over  the  Senate  in 
the  32d  General  Assembly  and  during  the  early  days 
of  the  33d,  until  he  succeeded  to  the  Governorship. 
When  the  Legislature  of  1883  elected  Gov.  Cullom 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  Lieut.  Gov.  Hamilton 
succeeded  him,  under  the  Constitution,  taking  the 
oath  of  office  Feb.  6,  1883.  He  bravely  met  all  the 
annoyances  and  embarrassments  incidental  upon 
taking  up  another's  administration.  The  principal 
events  with  which  Gov.  Hamilton  was  connected  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  the  State  were,  the  mine  dis- 
aster at  Braidwood,  the  riots  in  St.  Clairand  Madison 
Counties  in  May,  1883,  the  appropriations  for  the 
State  militia,  the  adoption  of  the  Harper  high-license 
liquor  law,  the  veto  of  a  dangerous  railroad  bill,  etc. 

The  Governor  was  a  Delegate  at  large  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in  June, 

1884,  where  his  first  choice  for  President  was  John 
A.  Logan,  and  second  choice  Chester  A.  Arthur;  but 
he  afterward  zealously  worked  for  the  election  of  Mr. 
Elaine,  true  to  his  party. 

Mr.  Hamilton's  term  as  Governor  expired  Jan.  30, 

1885,  when  the  great  favorite  "Dick"  Oglesby  was 
inaugurated. 


LIBRARY 

UNWERSnY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


_ 


' 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


183 


OSEPH  WILSON  FIFER.  This 
distinguished  gentleman  was 
elected  Governor  of  Illinois 
November  6,  1888.  He  was 
popularly  known  during  the 
campaign  as  "Private  Joe. ' '  He 
had  served  with  great  devotion 
to  his  country  during  the  Re- 
bellion, in  the  Thirty-third 
Illinois  Infantry.  A  native  of 
Virginia,  he  was  born  in  1840. 
His  parents,  John  and  Mary 
(Daniels)  Fifer,  were  American 
born,  though  of  German  de- 
scent. His  father  was  a  brick 
and  stone  mason,  and  an  old 
Henry  Clay  Whig  in  politics.  John  and  Mary 
Fifer  had  nine  children,  of  whom  Joseph  was  the 
sixth,  and  naturally,  with  so  large  a  family,  it  was 
all  the  father  could  do  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the 
door,  to  say  nothing  of  giving  his  children  any- 
thing like  good  educational  advantages. 

Joseph  attended  school  for  a  while  in  Virgina, 
but  it  was  not  a  good  school,  and  when  his  father 
removed  to  the  West,  in  1857,  Joseph  had  not  ad- 
vanced much  further  than  the  "First  Reader." 
Our  subject  was  sixteen  then  and  suffered  a  great 
misfortune  in  the  loss  of  his  mother.  After  the 


death  of  Mrs.  Fifer,  which  occurred  in  Missouri, 
the  family  returned  to  Virgina,  but  remained  only 
a  short  time,  as  during  the  same  year  Mr.  Fifer 
came  to  Illinois.  He  settled  in  McLean  County 
and  started  a  brickyard.  Here  Joseph  and  his 
brothers  were  put  to  work.  The  elder  Mr.  Fifer  soon 
bought  a  farm  near  Bloomington  and  began  life 
as  an  agriculturist.  Here  Joe  worked  and  attended 
the  neighboring  school.  He  alternated  farm- work, 
and  brick-laying,  going  to  the  district  school  for 
the  succeeding  few  years.  It  was  all  work  and  no 
play  for  Joe,  yet  it  by  no  means  made  a  dull  boy 
of  him.  All  the  time  he  was  thinking  of  the  great 
world  outside,  of  which  he  had  caught  a  glimpse 
when  coming  from  Virginia,  yet  he  did  not  know 
just  how  he  was  going  to  get  out  into  it.  He 
could  not  feel  that  the  woods  around  the  new  farm 
and  the  log  cabin,  in  which  the  family  lived,  were 
to  hold  him. 

The  opportunity  to  get  out  into  the  world  was 
soon  offered  to  young  Joe.  He  traveled  a  dozen 
miles  barefoot,  in  company  with  his  brother  George, 
and  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Thirty-third  Illinois 
Infantry,  he  being  then  twenty  years  old.  In  a 
few  days,  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Camp  Butler, 
and  then  over  into  Missouri,  and  saw  some  vigor- 
ous service  there.  After  a  second  time  helping  to 
chase  Price  out  of  Missouri,  the  Thirty-third  Regi- 


184 


JOSEPH  W.  FIFER. 


ment  went  down  to  Milliken's  Bend,  and  for  several 
weeks  "Private  Joe"  worked  on  Grant's  famous 
ditch.  The  regiment  then  joined  the  forces  oper- 
ating against  Port  Gibson  and  Vickshurg.  Joe 
was  on  guard  duty  in  the  front  ditches  when  the 
flag  of  surrender  was  run  up  on  the  4th  of  July, 
and  stuck  the  bayonet  of  his  gun  into  the  embank- 
ment and  went  into  the  city  with  the  vanguard  of 
Union  soldiers. 

The  next  day,  July  5,  the  Thirty-third  joined 
the  force  after  Johnston,  who  had  been  threatening 
Grant's  rear;  and  finally  an  assault  was  made  on  him 
at  Jackson,  Miss.  In  this  charge  "Private  Joe"  fell, 
terribly  wounded.  He  was  loading  his  gun,  when 
a  minie-ball  struck  him  and  passed  entirely 
through  his  body.  He  was  regarded  as  mortally 
wounded.  His  brother,  George,  who  had  been 
made  a  Lieutenant,  proved  to  be  the  means  of  sav- 
ing his  life.  The  Surgeon  told  him  that  unless  he 
had  ice  his  brother  could  not  live.  It  was  fifty  miles 
to  the  nearest  point  where  ice  could  be  obtained, 
and  the  roads  were  rough.  A  comrade^  a  McLean 
County  man,  who  had  been  wounded,  offered  to 
make  the  trip.  An  ambulance  was  secured  and 
the  brother  soldier  started  on  the  journey.  He  re- 
turned with  the  ice,  but  the  trip,  owing  to  the 
roughness  of  the  road,  was  very  hard  on  him.  Af- 
ter a  few  months'  careful  nursing,  Mr.  Fifer  was  able 
to  come  home.  The  Thirty-third  came  home  on  a 
furlough,  and  when  the  boys  were  ready  to  return 
to  the  tented  field,  young  Fifer  was  ready  to  go 
with  them,  for  he  was  determined  to  finish  his 
term  of  three  years.  He  was  mustered  out  in  Oct- 
ober, 1864,  having  been  in  the  service  three  years 
and  two  months. 

"Private  Joe"  came  out  of  the  army  a  tall,  tan- 
ned, and  awkward  young  man  of  twenty-four. 
About  all  he  possessed  was  ambition  to  be  some- 
body— and  pluck.  Though  at  an  age  when  most 
men  have  finished  their  college  course,  the  young 
soldier  saw  that  if  he  was  to  be  anybody  he  must 
have  an  education.  Yet  he  had  no  means  to  ena- 
ble him  to  enter  school  as  most  young  men  do. 
lie  was  determined  to  have  an  education,  however, 
and  that  to  him  meant  success.  For  the  following 
four  years  he  struggled  with  his  books.  He  en- 


tered Wesleyan  University  January  1,  1865.  He 
was  not  a  brilliant  student,  being  neither  at  the 
head  nor  at  the  foot  of  his  class.  He  was  in  great 
earnest,  however,  studied  hard  and  came  forth  with 
a  well-stored  and  disciplined  mind. 

Immediately  after  being  graduated,  he  entered 
an  office  at  Bloomington  as  a  law  student.  He 
had  previously  read  law  a  little,  and  as  he  continued 
to  work  hard,  with  the  spur  of  poverty  and  prompt- 
ings of  ambition  ever  with  him,  he  was  ready  to 
hang  out  his  professional  shingle  in  1869.  Being 
trustworthy,  he  soon  gathered  about  him  some  in- 
fluential friends.  In  1871  he  was  elected  Corpora- 
tion Counsel  of  Bloomington.  In  1872  he  was 
elected  State's  Attorney  of  McLean  County.  This 
office  he  held  eight  years,  when  he  took  his  seat  in 
the  State  Senate.  He  served  for  four  years.  His 
ability  to  perform  abundance  of  hard  work  made 
him  a  most  valued  member  of  the  Legislature. 

Mr.  Fifer  was  married  in  1870  to  Gertie,  daugh- 
ter of  William  J.  Lewis,  of  Bloomington.  Mr.  Fifer 
is  six  feet  in  height  and  is  spare,  weighing  only  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  He  has  a  swarthy  com- 
plexion, keen  black  eyes,  quick  movement,  and  pos- 
sesses a  frank  and  sympathetic  nature,  and  natur- 
lly  makes  friends  wherever  he  goes.  During  the 
late  gubernatorial  campaign  his  visits  throughout 
the  State  proved  a  great  power  in  his  behalf.  His 
faculty  of  winning  the  confidence  and  good  wishes 
of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  personal  contact 
is  a  source  of  great  popularity,  especially  during  a 
political  battle.  As  a  speaker  he  is  fluent,  his  lan- 
guage is  good,  voice  clear  and  agreeable,  and  man- 
ner forcible.  His  manifest  earnestness  in  what  he 
says,  as  well  as  his  tact  as  a  public  speaker,  and  his 
eloquent  and  forceful  language,  make  him  a  most 
valuable  campaign  orator  and  a  powerful  pleader 
at  the  bar.  At  the  Republican  State  Convention, 
held  in  May,  1888,  Mr.  Fifer  was  chosen  as  its 
candidate  for  Governor.  lie  proved  a  popular 
nominee,  and  the  name  of  "Private  Joe"  became 
familiar  to  everyone  throughout  the  State.  He 
waged  a  vigorous  campaign,  was  elected  b3'  a  good 
majority,  and  in  due  time  assumed  the  duties  of 
the  Chief  Executive  of  Illinois. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
UR6ANA 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


187 


fllfeeld. 


f5OHN  P.  ALTGELD,  the  present 
Governor  of  Illinois,  is  a  native 
of  Prussia,  born  in  1848.  Shortly 
after  his  birth  his  parents  emi- 
grated to  'America,  locating  on 
a  farm  near  Mansfield,  Ohio. 
When  but  a  mere  lad,  young 
Altgeld  had  to  walk  from  the 
farm  to  Mansfield  with  butter, 
eggs  and  garden  produce,  which 
he  peddled  from  house  to  house. 
About  1856,  his  parents  moved 
to  the  city  of  Mansfield,  and  for 
a  time  our  subject  was  engaged 
morning  and  evening  in  driv- 
ing cattle  to  and  from  the  pas- 
ture, a  distance  of  eight  miles.  When  fourteen 
years  of  age  he  hired  out  as  a  farm  hand,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  avocation  the  greater*  part  of  his 
time  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
fourth  Ohio  Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  On  being  mustered  in,  the  regiment  was 
sent  to  Washington  and  was  actively  engaged  in 
the  various  campaigns  in  and  around  that  city 
until  the  surrender  of  Lee.  In  the  fall  of  1864, 
young  Altgeld  was  taken  sick,  while  with  his  regi- 
ment in  the  front,  and  the  surgeon  desired  to  send 
him  to  a  hospital  in  Washington ;  but  he  asked  to 


be  allowed  to  remain  with  the  regiment,.and  soon 
recovering  from  his  sickness  was  actively  engaged 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  mustered  out 
at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  the  spring  of  1865.  The 
succeeding  summer  he  worked  with  his  father  on 
a  farm,  during  which  time  he  became  connected 
with  the  Sunday-school  and  was  given  charge  of 
the  Bible  class.  Before  entering  the  army  he  had 
but  very  limited  educational  advantages,  having 
attended  school  but  a  part  of  two  summers  and 
one  winter.  He  had  at  home,  however,  studied 
the  German  language  and  had  become  familiar 
with  some  German  authors.  Determining  to  fit 
himself  for  a  useful  life,  he  resolved  to  attend  a 
select  school  at  Lexington,  Ohio,  and  in  a  little 
eight-by-ten  room,  meagrely  furnished,  he  kept 
"bachelor's  hall,"  and  in  time  was  so  far  advanced 
that  he  secured  a  certificate  as  teacher,  and  for 
two  years  was  engaged  in  that  profession.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  left  home  and  traveled  exten- 
sively over  the  country,  working  at  odd  jobs,  un- 
til he  finally  reached  Savannah,  Mo.,  where  he  en- 
tered a  law  office,  and  in  1870  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar.  In  the  fall  of  1872,  he  ran  as  i^rosecuting 
Attorney  for  Andrews  County,  Mo.,  and  was  de- 
feated by  four  votes.  He  ran  again  in  1874  and 
was  elected.  But  life  in  the  small  town  of  Savan- 
nah was  a  little  too  monotonous  for  him,  and  he 
determined  to  locate  in  Chicago.  In  October, 


188 


JOHN  P.  ALTGELD. 


1875,  be  resigned  the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attor- 
ney, moved  to  Chicago,  and  at  once  commenced 
the  practice  of  law.  For  some  years  after  he  had 
but  little  to  do  with  politics,  confining  himself  to 
his  practice  and  dealing  in  real  estate.  One  year 
after  his  arrival  in  Chicago  he  found  himself  with- 
out a  dollar,  and  in  debt  some  $400.  By  a  streak  of 
good  luck,  as  it  might  be  termed,  he  won  a  case  in 
court,  from  which  he  received  a  fee  of  $900,  and 
after  paying  his  debt  he  had  $500  left,  which  he 
invested  in  real  estate.  This  venture  proved  a 
successful  one,  and  from  that  time  on  the  profits 
of  one  transaction  were  invested  in  others,  and 
to-day  he  is  numbered  among  the  millionaire  resi- 
dents of  the  great  metropolis  of  the  West. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Altgeld  was  nominated  for  Con- 
gress, but  was  defeated  by  three  thousand  votes. 
In  1886,  he  was  nominated  and  elected  Judge  of 
the  Superior  Court  of  Cook  County.  His  services 
as  Judge  were  such  as  to  commend  him  to  the  peo- 
ple. Early  in  the  year  1892,  by  the  solicitation  of 


many  friends,  he  announced  himself  as  a  candi- 
date for  Governor.  At  the  convention  held 
April  27,  he  received  the  nomination  and  at  once 
entered  upon  an  active  canvass.  Alone,  he  traveled 
all  over  the  en  tire  State,  and  visited  and  consulted 
with  the  leading  politicians  of  every  section.  He 
made  few  public  speeches,  however,  until  near  the 
close  of  the  campaign,  but  it  was  very  evident  that 
he  was  master  of  the  situation  at  all  times.  When 
the  votes  were  counted  at  the  close  of  election 
day,  it  was  found  that  he  had  a  majority  of  the 
votes,  and  so  became  the  first  Democratic  Governor 
of  Illinois  since  1856. 

Born  in  poverty,  alone,  single-handed  and  un- 
aided, he  faced  the  world,  and  with  a  determina- 
tion to  succeed,  he  pressed  forward,  until  to-day  he 
has  a  National  reputation,  and  is  the  envied  of 
many.  The  lesson  of  his  life  is  worthy  of  careful 
study  by  the  young,  and  shows  what  can  be  done 
by  one  who  has  the  desire  in  his  heart  to  attain  a 
front  rank  among  the  noted  inen  of  the  country. 


MACON  COUNTY, 


ILLINOIS. 


4 — -gf-    r"7    •          - 

k> 


INTRODUCTORY. 


HE  time  has  arrived  when  it 
becomes  the  duty  of  the 
people  of  this  county  to  per- 
petuate the  names  of  their 
pioneers,  to  furnish  a  record 
of  their  early  settlement, 
and  relate  the  story  of  their 
progress.  The  civilization  of  our 
day,  the  enlightenment  of  the  age 
and  the  duty  that  men  of  the  pres- 
ent time  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to 
themselves  and  to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives 
and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  bio- 
graphical history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to 
enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and 
to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a 
«afe  vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the 
people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  country  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly 
the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  prime  entered 
the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their 
heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves.  The  number  re- 
maining who  can  relate  the  incidents  of  the  first  days 
jf  settlement  is  becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an 
actual  necessity  exists  for  the  collection  and  preser- 
vation of  events  without  delay,  before  all  the  early 
settlers  are  cut  down  by  the  scythe  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of  mankind 
from  remotest  ages.  All  will  be  forgotten  soon  enough, 
in  spite  of  their  best  works  and  the  most  earnest 
efforts  of  their  friends  to  perserve  the  memory  of 
their  lives.  The  means  employed  to  prevent  oblivion 
and  to  perpetuate  their  memory  has  been  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  of  intelligence  they  possessed. 
Tin  pyramids  of  Egypt  were  built  to  perpetuate  the 
names  and  deeds  of  their  great  rulers.  The  exhu- 
mations made  by  the  archeologists  of  Egypt  from 
buried  Memphis  indicate  a  desire  of  those  people 


to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  achievements 
The  erection  of  the  great  obelisks  were  for  the  same 
purpose.  Coming  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  tht 
Greeks  and  Romans  erecting  mausoleums  and  monu- 
ments, and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  their 
great  achievements  and  carry  them  down  the  ages. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-builders,  in  piling 
up  their  great  mounds  of  earth,  had  but  this  idea — 
to  leave  something  to  show  that  they  had  lived.  All 
these  works,  though  many  of  them  costly  in  the  ex- 
treme, give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  lives  and  charac- 
ters of  those  whose  memory  they  were  intended  to 
perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything  of  the  masses  of 
the  people  that  then  lived.  <  The  great  pyramids  and 
some  of  the  obelisks  remain  objects  only  of  curiosity ; 
the  mausoleums,  monuments  and  statues  are  crum- 
bling into  dust. 

It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an  intelli- 
gent, undecaying,  immutable  method  of  perpetuating 
a  full  history — immutable  in  that  it  is  almost  un- 
limited in  extent  and  perpetual  in  its  action ;  and 
this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  system 
of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every  man,  though 
he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world  calls  greatness, 
has  the  means  to  perpetuate  his  life,  his  history, 
through  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all ;  nothing  of  the 
physical  man  is  left.  The  monument  which  his  chil- 
dren or  friends  may  erect  to  his  memory  in  the  ceme* 
tery  will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass  away;  but  his 
life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he  has  accomplished, 
which  otherwise  would  be  forgotten,  is  perpetuated 
by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions  we 
engrave  their  portraits,  for  the  same  reason  we  col- 
lect the  attainable  facts  of  their  history.  Nor  do  we 
think  it  necessary,  as  we  speak  only  truth  of  them,  to 
wait  until  they  are  dead,  or  until  those  who  know 
them  are  gone:  to  do  this  we  are  ashamed  only  to 
publish  to  the  world  the  history  of  those  whose  live? 
are  unworthy  of  public  record. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBAN* 


<9J@ 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


ON.  EDWARD  O.  SMITH,  deceased,  was 
not  only  one  of  Decatnr's  pioneer  settlers, 
but  was  for  many  years  its  most  prominent, 
progressive  and  public-spirited  citizen.  He 
witnessed  its  growth  from  a  mere  hamlet  to  a  pros- 
perous cit3'  of  nearly  twenty  thousand  inhabitants. 
In  all  the  years  of  his  long  residence  here  he  was 
ever  foremost  in  promoting  the  best  interests  of 
the  place,  and  did  more  than  any  other  man  to 
secure  to  the  eity  its  numerous  lines  of  railroad  and 
its  substantial  prosperity.  Whether  acting  in  the 
capacity  of  an  humble  mechanic,  sagacious  busi- 
ness man  or  wise  legislator,  the  welfare  of  Decatur 
was  kept  constantly  in  view.  To  such  men  the 
city  is  indebted  for  its  present  importance,  and  the 
BIOGRAPHICAL  REUSED  of  Macon  County  would  be 
incomplete  without  some  extended  mention  of  one 
whose  history  was  so  inseparably  connected  with 
the  upbuilding  of  city  and  county. 

Mr.  Smith  was  a  native  of  Montgomery  County, 
Md.,  his  birth  having  occurred  April  15,  1817, and 
he  was  the  fourth  child  in  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren born  unto  Rev.  James  and  Rachel  (Owen) 
Smith.  Rev.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  native  Virginian, 
and  a  distinguished  minister  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  who  had  preached  in  Baltimore 
and  Philadelphia.  He  died  in  1825.  His  wife 
was  a  native  of  Montgomery-  County,  Md.,  and 
survived  her  husband  but  a  few  years.  Their 
children  were  early  left  orphans  and  were  taken 
charge  of  for  some  years  by  their  maternal  grand- 
mother, Mrs.  Rachel  Owen,  a  noble  and  capable 
woman.  Under  her  judicious  guidance  Edward 


passed  the  years  of  his  boyhood  in  work  and  play, 
and,  having  improved  the  few  meagre  school  priv- 
ileges to  be  had  at  that  time,  he  made  his  way,  at 
the  age  of  fifteen,  to  Washington,  D.  C.,  where  for 
about  two  years  he  served  as  clerk  in  a  store.  The 
time  spent  in  that  city  brought  but  a  small  return 
in  the  way  of  salary,  but  the  surroundings  were 
such  as  to  make  a  deep  impression  on  the  mind  of 
a  thoughtful  and  observant  lad.  This  was  during 
the  first  term  of  Gen.  Jackson's  administration, 
when  the  President  was  fighting  the  United  States 
Bank  with  tremendous  energy.  At  this  time. 
1832,  a  panic  was  spreading  through  the  land,  the 
credit  system  was  crumbling  to  pieces,  and  curses 
loud  and  deep  were  rained  upon  the  head  of  "Old 
Hickory.''  The  threatened  nullification  of  the 
tariff  laws  by  South  Carolina,  and  Jackson's  vehe- 
ment declaration  and  stamping  out  of  incipient 
rebellion,  were  another  vivid  lesson  in  politics. 
Calhoun,  Clay,  Webster  and  Benton,  the  political 
Titans  of  the  time,  were  to  be  seen  and  heard  at 
their  best  as  they  contended  in  the  political  arena. 
It  is  not  strange  that  with  such  surroundings 
Edward  O.  Smith,  being  at  the  most  impressiona- 
ble age,  had  his  mind  strongly  tuned  to  political 
and  constitutional  questions,  and  that  his  whole 
subsequent  life  was  colored  by  that  early  environ- 
ment. Mr.  Smith's  active  life  on  his  own  responsi- 
bility began  just  as  the  great  wave  of  emigration 
dashed  over  the  Alleghanies.  The  wave  brought 
him  with  it,  and  he  afterwards  went  with  the  first 
breaker  over  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Sierra 
Nevadas.  In  the  aulumn  of  1834,  at  the  age  of 


196 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


seventeen,  the  self-reliant  lad,  with  his  worldly 
effects  in  a  bundle  across  his  shoulder,  and  his 
entire  hard-earned  cash  capital  of  $19  in  his  trous- 
ers pocket,  journeyed  on  foot,  following  the  old 
National  Road  across  the  mountains  to  Ohio,  then 
a  frontier  State.  After  a  tramp  of  five  hundred 
miles,  he  halted  .at  Springfield,  Ohio,  where  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  with  Samuel  Price. 
Some  throat  trouble  coming  on,  he  concluded  to 
try  the  prairie,  and  took  up  his  westward  journey 
again.  He  worked  for  a  time  in  Montezuma,  Ind., 
and  for  a  year  in  Terre  Haute.  In  May,  1837,  he 
found  himself  in  Decatur,  where  he  lost  not  a  mo- 
ment of  time  in  doing  his  part  in  the  building  up 
of  the  town.  Though  but  twenty  years  of  age,  he 
entered  at  once  upon  the  erection  of  a  hotel,  a 
mill  and  other  buildings,  the  site  of  which  was 
then  in  the  midst  of  heavy  timber.  Although  Mr. 
Smith's  time  was  much  occupied  in  building  and 
other  business  pursuits,  he  devoted  his  spare  mo- 
ments assiduously  to  reading,  and  thus  acquired  a 
liberal  education,  or  rather  possessed  himself  of  a 
fund  of  varied  and  useful  information.  He  kept 
himself  posted  on  the  public  questions  of  the  day. 
His  ability  and  integrity  were  soon  recognized  by 
the  people  and  he  became  an  important  factor  in 
State  as  well  as  local  affairs.  He  went  quietly  on 
with  his  building  operations,  with  unshaken  faith 
in  the  destiny  of  the  State,  and,  steadily  investing 
his  profits  in  land  and  improving  the  same,  con- 
tinued in  active  business  in  Decatur  for  sixteen 
years.  In  his  different  business  enterprises  he  was 
successful,  but  while  he  loved  to  make  money  he 
did  not  let  its  power  harden  his  heart  or  warp  his 
judgment.  Surrounded  by  a  societj-  that  had  a 
superstitious  dread  of  such  an  innovation,  he  built 
a  theatre  and  dedicated  it  to  Free  Speech,  a  dedi- 
cation that  money  could  not  induce  him  to  dis- 
honor. 

In  1843,  Mr.  Smith  married  Miss  Harriet  Krone, 
a  native  of  Lewisberry,  York  County,  Pa.,  born 
September  11,  1826,  and  a  daughter  of  David  and 
Ruth  (Worley)  Krone,  who  were  natives  of  the 
Keystone  State.  In  1839  they  came  to  Decatur, 
where  they  kept  a  hotel,  at  which  Mr.  Smith 
boarded,  and  it  was  there  that  the  acquaintance 
led  to  marriage.  Though  Miss  Krone  was  but 


seventeen  years  of  age  when  married,  she  proved  a 
sensible,  faithful  and  tender  wife  and  mother. 
Hers  was  indeed  a  busy  life.  The  rearing  of  a 
large  family  at  that  time  meant  much  of  which  the 
present  generation  has  but  little  conception. 
Among  the  pioneers  many  kinds  of  work,  from 
butchering  to  coloring  and  weaving,  were  done  at 
home.  Workmen  on  the  farm  or  in  the  shop 
usually  boarded  with  their  employers,  and  politi- 
cians, preachers,  peddlers  and  friends  were  fre- 
quent callers,  and  usually  made  it  a  point  to  stop 
all  night.  All  this  meant  a  vast  amount  of  work 
and  worry  for  the  mistress  of  the  house,  but  pa- 
tiently and  uncomplainingly  she  made  the  sacri- 
fices demanded  of  her,  looking  well  to  the  ways  of 
her  household  and  promoting  her  husband's  inter- 
ests in  every  possible  way.  During  his  absence  in 
California  on  two  different  occasions  of  three  years 
each,  she  not  only  had  the  care  of  the  large  family, 
but  had  to  look  after  his  property  and  business 
affairs,  and  this,  combined  with  the  added  anxiety 
and  suspense  regarding  his  whereabouts  and  safety,- 
made  her  life  no  easy  one.  Faithful  to  every 
trust  committed  to  her,  and  wise  and  judicious  in 
her  management  of  the  home,  credit  is  largely  due 
to  her  for  their  success  in  accumulating  a  compe- 
tency. Her  useful  life  was  characterized  by  many 
acts  of  kindness  and  charity,  and  her  home  was 
the  abode  of  genuine,  open-handed  hospitality. 

Mrs.  Smith  became  the  mother  of  four  sons  and 
six  daughters,  all  of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  and  with  one  exception  all  are  living 
at  this  writing.  Rachel  R.,  widow  of  Judge  A.  J. 
Gallagher,  resides  in  New  York.  James  D.  lives  in 
Roseburg,  Ore.  Lydia  A.  married  Aquilla  Toland, 
and  after  his  death  married  George  B.  McKee,  of 
San  Jose,  Cal.  M.  Ella  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  S.  S. 
Hebbard,  of  Viroqua,  Wis.  Harriet  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  Moore,  of  Decatur.  Laura  S.  is  the  wife  of 
E.  Lester  Brown,  of  Elmwood,  111.  Edward  O. 
resides  near  Moweaqua,  111.  Lowell  A.  is  near 
Dalton  City,  III.  Gertrude  is  the  widow  of  George 
W.  Waltz,  of  LaFayette,  Cal.;  and  Thomas  C.  died 
in  San  Jose,  Cal.,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four.  The 
mother  of  this  familj'  died  January  16, 1867.  For 
his  second  wife,  on  the  15th  of  April,  1869,  Mr. 
Smith  married  Mrs.  Catherine  Hillman,  of  Elm- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


197 


wood,  111.,  and  the  fruit  of  this  marriage  was  one 
daughter,  Kathryne,  living  with  her  mother  in  San 
•lose,  Cal.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Hiram  Brown,  of  Cummington,  Mass.,  and  is  one 
of  the  Board  of  Lady  Managers  of  the  California 
World's  Fair  Commission. 

In  1847,  Mr.  Smith  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Illinois  Constitutional  Convention,  representing 
Piatt  and  Macon  Counties.  In  1848,  he  was  the 
Whig  candidate  for  State  Senator  for  the  central 
counties  of  the  State,  and  was  elected  by  a  flatter- 
ing majority.  One  of  his  first  efforts  in  the  Senate 
was  to  secure,  through  resolutions  of  the  State 
Legislature,  a  donation  from  the  National  Gov- 
ernment of  lands  for  the  construction  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  and  the  Northern  Cross  (now  the  Wa- 
bash)  Railroads.  This  was  successful  so  far  as  the 
Illinois  Central  was  concerned,  and  to  Mr.  Smith 
belongs  the  credit  of  taking  the  first  steps  in  that 
great  project.  He  was  active  in  securing  for  Macon 
County  several  of  her  railroads,  and  was  an  in  cor- 
porator and  original  director  of  one  of  them.  While 
in  the  Constitutional  Convention,  he  was  one  of 
the  authors  of  the  special  provision,  adopted  by  a 
separate  vote,  levying  a  two-mill  tax  to  liquidate 
the  State  debt.  This  proved  to  be  a  wise  measure, 
for  the  State  bonds,  which  had  fallen  to  thirty  per 
cent.,  were  soon  taken  by  eastern  capitalists  at  par. 

Mr.  Smith  made  a  number  of  overland  trips  to 
California  for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  usually 
taking  with  him  droves  of  cattle  and  horses.  At 
that  time  such  a  journey  was  full  of  ad  venture  and 
often  of  suffering  and  danger.  He  first  went  in 
1853.  Remaining  on  the  Coast  a  few  years,  he 
realized  liberal  profits  from  his  ventures  and  re- 
turned to  Decatur  and  erected  a  number  of  busi- 
ness buildings.  In  1858,  business  being  in  a 
depressed  condition,  he  started  on  a  second  trip  to 
California.  On  his  return  to  Decatur  in  1861, 
after  an  absence  of  three  years,  Mr.  Smith  was 
elected  Mayor  of  the  city,  and,  this  being  the  first 
year  of  the  Rebellion,  the  duties  of  the  office  were 
unusually  important.  Many  regiments  of  soldiers 
were  fed  at  the  city's  expense,  and  new  questions 
were  constantly  arising  which  required  prompt 
attention.  During  the  war  he  did  all  in  his  power 
as  un  official  to  assist  the  Union  cause,  and  also 


contributed  liberally  of  his  own  means.  He  sup- 
ported Lincoln  for  re-election,  but  after  the  war 
acted  with  the  Democratic  party.  He  made  one 
exception,  however,  and  always  voted  for  Gen.  R. 
J.  Oglesby  at  every  opportunity,  for  between  these 
two  there  existed  from  their  first  acquaintance  in 
1837  a  warm  and  intimate  friendship  that  quite 
bridged  the  chasm  of  politics.  He  was  well 
acquainted  with  prominent  men  of  the  State, 
including  Lincoln,  Douglas,  Palmer,  Trumbull, 
Logan  and  Yates,  and  was  not  unworthy  to  stand 
among  them. 

In  1870,  Mr.  Smith  removed  to  California  and 
for  the  remaining  years  of  his  life  made  San  Jose 
his  home,  where  he  was  held  in  high  esteem.  As 
he  had  a  hand  in  the  formation  of  the  constitu- 
tion of  Illinois,  so  he  now  took  a  seat  in  the  Con- 
stitutional Convention  of  California,  and  found 
work  there  well  suited  to  his  taste  and  capacity. 
Mr.  Smith  was  a  public-spirited  man,  a  genjuine 
patriot.  Never  an  office-seeker,  he  faithfully  filled 
the  responsible  positions  to  which  he  was  called 
by  the  popular  voice.  To  him  belongs  the  rare 
distinction  of  having  been  selected  to  assist  in 
framing  the  constitution  of  two  great  States  of 
the  Union — Illinois  and  California.  His  business 
sagacity  was  always  freely  devoted  to  the  unsel- 
fish advancement  of  public  interest.  No  man  did 
more  than  he  in  planning  and  constructing  the 
network  of  railways  to  which  the  thriving  city  of 
Decatur  largely  owes  her  prosperity.  Without  the 
advantages  of  a  higher  education  in  his  youth,  he 
was  a  man  of  rare  intelligence,  well  informed,  a 
reader  of  good  books,  thoughtful,  with  a  wide  and 
deep  interest  in  all  that  concerned  the  welfare  of 
humanity.  He  was  broad  and  liberal  in  all  his 
views,  a  man  who  did  his  own  thinking  and  qui- 
etly shaped  his  own  creed,  counting  Truth  as  of 
equal  authority,  come  from  where  it  would.  He 
was  not  only  successful  in  this  world's  affairs,  but 
had  an  abiding  confidence  in  our  continued  iden- 
tity in  another  world,  which  is  closely  bound  to 
this,  and  that  bonds  of  love  and  friendship  formed 
here  are  not  sundered  by  death.  In  his  domestic 
relations,  Mr.  Smith  was  exceedingly  fortunate  and 
happy.  Toward  his  wife  and  children  he  was  a 
model  of  thoughtful  affection  and  generosity.  He 


198 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


EW1S  F.  SKELLEY,  the  popular  and  erti- 
c*ent  C'ty  Clerk  of  Decatur,  who  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  in  that  ollice,  has 
lived  in  the  city  for  twenty -two  years.  He  came 
here  from  Goshen,  Ind.,  his  birth  having  occurred 


gave  to  them  with  a  liberal  hand  of  the  wealth 
that  he  had  accumulated  by  his  toil  and  enterprise. 
The  strong  points  of  his  character  were  what  might 
be  termed  the  heroic  type.  He  was  fearlessly  j 
loyal  to  his  convictions  of  truth  and  to  hjs  sense 
of  duty.  In  the  presence  of  danger  he  was  uncon- 
scious of  fear,  and  bore  the  severest  trials  with 
unyielding  fortitude.  In  journeys  across  thou- 
sands of  miles  of  unbroken  wilderness,  infested  by 
bands  of  hostile  Indians,  and  beset  by  dangers  un- 
dreamed of,  and  by  privations  under  which  the 
stoutest  hearts  were  often  overcome,  his  bravery 
and  fortitude  saved  his  own  life  and  that  of  many 
others.  He  threw  his  strong  arm  of  protection 
around  whomsoever  he  chanced  to  meet  in  need  of 
succor,  and  shared  With  them  his  last  morsel  of 
food.  He  made  no  profession.  His  life  was  his 
creed.  His  political  career  was  clean,  and  he  was 
known  as  a  man  who  could  not  be  corrupted.  His 
influence  could  not  be  purchased.  However  much 
he  might  be  mistaken  he  was  honest.  In  the  fall 
of  1889,  with  his  wife  and  youngest  daughter,  he 
carried  out  the  dream  of  his  life,  crossed  the  At- 
lantic and  made  an  extended  tour  of  Europe,  vis- 
iting many  of  the  chief  points  of  interest,  his  trip 
including  a  visit  to  the  Paris  Exposition  and  the 
world-renowned  Passion  Play.  On  his  many  jour- 
neys he  was  chary  of  good-bye  scenes,  preferring 
to  start  on  a  trip  across  the  continent  as  though 
he  was  going  to  a  neighbor's,  and  it  was  in  pathetic 
keeping  that  his  departure  on  the  mystic  journey 
was  instant  and  without  a  parting  word.  He 
passed  away  suddenly  of  heart  disease  March  8, 
1892,  at  his  home  in  San  Jose,  and  three  days  later 
his  remains  were  interred  in  Oak  Hill  Cemetery. 


on  a  farm  near  that  place  February  22,  1853.  His 
father,  Walter  Skelle3",  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
who,  crossing  the  briny  deep,  took  up  his  residence 
in  the  Hoosier  State.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
1826,  landing  in  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland.  Upon 
a  farm  near  Goshen  he  resided  until  some  sixteen 
years  ago,  when  he  died  at  the  age  of  eighty.  His 
wife  had  passed  away  five  weeks  previous,  in  her 
seventy-third  year.  They  had  been  married  fifty- 
one  years. 

Our  subject  is  the  youngest  of  their  twelve 
children,  ten  of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood  and  are  still  living.  William  now 
makes  his  home  in  Napa  City,  Cal.;  Francis,  who 
formerly  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in  Deca- 
tur, is  now  a  farmer  of  Decatur  Township;  Patrick 
is  living  with  his  brother  Lawrence  in  De  Witt, 
Iowa;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Ed  Perry,  of  Omaha, 
Neb.;  Matthew  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Elkhart, 
Ind.;  Lawrence  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits 
near  De  Witt,  Iowa;  John  makes  his  home  in  De- 
catur; Isabel  is  the  wife  of  George  Ptirl,  of  Goshen, 
Ind.;  Teresa  is  the  wife  of  John  Collins,  of  Goshen; 
and  Lewis  completes  the  family. 

Upon  his  father's  farm  in  the  Hoosier  State  our 
subject  was  reared  to  manhood,  and  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  neighborhood  acquired  a  good 
education.  His  two  brothers,  Francis  and  John, 
had  rem&ved  to  Decalur  about  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  in  1871  they  were  joined  by  our  subject, 
then  a  young  man  of  eighteen  years.  Here  he  se- 
cured employment  as  a  salesman  with  the  firm  of 
Milligan  &  Skelley,  who  were  doing  a  grocery 
business,  and  continued  in  their  store  for  two 
years.  He  was  then  employed  in  the  book  store 
of  M.  D.  Coffeen  and  continued  to  devote  his  en- 
ergies to  that  business  for  several  years.  In  the 
mean  time  Mr.  Milligan  sold  out  his  interest  in  the 
grocery  store  to  our  subject,  and  in  1879  the  firm 
name  was  changed  to  Skelley  &  Co.,  and  he  did 
business  along  that  line  until  the  spring  of  1882. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1878,  Mr.  Skelley  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  De  Courcey, 
daughter  of  Patrick  and  Catherine  De  Courcey,  of 
Decatur.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
sons,  two  of  whom  are  living:  Arthur,  a  lad  of 
thirteen  years;  and  Lewis,  eight  years  of  age. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


199 


.lames,  the  second  son,  died  at  the  age  of  nine 
years.  The  Skelley  family  have  a  pleasant  and 
comfortable  home  at  No.  954  East  William  Street. 
Our  subject  entered  upon  his  official  career  in 
December,  1882,  when  he  went  into  the  County 
Clerk's  office,  serving  as  Deputy  under  George  P. 
Hardy,  with  whom  he  continued  up*  to  the  time  of 
his  election  to  the  office  of  City  Clerk,  in  1891. 
In  the  spring  of  that  year  he  was  nominated  on 
the  Republican  ticket,  being  opposed  by  F.  C. 
Betzer,  and  although  he  had  to  overcome  quite  a 
strong  Democratic  majority  he  won  the  contest  by 
a  vote  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-six.  So  faith- 
fully did  he  fill  the  office  that  in  1893  he  was  again 
nominated  by  his  party  and  won  the  election  over 
C.  W.  Montgomery  by  a  majority  of  fifty.  The 
promptness  and  fidelity  which  he  manifested  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties  have  won  him  warm 
commendation. 


yMLLIAM  C.  OUTTEN,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  law  as  a  member  of  the 
„  „  firm  of  Outten  &  Page,  of  Decatur,  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Macon  County  Bar,  and 
the  liberal  patronage  which  he  receives  attests  his 
skill  and  ability.  His  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  this  State,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Cass 
County  July  23,  1843.  His  father,  Purnel  Stout 
Outten,  was  a  native  of  Fayette  County,  Ky.,  and 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life  has  followed 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  married  Rachel  R. 
Berry,  who  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  four  children:  Mary,  wife  of  R.  D. 
Wilson,  of  Decatur;  Rachel,  deceased;  and  Will- 
iam and  Sarah,  deceased.  The  mother  died  in 
1846,  and  in  1848  Mr.  Outten  married  Mary  J., 
daughter  of  George  and  Lydia  Ross,  of  Cass 
County,  111.  They  had  one  child,  George  T.,  who 
was  married,  and  died  leaving  two  children,  George 
C.  and  Cora  B.  The  father  of  our  subject  came 
to  Illinois  in  1836,  locating  in  Cass  Count}',  where 
he  made  his  home  until  the  spring  of  1853,  when 


he  came  to  Macon  County.  He  had  entered  four 
hundred  acres  of  land  here  in  1836,  and  in  1853 
he  built  a  house  and  began  the  development  of  his 
farm.  Through  his  energy  and  good  judgment  he 
has  been  successful,  and  is  one  of  the  wealthiest 
men  of  Mt.  Zion  Township.  His  second  wife  hav- 
ing died  April  27,  1893,  he  is  now,  in  his  eighty- 
fourth  year,  residing  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  R.  D. 
Wilson,  in  Decatur,  III.  He  has  been  a  life-long 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  for  many 
years  was  an  office-holder  in  that  organization. 

Thomas  Outten,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia.  He  was  a  farmer  and 
stock-trader,  and  died  in  middle  life  in  Kentucky. 
William  Berry,  the  maternal  grandfather,  was  also 
a  Virginian  by  birth,  and  became  a  pioneer  of 
Cass  County,  111.,  where  he  died  when  past  the  age 
of  four-score  years. 

William  C.  Outten  lived  in  the  county  of  his 
nativity  until  his  tenth  year,  when  with  the  fam- 
ily he  came  to  this  county.  He  was  reared  to 
manhood  upon  a  farm,  and  in  the  common  district 
schools  acquired  his  primary  education,  which  was 
supplemented  by  study  in  the  Mt.  Zion  Academy. 
He  afterward  attended  the  Wesleyan  University  of 
Bloomington,  111.  Returning  to  Macon  County 
on  the  completion  of  his  course,  he  embarked  in 
farming  during  the  summer  season,  while  in  the 
winter  he  taught  school  for  five  months.  He  then 
devoted  his  energies  exclusively  to  agricultural 
pursuits  until  the  spring  of  1873,  when  he  removed 
to  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  where  he  remained  for  two 
years  engaged  in  the  study  of  law.  On  his  return 
to  Decatur  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Nelson  <fe 
Roby,  and  afterward  became  a  partner  in  the  firm. 
On  Mr.  Nelson's  election  to  the  position  of  Cir- 
cuit Judge,  he  continued  with  Mr.  Roby,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Roby  &  Outten,  for  a  year,  when 
E.  P.  Vail,  the  present  Circuit  Judge,  was  admitted 
to  partnership.  Business  was  then  carried  on  un- 
der the  style  of  Roby,  Outten  &  Vail  until  the 
spring  of  1881,  when  Mr.  Roby  retired.  The  two 
remaining  partners  carried  on  operations  together 
until  1888,  when  Mr.  Vail  was  elected  to  the 
Bench.  Mr.  Outten  was  then  alone  in  practice 
until  1889,  when  the  present  firm  of  Outten  & 
Page  was  established.  Our  subject  has  occupied 


200 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


one  office  room  since  1875.  It  is  located  at  No. 
207  South  Park  Street,  and  he  enjoys  a  liberal 
patronage. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Outtcn  is  situated  at  No.  570 
West  Prairie  Street,  and  is  presided  over  by  an 
accomplished  lady,  to  whom  he  gave  his  name 
September  28,  1865.  In  her  maidenhood  she  was 
Miss  Sarah  Farrell,  daughter  of  William  E.  and 
Anna  D.  (Ross)  Farrell,  of  Macon  County.  Three 
children  were  born  unto  them,  but  all  are  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Outten  hold  an  enviable 
position  in  social  circles,  and  are  members  of  the 
First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he 
serves  as  Trustee.  His  temperance  principles  have 
led  him  to  espouse  the  cause  of  the  Prohibition 
party.  In  addition  to  his  home  he  owns  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  near  Henry 
City,  111.,  and  another  tract  of  twenty  acres  in  the 
same  locality.  Mr.  Outten  is  a  man  of  firm  con- 
victions, inflexible  in  support  of  what  he  believes 
to  be  right,  and  his  honorable,  upright  career  has 
gained  him  universal  regard. 


STEBBINS  KING,M.  D.,  of  Decatur,  is  not 
only  well  known  to  the  medical  profession 
and  in  social  circles  of  this  community,  but 
is  a  gentleman  and  scholar  of  high  attain- 
ments, who  of  late  years  has  devoted  much  time 
to  the  study  of  metaphysics  and  psychology.  He 
is  the  author  of  the  "Black  Spectre,"  published 
in  "Godey's  Lady.'s  Book"  in  January,  1892,  and 
has  been  the  contributor  of  several  interesting 
articles  to  the  "Arena,"among  others  a  metaphysi- 
cal story  entitled  "George  Wentworth,"  which 
will  appear  in  the  September  or  October  number 
of  that  magazine.  Its  sequel,  "Lucile  Gastrell," 
will  be  published  in  the  near  future.  These 
articles  set  forth  great  metaphysical  truths,  clothed 
in  a  romantic  covering. 

The  father  of  our  subject  is  A.  C.  King,  a  re- 
tired merchant  of  Le  RO3',  McLean  County,  111.  He 
is  still  a  hale  and  hearty  man  at  this  writing 


(1893),  although  he  has  reached  the  age  of  ninety 
years.  He  was  born  in  Sufh'eld,  Conn.,  May  20, 
1803,  and  in  1830  removed  to  Terre  Haute,  Ind., 
where  he  engaged  in  merchandising.  The  follow- 
ing year  he  returned  to  Hatfield,  Mass..  and  mar- 
ried Emeline  F.  Stebbins,  a  native  of  Springfield, 
that  State,  who  was  born  January  30,  1811.  Bring- 
ing his  young  wife  to  the  West,  he  continued  in 
business  in  Terre  Haute  until  1837.  In  1848  he 
went  into  business  in  Toronto,  Ind.,  and  in  1851 
he  opened  a  merchandise  establishment  in  Le  Roy, 
111.,  where  he  is  still  living.  His  wife  died  at 
Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  October  21,  1842.  There  were 
three  children  born  of  that  union:  James,  of  this 
sketch;  William  Rose,  who  was  born  September 
5,  1838,  and  died  October  1,  1849;  and  Caroline 
Rose,  born  September  13,  1840.  For  his  second 
wife,  Mr.  King  wedded  Mrs.  Bonnell,  and  unto 
them  were  born  two  children:  Ellen  Amelia,  who 
was  born  January  4,  1845,  and  died  in  1875:  and 
Edward  William,  who  was  born  July  22,  1848, 
and  is  a  merchant  of  Le  Roy.  In  1875,  Mr.  King 
married  Mrs.  Emeline  Cochrane,  with  whom  he  is 
still  living. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  the 
Doctor,  who  was  born  in  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  May 
9,  1836.  He  there  attended  school,  and  during 
vacations  clerked  in  his  father's  store.  He  after- 
ward engaged  in  teaching  for  about  three  years, 
and  in  1856  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Drs. 
Noble  and  Coleman,  of  Le  Roy,  111.  He  attended 
lectures  at  Rush  Medical  College,  of  Chtbago,  in 
1858  and  1859,  and  in  the  winter  of  1859-60  at- 
tended the  Medical  College  of  Ohio,  in  Cincinnati, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  the  following  spring. 
Immediately  afterward,  he  was  elected  physician 
at  the  Hotel  for  Invalids  in  Cincinnati.  Later, 
he  began  practice  in  Lemont,  Cook  County,  and 
was  there  married,  December  31,  1860,  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Carter,  who  was  born  at  St.  Catharines, 
Ontario,  then  Upper  Canada.  Her  father,  John 
Carter,  died  when  she  was  quite  small,  and  she 
was  reared  by  her  uncle,  John  Telyea,  of  Lemont. 

In  1863,  the  Doctor  left  his  home  and  practice 
and  entered  the  army  as  a  surgeon,  serving  until 
November,  1865,  when  he  resigned  his  position. 
For  the  first  six  months  he  was  surgeon  in  charge 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


201 


of  the  Thirty-fifth  Iowa  Infantry,  after  which  he 
was  on  duty  as  post  surgeon  at  Vicksburg,  whence 
he  was  transferred  to  Natchez,  Miss.,  where  he  was 
in  charge  of  the  Officers'  General  Hospital,  as  well 
as  the  United  States  General  Hospital.  He  was  also 
military  health  officer  of  the  city,  and  while  still 
wearing  the  blue  opened  an  office  in  Natchez, 
where  he  remained  ten  years.  He  enjoyed  a  large 
practice  and  gained  the  friendship  and  respect  of 
man}'  Southern  people  while  still  in  the  army. 

It  was  while  in  Natchez  that  Dr.  King  was 
made  a  Mason.  Becoming  impressed  with  the 
beauties  of  Masonry  while  an  army  surgeon,  he 
wished  to  unite  with  the  order,  and  one  day  he 
happened  to  speak  about  joining  to  Samuel  Stew- 
art, of  the  Andrew  Jackson  Lodge  of  Natchez, 
saying  that  he  presumed  he  wcrald  have  to  send 
his  application  North  and  be  elected  there  before 
lie  could  have  the  degrees  conferred  at  Natchez. 
Mr.  Stewart  assured  Dr.  King  that  that  would  not 
be  necessary,  and  that  he  could  be  elected  there, 
for,  although  the  lodge  was  largely  composed  of 
Confederate  soldiers.  Masonry  knew  no  North 
and  no  South.  His  fellow-citizens  of  Natchez 
also  prevailed  upon  the  Doctor  to  accept  the  posi- 
tion of  editor  of  the  Natchez  Courier,  a  tri-weekly, 
which  advocated  the  colonization  of  the  negro, 
and  in  connection  with  his  regular  practice  he 
served  on  the  editorial  department  of  that  paper 
for  two  years. 

At  the  earnest  solicitation  of  his  wife's  people, 
Dr.  King  returned  to  the  North  and  resumed  prac- 
tice in  Decatur  May  4,  1874.  He  and  his  wife 
have  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  844  North  Water 
Street.  They  have  two  children:  Cora  Belle,  wife 
of  Frank  P.  Roach,  a  dry-goods  merchant  of  De- 
catur; and  Le  Roy  Carleton,  who  is  United  States 
agent  for  the  California  Fig  Syrup  Company. 

The  Doctor  belongs  to  the  Medical  Society  of 
Central  Illinois,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Capi- 
tal City  Medical  Society,  and  of  the  Illinois  Army 
and  Navy  Medical  Association.  He  has  been  very 
successful  in  his  practice  and  thereby  has  gained  a 
handsome  competency,  so  that  hereafter  he  in- 
tends to  devote  much  of  his  time  to  literary  pur- 
suits, making  a  study  of  metaphysics.  He  is  an 
associate  member  of  the  Society  for  Psychical  Re- 


search, an  international  organization,  composed 
of  the  leading  scientific  men  of  England,  France 
and  the  United  States.  His  wife  is  Secretary  of 
the  Chautauqua  Circle  and  of  the  Woman's  Club, 
and  devotes  much  of  her  time  to  literature.  The 
Doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of  Grace 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  our  subject  is  a 
prominent  Mason,  having  taken  high  degrees  in 
that  fraternity.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of 
the  Prohibition  party. 


-«.•,  LFRED  N.  DIEIIL  holds  a  responsible 
£Jl  position  as  foreman  of  the  Hatfield  Mill- 
ing Company,  of  Decatur.  He  is  a  man 
of  good  business  ability,  industrious  and 
enterprising,  who  has  been  connected  with  this 
mill  since  1876,  and  has  long  served  as  its  foreman. 
His  seventeen  years'  connection  with  the  company 
indicates  his  faithfulness  to  duty  and  the  confi- 
dence reposed  in  him  by  his  employers. 

Mr.  Dichl  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  his 
birth  having  occurred  on  the  24th  of  December,  in 
York  County.  The  family  is  of  German  descent 
and  was  founded  in  America  at  an  early  day.  The 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Jacob  Diehl,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  farmer,  miller  and 
distiller.  He  died  when  past  the  age  of  four-score 
years.  Charles  Diehl,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  also  born  in  the  same  State,  and  became  a 
prominent  farmer  of  York  County.  He  enlisted 
in  the  Mexican  War,  but  saw  no  active  service. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Leah 
Luthman,  was  of  English  descent.  They  were 
both  members  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 
The  father  died  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  seventy  -six 
years,  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him  until  1876, 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  They  had  a 
family  of  seven  sons  and  six  daughters,  and  with 
the  exception  of  two  who  died  in  infancy  all 
reached  adult  age.  Those  still  living  are  Lucinda, 
Anna,  Susanna,  Jacob,  Amanda,  Rachel,  Charles, 
Alfred  N.  and  Edgar. 


202 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


We  find  that  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  count}' 
and  remained  in  Pennsylvania  until  seventeen 
years  of  age.  He  then  followed  Horace  Greeley's 
advice  and  came  to  the  West.  It  was  in  the  fall 
of  1861  that  he  arrived  in  Illinois,  locating  in  De- 
catur.  In  June  of  the  following  year,  prompted 
by  patriotic  impulses  and  a  desire  to  aid  in  the 
preservation  of  the  Union,  he  entered  the  service 
of  his  country  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Sixty- 
eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  for  three  months,  and 
when  his  term  had  expired  was  mustered  out,  in 
September,  1862.  He  then  returned  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  lie  began  learning  the  miller's  trade, 
but  about  this  time  Gen.  Lee  invaded  the  State, 
and  he  resolved  to  again  take  up  arms  in  defense 
of  his  country.  His  parents  opposing  this,  he 
went  to  Indiana,  and  after  working  on  a  farm  for 
a  short  time  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Eleventh 
Indiana  Cavalry,  with  which  he  served  through 
all  the  campaigns  until  after  the  cessation  of 
hostilities.  He  was  frequently  engaged  in  scout- 
ing duty,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Nash- 
ville and  Spring  Hill.  In  June,  1865,  the  regi- 
ment was  ordered  to  Kansas  to  guard  the  Indians, 
until  a  treaty  had  been  made  which  insured  peace. 
They  then  guarded  railroads  and  overland  trains, 
which  were  seldom  safe  from  attack  in  those  days. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Diehl  returned  to  Decatur, 
and  resumed  the  milling  trade,  being  in  the  em- 
ploy of  D.  S.  Shellabarger  &  Co.  for  nine  years. 
He  then  spent  one  year  in  Pekin,  111.,  holding  an 
interest  in  the  mill,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
the  spring  of  1876.  On  his  return  to  Decatur,  he 
associated  himself  with  George  Priest  &  Co.,  own- 
ers of  a  burrmill.  In  1881  and  1882,  he  superin- 
tended the  erection  of  a  new  mill,  which  was  sup- 
plied with  a  new  roller  process,  eighteen  double 
sets  of  rolls,  with  a  capacity  of  four  hundred 
barrels  of  flour  per  day.  In  1883  it  became  the 
property  of  John  Hatfield  &  Co.,  and  in  1888  the 
style  of  the  firm  was  changed  to  the  Hatfield  Mill- 
ing Company,  under  which  name  business  is  now 
conducted. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1872,  Mr.  Diehl  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Annie  Garvcr,  daughter  of  David  and 
Anna  (Melhorn)  Carver,  who  came  from  Penn- 


sylvania to  Macon  County  in  an  early  day.  Soci- 
ally, Mr.  Diehl  is  a  member  of  Dunham  Post  No. 
141,  G.  A.  R.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party,  and  served  as  Alderman 
of  the  Fourth  Ward  from  1882  until  1884.  His 
hopes  of  benefiting  his  financial  condition  by  emi- 
grating to  the  West  have  been  realized,  for  he  has 
met  with  fair  success  during  his  residence  in  Illi- 
nois. 


ASSIDY  CHENOWETH,  M.  D.,  has  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Decatur  since 
1869.  He  was  graduated  from  Rush  Medi- 
cal College  on  the  3d  of  February  of  that  yenr, 
and  immediately  took  up  his  life  work  in  this  city, 
where  his  father,  Dr.  W.  J.  Chenoweth,  had  al- 
ready gained  an  enviable  reputation  as  one  of  the 
leading  physicians  of  Macon  County.  Our  subject 
was  the  elder  child  and  only  son  of  that  veteran 
practitioner.  His  sister,  Eliza,  is  the  widow  of 
Richard  Piper,  who  was  a  photographer,  and  per- 
haps the  most  popular  artist  that  has  ever  lived  in 
Decatur.  He  was  killed  several  years  ago  by  be- 
ing thrown  from  a  buggy  while  visiting  in  Ken- 
tucky. Mrs.  Piper  now  makes  her  home  with  her 
father. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch 
was  born  on  the  28th  of  March,  1848,  at  Poplar 
Plains,  Fleming  Count}',  Ky.,  and  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  Illinois  when  a  lad  of  six  years. 
He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  this  city,  and  in  the 
earlier  days  knew  every  man,  woman  and  child 
living  in  this  place.  He  attended  the  public 
schools,  but  his  health  was  delicate  and  he  left 
school  for  a  time,  going  out  on  his  father's 
farm,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county.  As 
a  child  he  learned  a  great  deal  about  medicine  in 
his  father's  office,  and  from  his  seventeenth  year 
he  has  been  a  close  student  of  mediciue  and  sur- 
gery. Choosing  its  practice  as  his  life  work,  he 
entered  Rush  Medical  College  and  was  graduated, 
as  before  stated.  In  order  to  further  perfect  him- 
self, he  went  to  Europe  in  1873,  and  spent  about 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


203 


six  months  in  London,  attending  the  hospitals  of 
that  city.  He  made  a  specialty  of  the  study  of 
throat  and  lung  diseases,  and  has  excellent  success 
in  practice  along  that  line.  In  the  following  fall 
he  returned  to  Decatur.  He  has  earned  his  well- 
deserved  popularity  through  his  skill  and  ability, 
and  is  enjoying  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 
The  Chenoweths  are  by  popular  consent  the  lead- 
ing physicians  of  the  Hub  City. 
*  The  lady  who  now  bears  the  name  of  Mrs.  Chen- 
oweth  was,  in  her  maiden  hood,  Miss  Harriet  M. 
Honn,  daughter  of  Samuel  Franklin  Honn,  of 
Chicago,  and  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Mary  Belle  Freeley, 
the  author  of  "Fair  to  Look  Upon."  Their  family 
numbers  only  two  children:  William  James,  a 
young  man  of  twenty-one  years;  and  Bruce  H., 
who  is  studying  law  with  Charles  C.  La  Forge,  of 
Decatur. 

Dr.  Chenoweth  is  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Med- 
ical Society,  the  Macon  County  Medical  Society, 
and  the  District  Medical  Society  of  Central  Illi- 
nois. He  is  also  connected  with  the  leading  clubs 
of  the  city,  and  holds  membership  with  Macon 
Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No. 
21,  H.  A.  M.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No. 
9,  K.  T.  In  polities  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican. 
He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  and  influen- 
tial citizens  of  Decatur,  for  he  always  takes  a 
prominent  part  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community  and  the  promotion  of 
those  enterprises  which  will  advance  the  educa- 
tional, moral  and  social  interests  of  the  place. 


eHARLES  M.  FARNHAM,  who  devotes  his 
time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
is  the  owner  of  a  good  farm   on    section  5, 
Milan  Township.     He   was  born  on   the    17th   of 
February,  1851,  in  Tunbridge,  Vt.,  and   was   the 
youngest  in  a  family  of  three  children,   two  sons 
and  a  daughter.     Hebbard,  the  eldest  child,  is  now 
engaged    in    agricultural    pursuits    in    the    Green 
Mountain    State,  and  the  sister  died  in  infancy. 


The  father  of  our  subject,  Milo  Farnham,  was  also 
born  in  Vermont  and  was  of  Welsh  descent.  His 
grandfather  came  from  Wales  to  this  country  in 
Colonial  days  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War,  valiant!}'  aiding  the  Colonies  in 
their  struggle  for  independence.  Milo  Farnham 
was  a  mechanic  by  trade  and  spent  his  entire  life 
in  the  State  of  his  nativity,  where  lie  died  at  the 
age  of  forty-five  years.  His  wife,  who  was  of 
English  lineage,  was  also  a  native  of  Vermont,  and 
•was  called  to  the  home  beyond  when  sixty-two 
years  of  age. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  whose  well  and  worthily  spent  life  de- 
serves a  place  in  this  volume.  He  was  only  about 
a  year  old  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  and 
then  went  to  live  with  his  grandparents,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  fourteen  years  of  age. 
He  then  began  earning  his  own  livelihood  by 
working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month,  and  was 
thus  employed  for  several  years,  when,  in  connec- 
tion with  his  brother,  lie  purchased  a  small  farm, 
which  together  they  cultivated  until  1877.  In 
that  year  Mr.  Faruham  sold  his  interest  in  the 
farm  to  his  brother,  and,  coining  to  Illinois,  sought 
a  home  in  Macon  County,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  hoped  to  better  his  financial  condi- 
tion by  this  remove,  and  his  hope  has  been  realized. 

After  his  arrival  in  this  State,  Mr.  Farnham 
again  worked  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month  for  a 
period  of  two  years,  after  which  he  rented  land 
for  five  years.  It  was  in  Moultrie  County  that 
he  first  purchased  a  farm,  and  he  carried  on  its 
cultivation  and  development  for  six  years.  When 
that  period  had  passed  by  he  sold  his  land  and, 
coming  to  Macon  County,  his  next  purchase  made 
him  the  possessor  of  the  farm  on  which  he  now 
resides.  It  comprises  eighty  acres  of  arable  land, 
and  its  well-tilled  fields  yield  to  the  owner  a 
golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  cultiva- 
tion he  bestows  upon  them. 

In  October,  1883,  Mr.  Farnham  was  married  to 
Miss  Ollie  Bromley,  of  this  county,  a  daughter  of 
Brcwel  and  Laura  Bromley.  One  child  has  been 
born  of  their  union,  Maude,  a  little  maiden  of  two 
summers,  who  is  the  delight  of  the  household  and 
the  joy  of  her  parents.  In  his  political  faith,  Mr, 


204 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Farnham  is  a  Republican.  His  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  to  its  support  he  con- 
tributes liberally, giving  freely  of  his  means,  as  he 
does  to  all  other  enterprises  calculated  to  promote 
the  general  welfare  or  aid  in  the  upbuilding  of  the 
county. 


ULLIVAN  BURGESS,  City  Engineer  of  De- 
catur,  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  -of 
this  county  and  also  one  of  the  pioneers 
in  railroad  work  in  Illinois.  Hehassuper- 
intended  the  construction  of  hundreds  of  miles  of 
road  in  this  State  and  surveyed  as  much  more. 
When  we  see  that  it  is  only  through  the  railway 
system  that  the  great  West  has  been  opened,  and 
that  thereby  Illinois  has  become  one  of  the  first 
States  in  the  Union,  we  see  how  much  is  due  to 
those  pioneers  of  railroad  construction. 

The  life  of  our  subject  has  been  an  eventful  one. 
He  was  born  in  old  Concord,  Mass.,  June  6,  1828, 
in  the  old  Wright  Tavern,  where  Maj.  Pitcairn, 
who  commanded  the  British  troops,  made  his  head- 
quarters and  stirred  the  historical  glass  of  wine 
with  his  bleeding  fingers,  swearing  that  he  would 
make  the  Yankees  bleed  worse  than  that.  The 
youth  of  Mr.  Burgess  was  passed  in  the  cultured 
atmosphere  which  surrounded  Concord,  then  the 
home  of  Thoreau,  the  Alcotts,  Nathaniel  Hawthorne 
and  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson.  He  was  a  great  favor- 
ite of  the  last-named,  who  was  a  great  lover  of 
children.  Mr.  Burgess'  father  kept  the  livery  stable 
and  often  drove  Emerson  to  Boston.  The  parents 
of  our  subject,  Silaj  and  Ann  (Eaton)  Burgess,  were 
both  descended  from  old  Puritan  families,  and 
named  their  son  in  honor  of  Gen.  Sullivan.  He 
acquired  a  most  excellent  education  in  the  fine 
schools  of  Concord,  from  which  he  was  graduated. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  lie  engaged  with  an  engi- 
neering corps,  employed  in  the  survey  of  the  Ver- 
mont Central  Railroad,  and  in  the  winter  of  1849 
he  carried  the  chain  across  the  river  to  Montreal 
for  the  Victoria  Bridge,  crossing  on  the  ice,  which 


was  then  full  of  holes,  making  the  trip  a  very  dan- 
gerous one. 

In  the  fall  of  1852,  having  become  assistant  en- 
gineer in  charge  of  construction,  Mr.  Burgess  went 
to  Springfield,  111.,  with  the  chief  engineer,  Col. 
Carter,  to  engage  in  the  survey  of  the  Wabash 
Railroad.  The  only  road  in  the  capital  city  at  that 
time  was  one  running  from  Meredosia  to  Spring- 
field, a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  It  was  made  of  old 
strap  iron  rail.  In  December  of  that  year  they  ran  f 
line  to  Decatur,  and  with  a  party  of  surveyors  Mr. 
Burgess  came  to  this  city  on  a  preliminary  survey, 
reaching  his  destination  on  Christmas  Day.  Here 
he  made  his  headquarters  and  began  to  arrange 
for  the  permanent  location  of  the  line,  having 
charge  of  the  construction  as  resident  engineer. 
He  found  Macon  County  at  that  time  an  almost 
unimproved  prairie.  There  were  few  settlements 
and  this  city  was  a  mere  hamlet.  In  1855,  Mr.  Bur- 
gess superintended  the  building  of  the  road  to  Dan- 
ville. From  1856  until  1861  he  engaged  in  real- 
estate  business,  including  the  selling  of  land  for  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  as  a  general  rail- 
road agent,  probably  selling  some  ten  thousand 
acres  of  land  to  original  settlers. 

During  this  time,  Mr.  Burgess  was  married.  In 
1857,  he  wedded  Miss  Strobeck,  of  Potsdam,  N.  Y., 
a  cousin  of  the  late  Col.  Nathan  Tupper.  After  a 
short  married  life  of  a  year  and  a-half  she  was 
called  to  the  home  beyond.  On  the  30th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1860  in  Abington,  Mass.,  Mr.  Burgess  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  J.  Brown,  and  unto  them  were  born 
two  children:  Annie  Evelyn,  wife  of  J.  R.  Haworth, 
of  DCS  Moines,  Iowa;  and  Silas  Norton,  who  is  em- 
ployed to  add  the  finishing  touches  to  fine  furni- 
ture in  a  Chicago  factory. 

In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Burgess  began  the  survey 
for  the  Decatur  &  Champaign  Railroad  Company, 
now  the  Illinois  Central,  but  after  Ft.  Sumpter  was 
fired  upon  all  railroad  construction  ceased  and  at- 
tention was  turned  to  the  raising  of  troops.  Dur- 
ing the  war  our  subject  and  D.  S.  Stafford  invented 
a  riding  cultivator  for  farm  use,  which  proved 
quite  successful.  At  the  State  Fair  of  1863  held 
at  Decatur,  it  took  the  first  premium.  This  in- 
duced Barber  &  Hawley,  of  Pekin,  111.,  manufac- 
turers of  the  Haynes  Harvester,  to  come  to  Decatur 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


205 


and  build  what  is  now  the  Chambers,  Bering  & 
Quinlan  agricultural  implement  shops,  investing 
about  $50,000  in  the  same.  They  made  a  contract 
with  Messrs.  Stafford  &  Burgess  to  manufacture 
their  cultivators,  paying  a  royalty  of  $5  on  each 
one.  In  1863  they  manufactured  twenty-five  hun- 
dred, in  1864  four  thousand,  and  in  1865  five 
thousand. 

During  this  time,  Mr.  Burgess  traveled  on  the 
road  introducing  the  cultivator  for  the  manufac- 
turers. In  1867  the  Decatur  &  East  St.  Louis  Rail- 
road was  incorporated  by  local  parties,  and  our 
subject  and  C.  A.  Tuttle  were  engaged  to  make  the 
survey  and  make  plans  and  specifications.  The  i 
property  afterwards  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Wabash  Company,  by  which  Mr.  Burgess  was  em- 
ployed as  civil  engineer  in  constructing  the  road  to 
Litchfield,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles.  This  com- 
pleted in  the  fall  of  1870,  he  was  employed  by  the 
Decatur  it  State  Line  Railroad  Company  in  the 
same  capacity  on  a  road  to  Chicago,  now  a  part  of 
the  Wabash  system.  In  1871,  he  went  to  Bloom- 
ington  and  was  made  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Bloom- 
ington  tfe  La  Fayette  Railroad,  having  charge  of 
the  construction  from  Bloomington  to  the  State 
line.  In  1874,  he  was  elected  City  Engineer  of 
Decatur  holding  the  position  for  six  years.  From 
1880  until  1882,  he  was  employed  on  the  survey 
and  construction  of  the  branch  road  from  Bates  to 
Jersey  Landing.  This  was  intended  to  bridge  the 
Mississippi,  but  when  Gould  secured  possession  of 
the  east  bridge  at  St.  Louis  the  line  was  practically 
abandoned.  During  the  succeeding  three  years,  Mr. 
Burgess  traveled  in  California  and  the  West  for  his 
health,  but  indolence  and  idleness  being  utterly 
foreign  to  his  nature,  he  could  not  lay  aside  all 
work,  so  aided  in  building  street  railways.  In 
1886  and  1887,  he  was  engaged  in  making  surveys 
from  Centralia  southward  for  the  Jacksonville  &, 
Southeastern  Railroad,  and  was  then  appointed 
City  Engineer  of  Decat.ur,  which  office  he  has  since 
filled. 

Although  the  greater  part  of  his  attention  has   j 
been  given  to  railway  construction,  Mr.  Burgess 
has  devoted  some  time  to  other  interests.     Messrs. 
Tuttle  &  Burgess  built  a  sawmill  in  Ramsey,  111., 
and  cleared  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land,  making  .1 


the  timber  into  railroad  ties,  lumber  and  wood  for 
fuel  purposes.  Atone  time  they  had  five  thousand 
cords  on  hand.  Nearly  all  of  the  fourteen,  miles 
of  brick  paving  in  the  city  has  been  done  under 
our  subject's  supervision.  He  was  for  several  years 
superintendent  of  the  Water  Works  of  Decatur, 
and  in  1858  Tuttle  &  Burgess  purchased  an  inter- 
est in  the  hardware  store  of  Close  &  Morehouse, 
which  Mr.  Burgess  managed  for  a  year  and  a-half. 
In  1866,  he  established  a  manufactory  in  Spring- 
field, Ohio,  for  the  building  of  cultivators.  Few 
men  have  led  a  more  busy  or  useful  life  than  Mr. 
Burgess.  On  the  large  Transportation  Building 
at  the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago  is  a  quotation  from 
Macaulay,  saying  that  to  no  one  are  we  more  in- 
debted than  to  him  who  has  made  rapid  transit 
possible.  AVe  thus  see  then  what  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude is  due  Mr.  Burgess  for  his  work  in  construct- 
ing the  magnificent  railroad  system  of  Illinois, 
which  surpasses  that  of  any  other  State  in  the  Un- 
ion. 


R.  JOSEPH  KING,  who  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  at  No.  719  North  Main  Street,  Deca- 
tur, was  born  in  Wythe  County,  W.  Va.,  on 
the  31st  of  December,  1808.  His  parents,  William 
and  Catherine  (Steffy)  King,  were  natives  of  the 
same  State  and  were  of  German  descent.  The 
former  was  a  farmer  of  his  native  State  and  lived 
upon  the  old  King  homestead,  which  he  had  inher- 
ited from  his  father,  John  King.  Having  survived 
his  wife  several  years,  he  died  at  the  old  home  at 
the  age  of  seventy.  Their  children  were  Joseph; 
Reuben  and  Elizabeth,  both  deceased;  Valentine,  a 
resident  of  Marshall,  111.;  William,  also  deceased; 
and  Christopher,  who  is  farming  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Virginia. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  West  Virginia  and  Ohio.  His  early  education 
was  acquired  in  the  old-time  subscription  schools. 
Having  determined  to  enter  the  medical  profession, 
he  became  a  student  in  the  Sixth  Street  Ohio  Med- 
ical College,  of  Cincinnati,  and  later  began  prae- 


206 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


tice  in  Virginia.  On  leaving  the  Old  Dominion, 
he  removed  to  Lancaster,  Ohio,  where  he  continued 
in  practice  for  a  time,  but  later  returned  to  Vir- 
ginia. Subsequently  he  once  more  made  his  home 
in  Lancaster,  and  in  1837  came  to  Illinois,  taking 
up  his  residence  in  Decatur,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home,  covering  a  period  of  fifty-five 
years.  The  county  was  then  in  its  infancy;  there 
were  often  large  herds  of  deer  to  be  seen,  and 
wolves  were  very  numerous  and  troublesome.  The 
prairie  grass  grew  higher  than  a  man's  head,  and 
it  seemed  that  the  work  of  upbuilding  and  develop- 
ing the  count}'  had  scarcely  begun,  but  the  Doctor 
at  once  energetically  began  practice  and  success- 
fully continued  the  prosecution  of  his  profession 
until  quite  recently. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1842,  Dr.  King  married 
Miss  Maryette  Packard,  a  native  of  Vermont  and 
a  daughter  of  Sylas  and  Lydia  (Tracey)  Packard, 
who  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1830,  coming  the 
whole  distance  with  a  team  in  company  with  two 
other  families.  They  left  their  homes  in  Vermont 
in  April  and  arrived  in  Macon  County  in  June. 
They  had  started  for  Springfield,  but  learning  that 
the  Government  land  was  all  sold  in  that  locality 
they  decided  to  locate'in  this  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Packard  became  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  but  one  son  died  in  infancy,  and 
Catherine  Agnes,  the  eldest,  also  died  when  quite 
young.  John  -Eberle,  a  druggist  of  Decatur,  mar- 
ried Sarah  Emma  Jackson,  and  unto  them  has  been 
born  a  daughter,  Lillian  Clara.  Clara  L.  is  the 
wife  of  R.  R.  Montgomery,  a  real-estate  agent  of 
Decatur,  and  they  have  three  children,  Robert  Du 
Fay,  Richard  J.  and  Cora  May.  Willie  J.  is  mar- 
ried and  lives  in  Chicago. 

The  Doctor  was  the  founder  of  Macon  Lodge 
No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  also  of  Macon  Chapter  No.  21, 
R.  A.  M.,  in  both  of  which  he  still  holds  mem- 
bership. He  is  also  one  of  the  charter  members  of  i 
the  Odd  Fellows' lodge  of  Decatur,  and  his  wife 
belongs  to  the  Episcopal  Church.  In  politics,  he  ', 
was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  since  the  organization 
of  the  Republican  party  has  been  one  of  its  stalwart 
supporters.  His  long  residence  in  the  county  and 
his  professional  duties  have  brought  him  a  wide 
acquaintance,  and  his  well-spent  life  has  gained  him 


many  warm  friends.  He  has  been  a  witness  of  al- 
most the  entire  growth  and  development  of  the 
county,  and  well  deserve  representation  among  its 
honored  pioneers. 


eHARLES  W.  CLOUD,  a  prosperous  farmer 
and  pioneer  settler  of  Macon  County,  resid- 
ing on  section  12,  Milan  Township,  was 
born  October  17,  1852,  in  Moultrie  County,  just 
across  the  county  line  from  where  he  now  resides. 
He  is  the  second  in  a  family  of  six  children,  whose 
parents  were  Joel  and  Nancy  (Rayborn)  Cloud. 
The  eldest,  Martha,  is  now  deceased;  Henry  is 
residing  in  this  county;  Mary  makes  her  home  with 
her  mother;  Frank  is  a  real-estate  dealer  of  De- 
catur; and  John  G.  follows  farming  in  this  county. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  born  in  Orange 
County,  N.  C.,  and  on  corning  West  entered  land 
in  Moultrie  County.  In  1857  he  came  to  this 
county  and  settled  in  Milan  Township,  where  he 
purchased  a  tract  of  wild  land  from  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Mirium  Freeland,  of  Moultrie 
County,  but  after  two  years  her  death  occurred, 
and  in  1849  he  was  married  to  Miss  Nancy  Ray- 
born.  Mr.  Cloud  was  the  first  settler  of  Milan 
Township.  He  devoted  his  energies  to  farm  work 
until  October  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company 
H,  Fifth  Illinois  Cavalry,  in  which  he  served  un- 
til the  14th  of  April,  1862,  on  which  day  he  de- 
parted this  life,  his  death  resulting  from  an  attack 
of  the  measles.  His  remains  were  interred  at  Pilot 
Knob,  Mo.  Mrs.  Cloud  is  a  native  of  Roane 
County.  Tenn.,  and  is  of  German  lineage.  In  an 
early  day  she  came  to  this  State,  and  is  still  living 
on  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Milan  Township. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  well  deserves  representation  in  this 
volume,  for  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  this 
community  and  he  has  witnessed  almost  its  entire 
growth  and  upbuilding.  He  has  always  remained 


UBRMW 

OF  U-UNOIS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


209 


at  home  with  his  mother  and  carried  on  the  farm 
for  her.  He  is  an  enterprising  and  successful 
agriculturist  and  is  now  the  owner  of  two  hundred 
and  forty-nine  acres  of  rich  land.  The  farm  is  a 
valuable  and  desirable  one.  It  is  supplied  with 
good  buildings,  a  substantial  residence,  the  latest 
improved  machinery  and  all  the  accessories  and 
conveniences  of  a  model  farm'  of  the  nineteenth 
century;  and  its  neat  and  tasty  appearance  indi- 
cates the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner. 

Mr.  Cloud  is  a  man  of  industry  and  energy,  and 
to  his  own  efferts  may  be  attributed  his  success  in 
life,  so  that  he  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made 
man.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  his  honorable,  upright  career 
lias  won  him  high  regard.  During  his  long  resi- 
dence in  this  community  he  has  ever  borne  his 
part  ill  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the 
county  and  has  aided  in  the  advancement  of  its 
best  interests.  The  family  is  numbered  among 
the  honored  pioneers,  and  this  record  is  well  de- 
serving of  a  place  in  the  history  of  the  county. 


J~l  AMES  D.  TAIT,  who  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  at   his  pleasant  home  at    No.  240  East 
i    Jefferson     Street,     Decatur,    is    numbered 
among    the    honored    pioneers   of    Maeon 

County,  and  well  deserves  representation  in  this 
volume.  He  truces  his  ancestors  back  to  natives 
of  the  Emerald  Isle,  his  grandparents  having  lived 
and  died  in  that  country.  His  father,  Samuel 
Tait,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and,  having  emigrated 
to  America,  became  a  farmer  of  Beaver  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  died  in  1831,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years.  His  wife,  who  was  also  born  in  Ireland, 
and  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  Hogue, 
survived  him  for  a  number  of  years,  and  passed 
away  in  Beaver  County,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-two.  They  had  a  family  of  nine  children, 
as  follows:  John,  Jane,  Robert,  Samuel,  Thomas, 
Martha,  James  D.,  Ross  and  Matthew.  Only  three 

9 


of  the  family  beside  our  subject  are  now  living: 
Thomas,  a  resident  of  Niles,  Ohio;  Ross,  of  New- 
ton, Iowa;  and  Matthew,  who  makes  his  home  near 
Newcastle,  Pa. 

Our  subject,  the  other  surviving  member,  was 
born  in  Beaver  County,  Pa.,  July  15,  1817,  and 
remained  at  home  until  fourteen  years  of  age. 
His  father  having  died,  he  was  then  bound  out  to 
learn  the  saddler's  trade.  He  traveled  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  as  a  journeyman  and  in  1839  came  to 
this  county,  establishing  the  first  harness  and  sad- 
dlery shop  in  Decatur.  He  followed  that  business 
for  six  years,  or  until  failing  health  compelled  him 
to  abandon  it,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to 
farming,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  two  miles  north  of  Decatur.  A  por- 
tion of  this  he  bought  for  $5  per  acre.  He  now 
owns  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres, 
and  its  present  value,  owing  to  its  highly  culti- 
vated state  and  the  many  improvements  thereon, 
is  not  less  than  $100  per  acre.  He  remained  on 
his  farm  until  1876,  when  he  removed  to  the  city, 
where  he  has  a  good  home  property.  •  *' 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1842,  Mr.  Tait  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Susan,  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Barbara  (Benson)  Spangler,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Five  children  were  born  unto  them,  but 
James,  Daniel  and  Robert  are  now  deceased,  Jo- 
seph and  Felix  being  the  only  ones  now  living. 
The  mother  of  this  family  died  May  28,  1882. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church,  in 
which  Mr.  Tait  has  served  as  Trustee  for  many- 
years.  On  the  llth  of  January,  1884,  he  was 
again  married,  this  union  being  with  Mrs.  Cath- 
erine Rea,  widow  of  Samuel  Rea,  and  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Magdeline  (Gudtner)  Dennis. 

In  the  early  days,  Mr.  Tait  served  as  County 
Commissioner,  and  was  also  Township  Assessor, 
but  he  has  never  been  an  office-seeker.  On  coming 
to  Decatur  he  made  the  journey  by  way  of  New 
Orleans  and  St.  Louis,  thence  up  the  Illinois  River 
to  Naples,  and  on  foot  across  the  country  to  this 
city.  He  carried  his  tools  on  his  back  and  waded 
through  swamps  waist  deep.  On  his  arrival  the 
southern  part  of  Decatur  was  covered  with  timber 
and  brush,  and  the  present  site  of  Central  Park 
was  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of  hazel.  He  has 


210 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


witnessed  the  city's  growth  from  a  mere  village  to 
a  city  of  twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  with  fine 
schools,  churches,  residences,  large  manufacturing 
establishments  and  industries,  and  all  that  goes  to 
make  up  a  thriving  and  progressive  place.  He  has 
taken  a  commendable  interest  in  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  place  and  Macon  County,  and 
has  ever  born  his  part  in  the  discharge  of  public 
duties.  He  is  highly  esteemed  for  his  sterling 
worth  and  his  many  excellencies  of  character,  and 
well  deserves  mention  in  the  history  of  the  county 
which  numbers  him  among  its  pioneers. 


V.  LOR1NG  is  the  popular  and 
efficient  County  Surveyor  of  Macon  County, 
his  home  being  in  Decatur.  He  was  first 
elected  to  that  office  in  1869,  and  has  held  the  po- 
sition continuously  since,  covering  a  period  of 
almost  a  quarter  of  a  century.  No  higher  testi- 
monial to  his  faithfulness  and  fidelity  to  duty 
could  be  given  than  the  fact  of  his  long-continued 
service.  He  had  previously  been  Deputy  Sur- 
veyor in  McLean  County  for  several  j'ears,  and 
thus  entered  the  office  with  experience. 

Mr.  Loring  was  born  in  Worcester  County,  Mass., 
May  8,  1837,  a  son  of  Lucius  and  Elizabeth 
(Moore)  Loring.  The  former  was  of  Scotch  de- 
scent and  was  a  boot  and  shoe  manufacturer.  He 
died  whe,n  our  subject  was  only  about  eight  years 
of  age.  The  Moore  family  is  of  Irish  origin,  and 
the  mother  spent  her  entire  life  in  Massachusetts. 
Their  children  wore  as  follows:  Elizabeth  A.,  who 
became  the  wife  of  James  Babbit,  of  Oakham, 
Mass.,  and  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty,  leaving 
several  children;  Thomas,  a  resident  farmer  of 
New  Brain  tree  Township,  Worcester  County  ,Mass.; 
Lauriet,  who  became  the  wife  of  Ethan  Bothwell, 
and  died  in  Worcester  County  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
five,  leavinga  family;  Marietta,  wife  of  B.  Corn- 
well,  a  contractor  and  builder  of  Decatur;  Theo- 
dore, who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years;  George, 


of  this  sketch;  and  Frank,  who  resides  on  the  old 
Loring  homestead  with  the  younger  brother,  Ar- 
thur, who  married  Miss  Lizzie  Dean,  and  has  five 
children. 

When  a  lad  of  nine  summers,  his  father  having 
died  the  previous  year,  our  subject  left  home  to 
earn  a  livelihood,  and  lias  since  made  his  own  way 
in  the  world.  He  worked  on  a  farm  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  at  intervals  attended  school.  He 
emigrated  to  McLean  Count}-,  111.,  in  1857,  being 
then  a  young  man  of  twenty  years,  and  went  to 
work  on  his  uncle's  farm  near  Bloomington.  The 
next  year  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  farm, 
which  was  known  as  the  Ocoya  Stock  Farm,  and 
was  located  in  Livingston  County.  Mr.  Loring 
helped  to  lay  out  the  village  of  Ocoya,  111.,  on  the 
Chicago  <fc  Alton  Railroad,  and  became  its  first 
Station  Agent  and  Postmaster. 

In  the  fall  of  1861,  Mr.  Loring  sold  his  farm, 
and  in  the  following  spring  entered  the  sei  vice  of 
his  country,  enlisting  in  Company  E,  of  the  Vales 
Sharp-shooters  for  three  years.  He  served  in 
Mississippi  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  New 
Madrid.  Later  he  was  detailed  to  conduct  prison- 
ers captured  at  Island  No.  10  to  Chicago.  When 
he  returned  the  Union  troops  had  just  won  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  after  which  his  company  advanced 
to  Corinth.  He  participated  in  the  second  battle 
of  Corinth,,  October  4,  1862,  the  battle  of  lukaand 
other  engagements.  After  the  war  was  over,  he 
was  honorably  discharged  in  Chicago  on  account 
of  physical  disability.  He  had  entered  the  service 
as  a  private,  but  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Sergeant. 

On  returning  to  his  home,  Mr.  Loring  joined  a 
corps  of  engineers  who  were  surveying  in  McLean 
County,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  business 
which  he  to-day  follows.  lie  was  married  in  1868, 
the  lad}'  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Elizabeth  Rislcy, 
daughter  of  A.  T.  Risley,  of  Decatur.  A  family 
of  six  children  has  been  born  unto  them,  but  Roy 
died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  and  Cora  and  Ira 
both  died  in  infancy.  The  living  members  of  the 
family  are  Frank,  a  youth  of  fourteen,  who  is  pur- 
suing a  regular  college  course  in  St.  Louis;  Ida 
May,  twelve  years  of  age;  and  Lucile,  a  little 
maiden  of  six  summers.  Mr,  and  Mrs,  Loring  have 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


211 


a  pleasant  home  at  No.  801  East  Wood  Street.  The 
lady  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Loring  is  a  true  and  tried  Republican,  who  warmly 
advocates  the  principles  of  the  party  which  was 
the  Union's  defense  in  the  hour  of  peril.  Socially, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  Post  of  Deca- 
tur.  For  his  success  in  life  he  deserves  great 
credit,  as  he  had  many  disadvantages  and  difficul- 
ties to  meet  in  early  life. 


5>ILLIAM  L.  HAMMER,  who  has  laid  aside 
all  business  cares  except  the  official  duties 
connected  with  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  is  numbered  among  the  early  and  represen- 
tative citizens  of  Decatur.  For  forty  years  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  public  interests  of  this 
city,  and  well  deserves  representation  in  the  history 
of  Macon  County.  Born  on  the  2d  of  November, 
1817,  in  Winchester,  Clark  Qounty,  Ky.,  he  isa  son 
of  Frederick  and  Elizabeth  (Webb)  Hammer,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  that  State.  He  comes  of 
an  old  family  of  New  Jersey,  however,  his  grand- 
.  father,  John  Hammer,  having  been  born  there. 
The  latter  was  a  farmer,  and  became  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Kentucky,  living  in  Clark  and  Monroe 
Counties.  Frederick  Hammer  was  a  blacksmith 
and  farmer.  After  attaining  to  mature  years  he 
married  Miss  Webb,  daughter  of  Aden  Webb,  her 
father  being  a  native  of  England  and  her  mother 
of  Ireland.  They  were  married  in  Virginia  and 
reared  a  family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters, 
all  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hammer  were  born  eight  sons  and  two  daughters, 
seven  of  whom  are  now  living,  as  follows:  William 
L.,  Lucian  W.,  Addison  W.,  Silas  R.,Seth  R.,  Mary 
(widow  of  Andrew  D.  Northcutt),  and  Sanford  G. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  a  blacksmith 
and  farmer.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1827,  locating 
in  Sangamon  County,  sixteen  miles  southwest  of 
Springfield,  where  he  made  his  home  for  ten  years. 
In  1837,  he  took  up  his  lesidence  near  Mowcaqua, 
Christian  County,  where  he  entered  a  farm  of 


three  hundred  and  seventy-four  acres.  That  he 
afterwards  sold,  and  tuen  bought  land  two  miles 
east  of  Taylorville,  removing  to  that  farm  in  1848. 
Abandoning  his  trade  of  blacksmithing,  he  turned 
all  of  his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  his  two 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land  and  to  stock- 
raising.  His  death  occurred  at  the  old  home  in 
1867,  in  his  seventy-third  year.  His  wife  survived 
him  three  years,  and  passed  away  in  her  seventy- 
sixth  year.  They  were  both  for  many  years  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  Church,  but  shortly  before  his 
death  Mr.  Hammer  left  that  denomination  and  be- 
came an  adherent  of  the  Christian  Church. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  with  his  parents  came  to  Illinois  when  a 
lad  of  ten  summers.  He  acquired  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  his  native  State  and  after  coming 
West,  and  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  far- 
mer lads,  remaining  at  home,  giving  his  father  the 
benefit  of  his  services,  until  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
He  was  living  in  Christian  County  at  the  time  he 
attained  his  majority.  In  1846,  he  was  elected 
Sheriff  of  that  county  and  served  for  a  term  of  four 
years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  merchandising  for 
two  years. 

On  the  llth  of  October,  1853,  a  wedding  cere- 
mony was  performed  which  united  the  destinies  of 
Mr.  Hammer  and  Isabel  M.,  daughter  of  Thomas 
East,  a  native  of  Adams  County,  Ohio.  By  their 
union  they  became  the  parents  of  five  sons  and 
three  daughters,  as  follows:  Leslie  E.,  now  deceased; 
Park  S.;  Guy,  who  died  in  his  second  year;  Ruth, 
wife  of  John  E.  Grove,  a  dry-goods  salesman  of 
Decatur;  Cora,  now  the  wife  of  Arthur  E.  Spencer, 
of  Joplin,  Mo.;  Eve;  William  A.;  and  Harold  C. 

About  a  year  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Hammer 
left  Christian  County  and  came  to  Decatur.  From 
1854  until  1856  he  engaged  in  the  dry-goods  busi- 
ness. Following  this  latter  year  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  in  1859 
was  returned  to  that  office.  In  1860  he  was  elected 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  and  served  eight  years, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  the  banking  business 
with  T.  O.  and  E.  O.  Smith  and  J.  Q.  Odor.  This 
connection  was  continued  for  six  years,  when  Mr. 
Hammer  retired.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  during  the  same  period.  From 


212 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


that  lime,  he  lived  a  retired  life  until  1889,  when 
he  was  again  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  hav- 
ing been  re-elected  in  the  spring  of  1893,  he  now 
holds  the  office.  He  was  also  honored  with  the 
position  of  Mayor  in  1869. 

In  1883,  our  subject  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  llth  of  Au- 
gust, at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years,  in  the  faith  of 
the  Methodist  Church.  The  "Squire"  is  a  member 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  fraternally  is  con- 
nected with  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.;  Ma- 
con  Chapter  No,  21,  R.  A.  M.;  Decatur  Council  No. 
16,  R.  it  S.  M.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No. 
9,  K.  T.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Celestial  Lodge 
No.  186,  I.  O.  O.  F.  In  politics,  he  was  originally 
a  Whig  and  a  disciple  of  Henry  Clay.  Since  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  he  has  been 
one  of  its  stanch  advocates.  As  we  have  seen,  he 
has  been  honored  with  a  number  of  local  offices, 
and  his  official  duties  have  ever  been  discharged 

o 

with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  that  have  won  him 
the  commendation  of  all.  He  is  a  public-spirited 
and  progressive  citizen,  one  who  manifests  a  warm 
interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
the  community  in  which  he  has  so  long  made  his 
home.  He  resides  at  No.  371  West  North  Street,  and 
is  surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances. 


lOBERT  M.  BLACK,  who  owns  a  farm  of 
forty  acres  pleasantly  located  four  miles 
northeast  of  Macon,  on  section  25,  South 
.'  Macon  Township,  is  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneers  of  the  county,  for  he  was  born 
in  Mt.  Zion  Township,  October  22,  1839.  In  a 
family  of  seven  children  born  unto  Abraham  and 
Eleanor  (Davidson)  Black,  he  was  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth.  Margaret,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of 
George  Riber,  a  blacksmith  of  Blue  Mound;  Nancy 
A.  became  the  wife  of  Abraham  Nitzler,  and  died 
leaving  three  children;  Sarali  Ann  is  the  wife  of 
John  Downey,  a  wagon-maker  of  Mt.  Zion;  Robert 


is  the  next  younger;  Catherine  is  the  widow  of 
James  T.  Scott,  and  she  too  resides  in  Mt.  Zion; 
and  Thomas  B.  died  in  the  army.  The  father  of 
this  family  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1800, and  when 
a  young  man  came  to  Illinois.  In  this  State  he 
married  Miss  Davidson,  who  was  born  in  South 
Carolina  in  1811,  and  with  her  parents-  emigrated 
to  Wayne  County,  111.,  during  her  early  girlhood. 
From  that  place  the  family  came  to  Macon  County. 
Mr.  Black  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and 
throughout  his  life  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  in  pursuit  of  fortune.  His  death  occurred 
in  1852,  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him  for  many 
years,  passed  away  in  1882. 

Our  subject  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  when 
his  father  died,  and  as  he  was  the  eldest  son  of 
the  family  the  care  of  the  farm  and  the  support  of 
his  mother  and  her  children  devolved  upon  his 
young  shoulders,  but  he  faithfully  performed  the 
task  and  remained  upon  the  home  farm  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  then  felt  that  his 
country  needed  his  services,  and,  donning  the 
blue,  he  enlisted  on  the  13th  of  August,  1862.  as 
a  member  of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  :ind  Six- 
teenth Infantry,  in  which  he  served  until  the  3d 
of  June,  1863,  when  he  was  discharged  on  account 
of  disability,  the  effect  of  an  attack  of  measles. 

On  being  mustered  out  of  service,  Mr.  Black  re- 
turned to  Macon  County,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home,  with  the  exception  of  five  j'ears  spent  in 
Moultrie  County,  111.  On  the  6th  of  June,  1867, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Susanna  E. 
McMullen,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  November  15, 
1848.  Five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, grace  this  union:  Charles,  now  a  resident 
farmer  of  Woodbury  County,  Iowa;  Dora  May, 
wife  of  George  Traughber,  a  farmer  of  Macon 
County;  David  Thomas,  Burton  and  Nancy  Ellen, 
who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  Black  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  having 
supported  that  party  since  attaining  his  majority. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Tom  White  Post  No. 
529,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Mt.  Zion,  which  was  named  in 
honor  of  Capt.  Tom  White,  who  commanded  the 
company  of  which  our  subject  was  a  member.  Mr. 
Black  is  now  serving  as  Commissioner  of  High- 
and  as  School  Director  of.  his  district,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


213 


the  community  finds  in  him  a  faithful  and  capable 
officer.  He  is  a  man  of  strict  integrity,  whose 
word  is  as  good  as  his  bond.  The  same  generous 
spirit  that  prompted  his  care  of  his  mother,  and 
the  same  loyalty  which  caused  him  to  go  to  the 
front  during  the  late  war,  have  characterized  his 
entire  life  and  made  him  numbered  among  the  • 
best  citizens  of  his  native  county. 


ENRY  P.  PAGE,  an  attorney-at-law  of  De- 
catur,  and  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Outten 
<fc  Page,  comes  from  an  old  family  of  the 
Bay  State,  which  was  probably  established 
there  in  early  Colonial  days.  His  paternal  grandfa- 
ther was  born  in  that  State,  and  became  a  well-to-do 
farmer  of  Hawley,  Mass.  His  maternal  grand- 
father, John  Putnam,  was  also  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  was  a  sheep-raiser  and  farmer.  Their 
children,  Phineas  L.  Page  and  Julia  Putnam,  who 
became  the  parents  of  our  subject,  were  born, 
reared  and  married  in  Massachusetts.  The  latter 
died  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  to 
which  Mr.  Page  also  belongs.  The  latter  left  his 
old  home  in  1873,  and  removed  to  Ann  Arbor, 
Mich.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law 
for  some  time,  hut  is  now  living  retired  in  Chi- 
cago, 111.  He  held  a  number  of  public  offices  dur- 
ing his  residence  in  Massachusetts,  and  was  at 
one  time  Judge  of  the  City  Courts  of  Pittsfield. 
He  was  again  married,  in  1871.  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Lora  A.,  daughter  of  Elijah  Eld- 
ridge,  of  Springfield.  By  his  first  union  he  had 
four  sons:  Henry,  of  this  sketch;  Dwight  B.,  who 
died  April  3,  1893,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years; 
Charles  S.  and  William  L.  By  the  second  union 
was  born  a  son,  Benjamin  E. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  thir- 
teen years  of  his  life  in  the  State  of  his  birth,  and 
in  its  public  schools  obtained  his  early  education. 
He  accompanied  his  father  on  his  removal  to  Mich- 
igan, and  afterward  became  a  student  at  Ann  Ar- 


bor, in  the  University  of  Michigan,  from  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '83. 
When  his  school  life  was  ended,  he  came  to  De- 
catur,  and  in  this  city  engaged  in  teaching  for 
four  years.  Determining  to  enter  the  legal  pro- 
fession, while  teaching  he  took  up  the  study  of 
law,  and  in  1887  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  active  prac- 
tice. In  1889  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Will- 
iam C.  Outten,  under  the  firm  name  of  Outten  & 
Page,  which  connection  has  continued  up  to  the 
present. 

On  the  22d  of  June,  1886,  Mr.  Page  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  A.  Farrell,  daughter 
of  William  E.  and  Anna  D.  (Ross)  Farrell.  Two 
daughters  grace  this  union, Florence  S.  and  Helen. 
Socially,  our  subject  is  connected  with  Decatur 
Council  No.  92,  R.  L.  In  politics  he  is  indepen- 
dent and  is  not  an  aspirant  for  political  prefer- 
ment, desiring  rather  to  devote  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  his  profession,  in  which  he  will  no 
doubt  win  an  enviable  reputation,  for  he  has  al- 
ready secured  a  liberal  patronage. 


<*_/"  N.  AiWl-'.'i'i-  *»t««i 


Ky 


OHN  R.  MILLER,  who  resides  at  his  beau- 
tiful home  at  No.  303  West  Main  Street 
is  one  of  the  well-known  citizens  of  De- 
catur.  He  was  born  in  Bourbon  County, 
September  9,  1831.  His  father,  John  A. 
Miller,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  came 
of  a  family  of  German  origin,  which  was  founded 
in  Kentuck}'  in  1800.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and,  as  a  member  of  Johnson's  cav- 
alry, took  part  in  the  battle  with  the  Indian  chief, 
Tecumseh.  His  death  occurred  in  1842.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jane  Levesque,  and  was 
of  French  descent.  She  was  called  to  her  final 
home  in  1847. 

The  brother  of  our  subject,  Jacob  H.  Miller,  was 
born  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  and  came  to  De- 
catur in  1861.  He  had  formerly  lived  in  Craw- 
fordsville,  Ind.,  and  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Lew 


214 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Wallace.  In  his  early  years  he  was  a  prominent 
Mason.  After  coming  to  Decatur  he  was  made 
Treasurer  of  the  County  Agricultural  Board, 
.which  position  he  held  for  many  years,  or  until 
his  death.  He  was  also  Treasurer  of  the  old  vol- 
unteer fire  department,  and  after  his  death  the 
department  had  his  portrait  pain  ted  in  oil  to  hang 
in  their  hall.  He  was  a  fine-looking  gentleman, 
very  popular,  and  had  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances.  He 
made  his  home  with  our  subject,  and  there  died 
December  14,  1881,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven. 

John  R.  Miller  remained  with  his  mother  until 
he  began  serving  a  four-years  apprenticeship  to 
the  tailor's  trade,  and  after  his  term  was  com- 
pleted he  remained  with  his  employer  for  several 
years  longer.  In  Paris,  Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  Sep- 
tember 1,  1856,  he  wedded  Miss  Mary  E.  Gallo- 
way, who  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Ky.,  Feb- 
ruary 17, 1826.  Her  grandfather,  David  Galloway, 
lived  in  Botetourt  County,  Va.,  and  Mrs.  Miller 
has  in  her  possession  an  old  paper  dated  April  18, 
1779,  which  is  his  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  State 
of  Virginia.  He  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scot- 
land, December  9,  1736,  and  died  March  2,  1812. 
He  was  married  September  23,  1762,  to  Mary 
Johnson,  who  was  born  August  10,  1739,  and  died 
February  12,  1813.  Their  marriage  certificate  is 
in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Miller,  as  is  the  old  fam- 
ily Bible,  printed  in  Edinburgh  in  1764.  Mrs. 
Miller  also  has  many  other  interesting  relics  of 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  days,  including  some 
handsome  needlework  done  by  her  grandmother 
more  than  one  hundred  years  ago. 

Joseph  Galloway,  father  of  Mrs.  Miller,  was 
born  in  Kentucky  June  25,  1782,  and  was  mar- 
ried February  17,  1821,  to  Elizabeth  Crawford, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  James  Crawford,  a  Presby- 
terian minister,  who  built  the  Walnut  Hill  Church, 
seven  miles  from  Lexington,  Fayette  County, 
and  to  its  advancement  devoted  his  life.  His  old 
autograph  hymn-book,  which  was  printed  in  Phil- 
adelphia in  1795,  and  in  which  he  has  placed  the 
date  1797,  is  in  the  possession  of  his  granddaugh- 
ter. It  was  used  by  him  through  fifty  years  of 
active  service  in  the  ministry.  The  centennial 
celebration  of  the  erection  of  the  old  stone  church 


built  through  his  instrumentality  was  celebrated 
some  ten  years  ago,  and  Mrs.  Miller,  his  only  sur- 
viving descendant,  received  a  special  invitation 
to  be  present  on  the  occasion.  Joseph  Galloway 
died  December  12, 1842,  and  his  wife  passed  away 
March  2,  1845. 

Immediately  after  their  marriage-  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Miller  removed  to  Decatur,  where  they  have  since 
made  their  home.  He  purchased  property,  and 
soon  afterward  began  selling  lots  to  a  real-estate 
men.  This  was  his  beginning  in  real-estate  deal- 
ings, which  he  has  since  extensively  followed.  As 
a  member  of  the  firm  of  Miller  &  Packard,  he  laid 
out  an  addition  in  the  northwestern  part  of  De- 
catur. He  formerly  owned  the  entire  block  on 
which  the  postolfice  now  stands,  there  making  his 
home  for  thirty-five  years.  He  has  erected  sev- 
eral of  the  business  houses  of  the  city,  including 
the  postoffice,  which  was  built  in  1874.  He  also 
built  the  City  Hall.  His  life  has  been  one  of  un- 
tiring energy  and  enterprise,  and  his  persever- 
ance and  good  management  have  won  him  the 
handsome  property  which  is  but  the  just  reward 
of  his  labors. 

In  politics  Mr.  Miller  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 
the  Democratic  party  and  keeps  well  informed  on 
the  issues  of  the  day,  but  he  has  never  been  a 
politician  in  the  sense  of  office-seeking.  He  greatly 
enjoys  travel,  and  takes  much  delight  in  fishing 
and  other  outdoor  sports.  He  has  a  'pleasant  cot- 
tage at  Mackinaw  Falls.,  where  each  summer  he 
and  his  estimable  wife  spend  several  weeks. 


'RANCIS  E.  DESPRES,  who  is  engaged  in 
general  farming  on  section  21,  Pleasant 
View  Township,  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye 
State.  He  was  bom  in  Wayne  County  on  the  2d 
of  December,  1847.  His  father  was  born  in  France 
in  1823,  and  with  his  parents  came  to  America 
when  only  six  years 'of  age.  He  was  reared  to 
manhood  upon  a  farm,  and  in  1864  came  to  Ma- 
con  County,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


215 


Here  he  has  engaged  in  farming,  having  purchased 
land  soon  after  his  arrival.  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Euphrozena 
Cotty,  is  also  a  native  of  France,  who  was  born  in 
1823  and  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Despres 
had  a  family  of  twelve  children,  but  eight  of  that 
number  are  now  deceased.  Those  who  still  survive 
are  Mary,  wife  of  James  M.  Day,  a  farmer  residing 
in  soutli western  Kansas;  Francis  E.,  of  this  sketch; 
Jennie,  wife  of  Millard  Pope,  who  is  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  in  this  community;  and  Del- 
phia,  wife  of  Fred  Ketchum,  a  machinist  of  Bluff 
Springs,  Sangamon  County,  111. 

In  taking  up  the  sketch  of  Francis  Despres,  we 
present  to  our  readers  a  life  record  of  one  of  Ma- 
con  County's  worthy  citizens.  The  first  sixteen 
years  of  his  life  were  passed  under  the  parental 
roof  in  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  then  came 
with  his  parents  to  Macon  County,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  Upon  the  home  farm  he  remained, 
giving  his  father  the  benefit  of  his  services,  until 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Pauline  Young,  who  is  the  daughter  of  Bene- 
dict and  Cecelia  Young,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  volume.  The  young  couple  be- 
gan their  domestic  life  upon  a  part  of  the  old 
home  farm,  which  Mr.  Despres  rented  and  which 
he  operated  until  1882.  In  that  year  he  went  with 
his  family  to  southwestern  Kansas,  where  he  re- 
mained for  ten  years.  His  business  ventures  were 
not  very  successful,  and  in  that  decade  he  became 
entirely  cured  of  any  desire  to  make  his  home  in 
the  Sun  Flower  State.  Since  his  return  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  management  of  the  home 
farm. 

By  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four 
daughters,  as  follows:  Anna  E.,  wife  of  Joseph 
Flynn,  who  is  engaged  in  school  teaching  in  Ma- 
con  County;  Cecelia  G.,  Eveline  M.,  Francis  Ben- 
edict, Thomas  Edward,  Joseph  Eugene  and  Lillie 
May.  The  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  by 
death,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  eldest  daugh- 
ter the  children  are  all  yet  under  the  parental 
roof. 

Mr.  Despres  and  his  family  and  also  his  parents 
are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  In  politics 


he  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  he  has  severed 
his  allegiance  to  the  old  party,  and  now  supports 
the  People's  party.  Throughout  the  community 
in  which  he  lives  he  is  widely  known  and  he  has  a 
large  circle  of  warm  friends,  being  a  popular  and 
pleasant  gentleman,  who  possesses  many  excellen- 
cies of  character. 


EV.  FATHER  LOUIS  W.  LAMMERT,  pas- 
tor of  St.  James  Roman  Catholic  Church 
of  Decatur,  was  born  in  Iserlohn,  West- 
phalia,  Prussia,  April  10,  1852,  and  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years  began  studying  for  his  life 
work.  When  twenty-two  years  of  age  lie  came  to 
the  United  States.  This  was  in  1874,  and  in  1876 
he  finished  the  theological  course  in  St.  Francis 
Seminary,  at  Milwaukee,  and  was  ordained  in  Al- 
ton, 111.,  on  the  29th  of  June  of  that  year,  by  Rt. 
Rev.  Peter  Baltes.  His  first  work  was  at  East  St. 
Louis,  where  he  served  as  a  substitute  in  St. 
Henry's  Church.  He  then  went  to  Cairo, and  had 
charge  of  St.  Joseph's  Church  until  coming  to 
Decatur. 

St.  James  Church,  of  which  he  is  now  pastor, 
was  incorporated  in  1877.  The  previous  year  a 
congregation  was  formed  and  the  church  built, 
which  was  dedicated  on  the  1st  of  January,  1878. 
The  building  was  erected  by  Father  Joseph  Spaeth, 
who  was  its  pastor  for  nearly  two  years.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Father  Lammert  on  the  1st  of  August, 
1879,  who  has  since  been  in  charge.  The  congre- 
gation now  numbers  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
families.  In  1883,  Father  Lammert  built  a  par- 
sonage and  has  recently  built  an  addition  to  the 
church  and  a  good  schoolhouse.  The  church 
property  is  worth  about  $12,000. 

The  St.  James  parochial  school  first  convened  in 
a  part  of  the  church  building,  and  had  but  a  small 
attendance,  but  more  than  one  hundred  pupils  are 
now  enrolled.  These  are  under  the  care  of  two 
efficient  lady  teachers.  The  school  building  was 
erected  in  1890. 


216 


i-ORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Father  Lammert  holds  the  official  position  of 
Defensor  Matrimonii  for  the  diocese  of  Alton.  He 
has  given  his  entire  time  to  the  work  of  the  church 
and  the  care  of  its  people,  and  as  the  result  of  his 
untiring  labors  the  church  and  its  schools  are  in  a 
flourishing  condition. 


^^^EORGE  DAMERY,  who  carries  on  general 
If j  <-_  farm  ing  on  section  28,  Pleasant  View  Town- 
^^ii  ship,  Macon  County,  is  one  of  Erin's  noble 
sons.  He  was  born  in  County  Cork,  Ireland,  in 
1826,  and  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  fam- 
ily of  eight  children  born  unto  James  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Gassnall)  Damery.  The  only  survivors  of 
this  once  large  family  are  our  subject,  and  his 
brother  Arsola,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Connecti- 
cut. The  parents  were  also  natives  of  the  Emerald 
Isle,  and  in  1850  they  bade  good-bye  to  their  old 
home  and  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  America. 
On  reaching  the  New  World,  they  settled  in  Con- 
necticut upon  a  farm,  where  they  spent  the  remain- 
der of  their  lives. 

Upon  the  old  homestead  in  his  native  land, 
George  Damery  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
his  youth,  and  the  educational  privileges  afforded 
him  were  those  of  the  public  school.  He  remained 
in  Ireland  until  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when,  be- 
lieving that  he  could  better  his  financial  condition 
by  emigrating  to  the  United  States,  he  made  the  voy- 
age and  became  a  resident  of  Connecticut,  where,  in 
order  to  secure  a  livelihood,  he  worked  by  the  day 
and  month  until  1860.  That  year  witnessed  his 
arrival  in  Illinois.  He  first  settled  in  Morgan 
County,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  by  the  month 
for  two  years.  He  then  determined  that  his  ser- 
vices should  prove  more  beneficial  to  himself,  and 
began  renting  land.  This  he  did  for  five  or  six  j 
years,  during  which  time  his  efforts  were  compar- 
atively successful  and  he  acquired  some  capital. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Macon 
Count}'  and  purchased  forty  acres  of  wild  prairie 
land,  on  which  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or 


an  improvement  made.  Here  he  has  made  his  home 
continuously  since. 

In  1857  Mr.  Damery  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Johanna  Carwin,  of  Morgan  County,  111., 
who  has  proved  a  faithful  companion  and  help- 
mate to  him.  When  they  removed  to  their  pres- 
ent home,  our  subject  at  once  turned  his  attention 
to  its  development,  and  in  course  of  time  placed 
it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  farm 
now  comprises  one  hundred  and  twelve  acres  of 
rich  land,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  most  highly 
improved  and  best  farms  in  the  county. 

The  cause  of  temperance  has  long  found  in  Mr. 
Damery  a  firm  friend  and  one  untiring  in  his  efforts 
to  promote  its  interest.  He  votes  with  the  Prohi- 
bition party,  of  which  he  is  a  stanch  advocate.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  the  first  State  Convention  of  that, 
party  held  in  Illinois.  It  convened  in  1872  and 
there  were  only  eight  delegates,  all  told.  With 
the  Methodist  Church  he  holds  membership,  and 
his  life  is  in  harmony  with  his  professions.  His 
honorable,  upright  career,  and  his  many  noble 
deeds  have  made  him  one  of  the  most  highly  re- 
spected and  esteemed  citizens  of  this  community. 


>HOMAS  V.  JONES,  who  is  a  leading  busi- 
ness man  of  Macon  County,  holds  the  posi- 
tion  of  Vice-Presiden  t  of  the  Decatur 
Lumber  and  Manufacturing  Company,  which  was 
incorporated  in  1887,  and  which  from  the  begin- 
ning has  done  a  constantly  increasing  business, 
until  it  has  now  assumed  extensive  proportions. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  Pottsville,  Fa.,  on  the  8th 
of  July,  1855,  and  is  the  only  child  of  Thomas  V. 
and  Catherine  A.  (Lafa)  Jones.  His  mother  had 
been  married  previous  to  her  union  with  Mr.  Jones, 
and  by  her  first  husband,  Mr.  Hiler,  had  several 
children.  When  Thomas,  Jr.,  was  a  lad  of  eight 
summers  his  parents  went  to  California,  where  his 
father  died  after  three  years.  His  mother  then 
returned  to  the  East  with  her  son,  who  at  that 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  Of  ILLINOIS 
URBAN/1 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD.  219 

time  wa*  a  lad  of  eferea.    They  located  ia   De- 
eatar  ia  February.  18C6,aad  here  Mrs., 
the  remainder  of  her  life,  being  called  to  I 
rat  oa  the  id  of  March,  1893.  at  the 
age  of  seTeaty-aiae  years. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  oar  sabfect  began  work      for  hi*  i 
ia  the  sash,  door  aad  blind  factory  of  Bwood  *          Mr. 
COL,  with  wheat  he  was  to  i 
taiaed  his  Majority.     After  i 

"  broke  ap.     ailhaafch  he  had      his  way 
Mr.  Joaes  had  i»»««»J      His  < 

taf 

,  doors  aad  blinds.     Fr 
ired  CTeaty-are  eeate  per  day,j 
^  «OOB  increased,  so  that  fro*  the  age  of  eigh*       aVptaaVatlj.     He  i 

years  be  sopported  as  axHher.     The  Crm      aa  active  iaterest  ia  ' 
with  which  be  was  eaipioyed   baring  failed,  he      K.  P_  of  which  he  K  Fart  ' 
then  engaged  ia  repairing  cars  for  a  year,  and  for 
oae  year  was  a  brakeana  oa  a  local  freight  oa  the 
Wabash  Railroad      Later  he  catered  the  factory 


of  Wiffiaai  Gibsoa,  aow 


with  whkh  Mr.  Joaes  was 


for 

iagaadaU  the  fae  grades  of  work 

Gibaoa. 

Oa  the  i4th  of  Deccariier.  1^79.  Mr. 


BB  I     >EN*KEL  BDI-  M.  Du 

•A  i 

:    • 


of  Decator.    They  have  a  faauly  of 

Harry,  a  lad  of  twdre  years;  Arthar.  who  has      of  the  city.     Be  t*  a  soa  of 

passed  eight  swawers;  aad  Clifford,  a  baby  of  a      eriae  (TTartrl)  HeiL 

year. 

It  was  ia  18**  that  Mr.  Joaes  ea*i 

Heary  Plmcott.  whoai  he  had  known  froai  boy-      bat*.  Pa_  aad  ia  1**4  • 

hood.    They  secared  aa  iaterest  ia  the  Niagara      to  IDaaaai,  castia^  ia  their  ioc  with  t^»  : 

l*^ai|i   Coaipaay.  investing  aboat  tKJHB  ia  the      Maeoa  Cwaaty.    They  located  oa  i 

with  theai  W.  H.  AeaaT  aad  JaaiK  WfeweB-     They 

afeo  started  a  sawdl  piaaiag-aulL     After  two  years 

thb  bosiaess  was  aanlaajBatai  with  that  of  Mr.      ther  dwd  May  ».  18*5.    The  Hefl   Cwauiy 

Oiidi    who  owaed  a  laaiber.Tard.aad  the  areaeat 


was  iacoraotated.     At  the  end  of  oae  year  Mr.      HLc  Heary,  of  this  s 

Wtsweli  retired,  aad  after  two  yean  Mr.  AcaaT      MBS  Clan  Headrix.  aad  is  a  faiaai  Irriaf  ai  Ar- 


220 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


genta;  Julia,  who  graduated  from  the  Mt.  Carroll 
Female  Seminary,  and  is  a  leading  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  Illinois;  Mary,  wife  of  Frank 
Boyer,  a  farmer  of  Elwin,  111.:  George  and  Matilda, 
who  are  also  living  in  Elwin.  Matilda  is  a  grad- 
uate of  a  business  college  at  Dixon,  111. 

The  Doctor  was  a  boy  of  only  twelve  years 
when  his  father  died,  and  the  responsibilities  of 
the  household  and  the  support  of  the  family  de- 
volved very  largely  upon  him,  as  he  was  the  eld- 
est son.  He  was  thus  early  inured  to  hard  labor 
and  care,  but  thereby  developed  a  self-reliance  and 
independence  of  character  that  have  proved  of 
incalculable  benefit  to  him  in  later  years.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  he  entered  Westfield  College,  and 
after  studying  for  two  year's  engaged  in  teaching, 
which  profession  he  followed  for  four  years.  It 
was  his  desire,  however,  to  enter  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  in  September,  1884,  he  became  a  stu- 
dent in  Hush  Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  where  he 
pursued  the  regular  three-years  course,  embracing 
six  terms.  He  was  graduated  in  the  spring  of 
1887,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  (with  which  he  re- 
ceived a  certificate  of  honor),  and  also  with  the 
post-graduate  degree. 

Upon  our  subject's  graduation  he  was  given  a 
certificate,  showing  him  to  have  been  clinical  as- 
sistant to  Drs.  J.  P.  Ross  and  John  A.  Robeson, 
A.  M.,  M.  D.,  for  eighteen  months  previous  to  his 
graduation,  in  the  department  of  chest  and  throat 
diseases.  The  Doctor  was  one  of  the  best  students 
of  the  class  and  took  an  honorary  diploma  as  the 
result  of  his  excellent  standing  and  good  work. 
He  has  also  several  other  diplomas  on  throat  and 
nose  diseases,  and  on  dental  pathology  and  sur- 
gery. He  took  the  second  scholarship  prize  of  his 
class,  and  we  thus  sec  that  he  is  ably  fitted  for  the 
life  work  he  has  undertaken. 

The  Doctor  is  certainly  a  man  of  fine  ability. 
In  his  practice  he  has  been  very  successful  and  is 
a  rising  young  physician  of  sterling  qualities.  He 
served  as  County  Physician  of  Macon  County  for 
about  two  and  a-half  years.  In  politics,  the 
Doctor  is  a  Republican,  and,  socially,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and 
Chevalier  Bayard  Lodge,  K.  P. 


AMUEL  C.  ALLEN,  a  retired  farmer  re- 
siding at  No.  1606  East  William  Street, 
Decatur,  was  born  on  the  3d  of  October, 
1810,  in  Loudoun  County,  Va.,  ten  miles 
south  of  Leesburg.  The  family  is  of  Irish  origin. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  Robert  Al- 
len, lived  in  County  Antrim,  and  died  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-four  years.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Janet  Hair,  died  in  the 
city  of  Larne,  Ireland,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  Mr.  Allen  was  a  farmer  and  was  a  ruling 
Elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  old  home- 
stead is  still  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants. 
The  family  numbered  twenty-four  children,  eight- 
een of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood. 
One  of  the  sons  became  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject.  He  was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle,  and, 
coming  to  America  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  lived 
with  a  Quaker  family  in  New  Jersey.  He,  too, 
followed  farming.  His  death  occurred  in  1 799, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  He  had  four 
sons  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  one  was  killed 
and  two  died  in  the  service. 

James  Allen,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  became  a  farmer  of  that 
State.  He  married  Elizabeth  Lee,  daughter  of 
David  Lee,  who  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  lived 
in  New  Jersey  until  1775,  when  he  removed  to 
Virginia.  He  married  a  French  lady  and  became 
well-to-do.  His  daughter  Elizabeth  was  born  in 
New  Jersey.  After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Allen  located  in  Loudoun  County,  Va.,  and  be- 
came the  parents  of  fourteen  children,  namely: 
William,  David  L.,  Samuel  (deceased),  James, 
Samuel  C.,  Robert,  Lemuel,  Margaret.  Sarah,  Mary, 
Teresa,  Jane,  Elizabeth,  and  one  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. Only  four  are  now  living:  Samuel  C.; 
Elizabeth,  widow  of  Dr.  Thomas  H.  Reed,  who 
came  to  Decatur  in  1831;  Robert  and  Lemuel. 
The  father  of  this  family  died  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Loudoun  County,  Va.,  in  1845. 

Upon  the  home  farm,  Samuel  Allen  attained  to 
man's  estate,  and  after  arriving  at  mature  years 
managed  the  place  for  some  time.  He  had  been 
early  inured  to  hard  labor,  and  was  familiar  with 
agriculture  in  all  its  details.  On  the  3d  ol  Octo- 
ber, 1831,  he  left  the  Old  Dominion  and  traveled 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


221 


through  Ohio  and  Tennessee  on  horseback.  The 
following  year  he  came  to  Macon  County,  111., 
where  his  brother  David  had  secured  the  first  deed 
ever  made  in  Macon  County.  He  purchased  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  much  of  which 
he  still  owns,  although  some  of  it  has  been  platted 
and  forms  town  lots  in  this  city.  For  a  few  years 
after  his  arrival  he  operated  the  grist  and  sawmill 
belonging  to  his  brother  David,  which  was  the 
second  mill  erected  in  the  county,  and  the  only 
one  then  in  operation.  In  1841  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster  of  Decatur,  after  filling  which  office  he 
devoted  his  time  to  farming  and  clerking  until 
1850,  when  he  embarked  in  merchandising,  which 
he  followed  for  five  years.  Before  that  time  he 
had  served  as  Assessor,  and  later  filled  the  office  of 
County  Treasurer  for  four  years. 

In  December,  1858,  Mr.  Allen  went  to  Adams 
County,  Ohio,  and  married  Mrs.  Jane  E.  Reid, 
widow  of  Minor  Reid.  She  was  born  in  Virginia, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Enos  and  Mary  (Davis) 
Gore,  who  were  both  natives  of  the  same  State, 
but  became  residents  of  Ohio.  With  his  young 
bride  our  subject  returned  to  this  county,  and  they 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm.  Five 
children  were  born  unto  them,  four  now  living: 
Edwin  G.,  of  Decatur,  who  married  Miss  Minnie 
Sine,  by  whom  he  has  two  sons,  Jay  and  Rex; 
William  L.,  who  resides  on  a  part  of  the  old  home- 
stead, now  within  the  city  limits,  married  Miss 
Mary  Sanders,  of  Sangamon  County,  111.,  and  has 
two  children,  Guy  and  Roy;  Orville  R.,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  Mamie  Stockbridge,  and  lives  near  the 
old  homestead;  and  Frank  D.  Milton,  the  third 
son,  died  at  the  age  of  three  years. 

After  leaving  the  office  of  County  Treasurer, 
Mr.  Allen  engaged  in  farming  until  the  death  of 
his  wife,  which  occurred  in  June,  1880,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-three  years.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  has  since  retired  from  ac- 
tive work  and  is  now  living  with  his  son  Edwin. 
For  half  a  century  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  with  which  he  united  in  its  earli- 
est days.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican. 
When  our  subject  came  to  Macon  County,  Deca- 
tur contained  not  more  than  a  dozen  families. 
Wolves  made  the  night  hideous  with  their  howls, 


and  wild  deer  were  plentiful,  but  the  deep  snow 
of  1830  and  the  very  severe  weather  of  that  win- 
ter killed  many.  Only  three  persons  who  were 
children  when  Mr.  Allen  arrived  here  are  now  liv- 
ing, Silas  Packard  and  his  two  sisters.  The  first 
white  settlers  in  the  count}'  were  two  brothers  by 
the  name  of  Lorton  from  St.  Joseph,  Mich.  They 
were  Indian  traders  and  did  a  thriving  business 
until  1826,  when  the  redmen  ceased  visiting  this 
part  of  the  country  except  in  very  small  numbers. 
The  first  real  pioneer  was  the  hunter  and  trapper, 
William  Downing,  who  came  from  Vandalia  in  the 
fall  of  1820,  and  built  a  log  cabin  near  the  site  of 

-Capt.  D.  L. "Allen's  home.  Jt  was  the  first  build- 
ing erected  for  a  residence  within  the  limits  of  the 
count}-.  In  1824,  he  sold  out  to  John  Ward.  The 
first  permanent  settler  was  Leonard  Stevens,  Si1., 
who  built  a  log  house  in  1821,  three  miles  north 
of  Decatur.  A  decade  later  our  subject  arrived, 
and  with  the  history  of  Macon  County  he  has  since 
been  prominently  identified,  aiding  greatly  in  its 
upbuilding  and  advancement.  To  the  pioneers  the 

> county  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  can  never 
be  repaid,  but  we  can  cherish  and  perpetuate  their 
memory  by  written  record,  and  therefore  we  gladly 
give  to  Samuel  Allen  a  place  in  this  volume. 


ENRY  H.  STAFFORD,  head  engineer  for 
the  Hatfield  Milling  Company  of  Decatur, 
is  a  native  of  New  York.  He  was  born  in 
Essex  County,  July  16,  1829,  and  is  a  son 
of  Caleb  and  Rebecca  (Eggleston)  Stafford.  In 
1836,  when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  seven  years, 
the  parents  emigrated  Westward  to  Illinois,  and 
locating  in  Sangamon  County  there  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives,  the  mother  dying  at  the 
age  of  fifty-five  years,  while  the  father's  death  oc- 
curred at  the  age  of  sixty-five. 

Mr.  Stafford  whose  name  heads  this  record 
spent  his  boyhood  upon  the  home  farm,  but  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  began  learning  the  black- 
smith's trade.  He  did  not  follow  it,  however,  but 


222 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


returned  to  the  farm  and  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  1856.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he 
came  to  Decatur  and  secured  a  position  as  fireman 
in  the  old  Frank  Priest  Mill,  which  then  stood  on 
Decatur  Street,  and  which  was  burned  in  1864. 
After  a  year  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  an  engine 
and  continued  to  serve  in  the  capacity  of  an  en- 
gineer until  1861. 

In  that  year,  Mr.  Stafford,  on  the  first  call  for 
seventy-five  thousand  volunteers  to  aid  in  crush- 
ing out  the  rebellion,  enlisted  in  Company  A, 
Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  the  company  being 
raised  in  Decatur  in  April,  1861.  He  did  duty  at 
Cairo  for  three  months.  Being  then  taken  sick 
with  typhoid  fever,  he  did  not  re-enlist,  and  after 
his  recovery  he  returned  to  the  mill.  He  had 
charge  of  an  engine  at  Dn  Quoin  and  one  at  Riv- 
erton  for  eighteen  months.  He  then  came  to  De- 
catur, and  since  1857,  with  the  exception  of  about 
a  year,  has  served  as  a  mill  engineer.  In  1870,  he 
secured  a  position  in  the  mill  where  he  is  now 
employed,  it  being  then  owned  by  Priest  &  Crissy. 
Here  he  has  remained  continuously  since,  although 
the  ownership  has  constantly  changed,  the  firm 
of  Priest  &  Crissy  being  succeeded  by  George 
Priest,  then  Priest,  Deal  &  Co.  Later  it  became 
the  property  of  the  Hatfield  Company,  and  subse- 
quently the  Hatfield  Milling  Company  was  incor- 
porated. Under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Stafford 
new  boilers  and  engines  have  been  placed  in  the 
mill.  He  is  an  expert  and  careful  engineer  and 
has  had  no  accident,  except  on  one  occasion,  when 
the  breaking  of  a  pipe  crushed  his  two  middle 
fingers  on  the  right  hand. 

Mr.  Stafford  was  married  in  1851,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Miss  Lauretta  Ross,  of  Saugamon 
County,  whose  death  occurred  in  1858.  In  1863, 
in  Rivertou,  he  married  Lydia  A.  Wright.  By 
the  first  union  were  born  two  children:  Orlando 
C.,  who  is  now  Superintendent  of  the  Decatur 
Brick  and  Tile  Company's  works;  and  Lauretta, 
wife  of  Emory  Morris,  of  Sangamon  County.  The 
children  born  of  the  second  marriage  are:  Elean- 
ora,  wife  of  Elmer  Miller,  of  Chicago;  Grace,  wife 
of  Charles  Houghton,  of  Chicago;  Leota,  who  is 
now  a  student  in  the  Jacksonville  Institute,  of 
Jacksonville,  111.;  and  Charles  Henry,  who  is  also 


attending  school.  The  family  reside  at  No.  325 
South  Water  Street,  in  the  home  which  was  built 
by  Mr.  Stafford  in  1857. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows' 
society  of  Decatur  and  has  passed  all  of  the  chairs. 
He  has  attended  the  Grand  Lodge  and  Encamp- 
ment, and  is  a  member  of  the  Patriarchs  Militant, 
or  Uniformed  Degree.  For  thirty-seven  years  he 
has  made  his  home  in  this  city  and  has  therefore 
witnessed  much  of  its  growth  and  development. 
His  life  has  been  well  and  worthily  passed  and  his 
long-continued  service  in  one  mill  indicates  his 
faithful  performance  of  duty. 


?ILLI  AM  M.  BALDRIDGE,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  real-estate,  loan  and  insurance  busi- 
ness in  Decatur,  is  a  native  of  Decatur 
County,  Ind.,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the 
25th  of  July,  1833.  He  is  one  of  a  family  of  ten 
children  born  unto  Ebenezer  W.  and  Elizabeth 
(Wallace)  Baldridge,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  the  latter  of  Kentucky.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, William  Baldridge,  was  born  in  Virginia, 
and  spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  Adams 
County,  Ohio.  He  was  a  minister  of  the  Associate 
Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  now  called  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  preached  for 
about  forty  years,  or  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1824.  He  was  the  father  of  twelve  sons 
and  three  daughters.  The  maternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  Michael  Wallace,  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  followed  farming  in  Shelby  County, 
that  State,  and  in  Decatur  County,  Ind.  He  served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  died  at  his 
home  some  years  later.  He  and  his  family  were 
members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
his  ancestors  as  far  back  as  the  year  1400  were  ad- 
herents of  the  same  faith. 

Of  the  eight  sons  and  two  daughters  in  the 
Baldridge  family  only  three  are  now  living:  Will- 
iam, of  this  sketch;  James,  who  resides  in  Charles- 
ton, W.  Va.,  where  he  holds  the  position  of  tele- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


223 


graph  operator  and  ticket  agent;  and  Thomas  H., 
of  Catlettsburgh,  Ky.  The  father  of  this  family 
was  a  physician,  who  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  for  over  forty  years,  and  died  June  1, 
1893,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  His  wife, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  United  Presbyterian 
Church,  died  at  the  age  of  forty-four,  and  in  1862 
he  was  again  married. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in 
Ohio  and  there  acquired  his  early  education.  He 
completed  his  literary  studies  in  the  Miami  Uni- 
versity of  Oxford,  Ohio,  after  which  he  started  out 
in  life  for  himself.  He  embarked  in  merchandis- 
ing in  Hamilton,  Ohio,  and  after  a  short  period 
went  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he  followed  the  same 
business  for  some  time.  He  also  engaged  in  teach- 
ing there,  and  was  distributing  clerk  in  the  post- 
otticc  under  the  Buchanan  administration.  In 
1858  his  connection  with  the  railroad  commenced. 
He  btgan  in  the  freight  department,  and  was  af- 
terward conductor  on  the  Des  Moines  Valley  Rail- 
road until  1862,  when  he  went  to  La  Fayette,  Ind., 
and  ran  trains  on  the  Wabasli  Railroad  for  seven 
and  a-lialf  years.  Subsequent  to  that  time  he  was 
employed  in  the  railroad  offices  of  that  road.  La- 
ter he  formed  a  connection  with  the  Big  Four 
Road.  He  has  performed  almost  every  duty  in  con- 
nection with  that  line  of  work,  and  in  all  the  dif- 
ferent capacities  has  been  a  faithful  and  efficient 
employe.  At  length,  on  account  of  failing  health, 
he  left  the  road  in  1873. 

On  the  21st  of  September,  1854,  Mr.  Baldridge 
married  Miss  Pamelia  J.  Boycc,  daughter  of  Rev. 
William  M.  and  Nancy  (Grimes)  Boyce,  the  former 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  latter  of  Ken- 
tucky. Six  children  were  born  of  their  union, 
two  sons  and  four  daughters:  Nannie  E.,  Mary  I., 
Willie  M.,  Allie  B.,  Alvn  M.  and  Jennie,  but  Mary 
and  Willie  are  now  deceased.  Allie  has  become 
the  wife  of  John  H.  Mitchell,  telegraph  operator 
in  South  Bend,  Ind.  He  was  formerly  Deputy 
County  Clerk  of  Tippecanoe  County,  Ind.,  for 
eight  years.  They  have  one  child,  Joseph  B. 

On  leaving  the  railroad  in  1873,  Mr.  Baldridge 
became  insurance  solicitor  in  La  Fayette,  Ind.,  and 
followed  that  business  for  fifteen  years,  iu  connec- 


tion with  real-estate  dealing.  In  December,  1890, 
he  came  to  Decatur,  and  has  since  made  this  city 
his  home.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Assembly  Presbyterian  Church.  In  his  social  re- 
lations, he  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  in  politics  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Republican  principles.  He  is  a 
genial  and  pleasant  gentleman,  and  though  his 
residence  in  Decatur  has  been  of  very  short  dura- 
tion, he  has  already  become  quite  popular  through- 
out the  community. 


iilLLIAM  J.  HUFF,  of  the  Huff  Brothers' 
Lumber  and  Planing  Mill  Company,  is 
one  of  the  enterprising,  wide-awake  and 
representative  business  men  of  Decatur,  and  is 
prominent  not  only  in  business  circles,  but  is  also 
a  leader  in  church  work  and  a  popular  gentleman, 
highly  esteemed  for  his  many  excellencies  of 
character.  As  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known, 
we  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his  life  will 
prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1861,  Mr.  Huff  was 
born  in  Coshocton  County,  Ohio,  and  at  the  age 
of  eight  years  came  to  Illinois  with  his  father,  A. 
Huff,  a  native  of  Harper's  Ferry,  Va.  The  family 
located  in  Douglas  County.  At  the  age  of  twenty 
William  entered  the  commercial  school  at  Valpa- 
raiso, Ind.,  and  also  attended  a  normal  school,  ac- 
quiring a  good  business  education.  He  then  took 
up  his  residence  in  Cerro  Gordo,  111.,  where  he 
opened  a  lumber-yard  in  company  with  his  bro- 
ther, S.  E.  Huff.  He  borrowed  $3,000  of  his  father 
to  embark  in  business,  and  the  first  year  he 
cleared  about  $300  on  the  lumber,  but  lost  $200  on 
the  sawmill.  Later  he  established  a  lumber-yard 
in  Sidney,  which  he  carried  on  for  three  years, 
when  he  sold  out,  realizing  a  good  profit.  With 
the  exception  of  $600  each,  which  the  brothers  in- 
herited from  their  father's  estate,  they  have  made 
all  that  they  now  possess  as  the  result  of  their  own 
efforts. 

For  three  years  after  being  joined   by   his   bro- 


224 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ther  the  partnership  continued,  and  then  William 
sold  out  and  went  to  Wichita,  Kan.,  where  he 
spent  the  year  1885.  There  he  secured  a  position 
with  the  Citizens'  Hank,  after  which  he  secured 
employment  as  a  real-estate  agent  with  the  Lee 
Loan  and  Insurance  Co.,  which  was  then  doing  a 
big  business.  When  the  land  oih'ce  was  opened  at 
Warden  City,  he  went  to  that  place,  where  he  en- 
guged  in  locating  claims  for  four  months.  Alto- 
gether his  business  venture  in  the  West  proved  a 
very  profitable  one. 

While  in  Wichita,  Mr.  Huff  was  united  in  mar- 
riage, on  the  6th  of  August,  1885,  with  Miss  Cora 
A.  Pitts,  who  was  then  living  in  that  eity,  but  had 
formerly  been  a  resident  of  Cerro  Gordo.  By 
their  union  was  born  a  son,  William  Lindley. 
The  mother  died  on  the  1st  of  April,  1889,  when 
her  baby  was  only  eight  months  old,  since  which 
time  Mr?.  Julia  M.  Pitts,  mother  of  Mrs.  Huff,  has 
been  superintending  the  household  of  our  subject. 

On  his  return  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Huff  located  in 
Decatur  and  purchased  the  interest  of  C.  P. 
Thatcher  in  the  Thatcher  Lumber  Company.  The 
firm  then  became  Gaddis  <fe  Huff,  William  J.  and 
S.  E.  Huff  both  being  members  of  the  firm.  Busi- 
ness was  carried  on  under  that  style  for  three 
years,  after  which  the  company  was  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  Deoatur  Lumbering  and 
Manufacturing  Company.  For  two  years  our 
subject  was  its  Treasurer,  after  which  he  retired 
from  the  firm.  The  year  1890  was  spent  as  a 
lumber-dealer  in  Englewood,  111.  The  present 
business  was  established  and  incorporated  Decem- 
ber 23,  1891,  with  a  paid-up  capital  of  $50,000. 
The  incorporators  of  the  company  are  William  J. 
Huff,  who  is  now  President;  C.  T.  Wai-field,  Vice- 
President;  S.  E.  Huff,  Secretary;  and  B.  F.  Huff, 
of  Cerro  Gordo,  Treasurer.  They  hare  a  branch 
business  at  Cerro  Gordo,  of  which  B.  F.  Huff  is 
local  manager.  This  company  deals  in  lumber, 
lath  and  shingles,  and  manufactures  doors,  sash, 
blinds,  moldings,  wire  and  picket  fence,  and  makes 
a  specialty  of  all  kinds  of  stair  and  porch  woik. 
They  employ  forty  men,  nearly  all  of  whom  are 
skilled  workmen,  and  to  them  they  pay  an  aggre- 
gate of  $525  per  week.  Only  the  finest  work  is 
done  by  the  Huff  Brothers'  Lumber  and  Planing 


Mill  Company,  and  their  enterprise  is  justly 
ranked  among  the  leading  industries  of  the  city. 
Their  business  amounts  to  upwards  of  $140,000 
annually  and  is  steadily  increasing.  In  his  social 
relations,  William  Huff  is  connected  with  the 
Odd  Fellows'  society,  and  in  politics  is  a  stalwart 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party.  He  holds 
membership  with  Grace  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  of  which  he  is  Trustee,  and  he  is  a  promi- 
nent member  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, of  which  he  is  now  serving  as  President. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  eveiything  pertain- 
ing to  the  educational  and  moral  upbuilding  of 
the  community,  is  a  public-spirited  and  progress- 
ive man,  and  a  valued  citizen  of  the  thriving 
county  seat  of  Macon  County.  Hi§  business  ca- 
reer has  been  an  eminent!}'  successful  one,  and  the 
industry  and  enterprise  which  have  characterized 
his  life  have  gained  him  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence. 


ENJAM1N  F.  DILLEHUNT  was  born  in 
&  Hagerstown,  Md.,  March  17,  1815,  and 
was  one  of  a  family  of  five  sons  and  two 
daughters.  He  was  reared  in  the  State  of 
his  nativity,  and  when  a  young  man  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade.  At  length  he  determined  to 
make  a  home  in  the  West,  believing  that  better 
opportunities  were  afforded  there  than  in  the  older 
and  more  thickly  settled  States  of  the  East.  In 
1837  he  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  and  after  a  few 
days  continued  his  journey  to  Springfield,  111., 
whence  he  came  to  Decatur,  making  a  perma- 
nent location  here.  He  entered  a  large  tract  of 
land  north  of  the  cit}-,  but  afterward  disposed 
of  much  of  it,  although  at  his  death  he  still 
retained  possession  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres.  He  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for  a 
number  of  years  with  I.  Shellabarger,  and  also  did 
carpentering  and  contract  work.  He  built  the 
court  house  in  Clinton,  111.,  and  immediately  after, 
his  work  there  having  been  so  satisfactory,  he 
erected  another  in  Urbana,  111. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


225 


On  the  28th  of  January,  1841,  Mr.  Dillehunt 
married  Miss  Martha  K.  Nesbitt,  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Sarah  (Nettlin)  Nesbitt,  natives  of  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.  Ten  children  were  born  of  their  union, 
eight  sons  and  two  daughters.  Of  this  number 
one  died  in  infancy;  and  Thomas  and  James  died 
in  early  childhood.  Hiram  married  Sabina  Holl- 
man,  who  is  now  deceased.  They  had  five  children, 
four  yet  living:  Carl,  Virgil,  Leila  and  Sabina  Eva. 
William  married  Cora  Braden,  and  with  his  wife 
and  four  children,  Laura,  Maud,  Welby  and  Clay, 
resides  on  the  old  homestead.  Samuel,  who  follows 
farming  near  Blue  Mound,  wedded  Helen  Hughes, 
and  they  have  seven  children:  Etfie,  Benjamin, 
Anna  B.,  Bert,  Tott,  Bunn  and  Helen.  Martha 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  Tail,  a  resident  of 
Macon,  Macon  County,  by  whom  she  has  three 
children:  Daniel,  Benjamin  and  Susan.  Benjamin 
W.  married  Augusta  Buchard,  and  four  children 
grace  their  union:  Leslie  K.,  Gertrude  E.,  Richard 
B.  and  Martha  Marie.  Anna  C.  is  the  wife  of 
Walter  Hutchins  and  they  have  one  child,  Clar- 
ence. Edwin  S.  married  Addie  Haynes,  and  unto 
them  have  been  born  four  children:  Thomas,  Clara 
Belle,  Lena  and  Addie. 

In  the  spring  of  1892,  Edwin  Dillehunt,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Decatur  Fire  Department, 
was  nearly  burned  to  death.  He  was  ordered  to 
drive  his  team  and  cart  into  an  alley  which  the 
spring  rains  had  made  very  muddy.  The  horses 
were  stalled  and  were  burned  to  death.  In  his 
endeavor  to  save  the  team  Edwin  was  so  badly 
burned  that  lie  nearly  lost  his  life,  and  has  not 
yet  recovered  from  his  terrible  injuries,  being  still 
a  great  sufferer. 

When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dillehunt,  came  to  Macon 
County  they  found  it  but  sparsely  settled,  and  the 
city  in  which  they  located  was  but  a  mere  village. 
Our  subject  always  bore  his  part  in  the  work  of 
upbuilding  and  development,  and  was  recognized 
as  a  progressive  and  public-spirited  man  and  val- 
ued citizen.  His  life  was  one  which  gained  him 
the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact and  made  his  death  deeply  mourned.  He 
passed  away  on  the  23d  of  September,  1869.  The 
old  homestead  is  still  owned  by  his  widow,  and 
she  Owns  a  pleasant  residence  at  No.  335  West 


William  Street,  Decatur,  where  she  is  now  living. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  a 
most  estimable  lady,  her  friends  throughout  the 
community  being  many. 


AYTON  DUNHAM,  who  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  Decatur,  was  born  in  Essex 
County,  N.J.,  November  12, 1814.  His  fa- 
ther, Henry  Dunham,  was  a  tailor  and  re- 
moved from  New  Jersey  to  New  York  about  1816. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Ellison,  and 
unto  them  were  born  eleven  children,  but  our  sub- 
ject is  the  only  survivor  of  the  family.  On  emi- 
grating to  the  West,  Henry  Dunham  located  in 
Richmond,  Ind.,  and  a  few  years  later  died  in  Ft. 
Wayne,  that  State,  of  cholera,  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years.  Some  years  later  his  wife  was  called  to  her 
final  rest.  They  were  both  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church. 

Our  subject  was  quite  young  when  his  parents 
removed  to  the  Empire  State,  and  was  still  a  mere 
boy  when  they  emigrated  to  Indiana.  When  a 
young  man  he  began  learning  the  hatter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  a  few  years.  On  the  9th 
of  July,  1837,  was  celebrated  an  important  event 
in  his  life — his  marriage  with  Miss  Marilla  Robin- 
son, daughter  of  Amos  and  Elizabeth  (Hughes) 
Robinson,  both  natives  of  Vermont.  Six  sons  and 
four  daughters  were  born  unto  them.  Henry  D. 
married  Emma  Kramer,  of  Decatur,  and  they 
have  two  children:  Eva  Myrtle  and  Orville;  Sarah 
E.  is  the  widow  of  William  Dailey,  who  died, 
leaving  seven  children:  George,  Hugh,  Manila, 
Ada,  Effie,  Ida  and  Eliza;  Amos  was  killed  in  the 
army  during  the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson:  Orvis 
and  Orrin,  twins,  died  when  quite  young;  Caro- 
line E.  is  the  wife  of  James  Bullard,  of  Decatur, 
by  whom  she  has  had  six  children:  Eddie,  Bessie, 
James,  Nathan,  Esther  (who  died  at  the  age  of 
three  years),  and  one  who  died  in  infancy;  Hen- 
rietta is  the  widow  of  Robert  L.  Perry;  and  Charles 
E.  married  Miss  Anna  Phillips  and  resides  near 


226 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Peterson,  Iowa,  with  his  wife  and  four  children: 
Dayton,  Charles,  Hartwell  and  Cora. 

It  was  in  1836  that  Dayton  Dunham  came  to 
Macon  County,  111.,  which  was  then  quite  new 
and  sparsely  populated.  Many  of  the  now  thriv- 
ing towns  were  not  then  in  existence,  and  Decatur 
was  but  a  small  hamlet.  Here  he  followed  his 
trade  for  a  while,  and  also  engaged  in  teaming. 
Later  he  gave  his  attention  to  farming,  and  now 
owns  about  twenty-eight  acres  of  the  old  Robin- 
son homestead,  which  was  formerly  the  property 
of  his  parents.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  laid 
aside  all  business  cares  to  enter  the  service  of  his 
country,  joining  Company  B,  Eighth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, the  regiipent  being  commanded  by  Gov. 
Oglesby.  He  served  until  after  the  battle  of  Ft. 
Donelson,  in  which  engagement  he  was  so  badty 
wounded  that  he  was  unfit  for  further  duty.  For 
about  three  years  after  the  war  he  was  compelled 
to  walk  on  crutches.  His  health  improving,  he 
then  began  to  work  at  gardening,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  some  years,  and  for  eleven  years  his 
wife  carried  on  a  greenhouse.  In  May,  1886,  he 
received  a  paralytic  stroke,  and  has  since  been  un- 
able to  work. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Dunham  Post  No. 
141,  G.  A.  R.,  which  was  named  in  memory  of  his 
son,  who  was  the  first  one  killed  from  this  neigh- 
borhood. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunham  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  are  highly 
respected  people,  who  have  the  warm  regard  and 
esteem  of  all  who  know  them. 


ETER  PERL  is  the  popular  and  efficient 
Sheriff  of  Macon  County.  He  has  filled 
that  ottice  for  three  years,  and  performs 
all  of  the  duties  of  his  important  position 
with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all  concerned.  Widely  is  he  known  throughout 
Macon  County,  and  in  all  circles  is  recognized  as 
a  leading  and  influential  citizen. 

Born  in  Big  Spring  Township,  Seneca  County, 


Ohio,  June  24,  1842,  our  subject  is  a  son  of  Nich- 
olas and  Catherine  (Vester)  Perl,  both  of  whom 
were  born  near  Strasburg,  Germany.  They  were 
also  married  in  the  Fatherland,  and  in  1833  sailed 
for  America,  locating  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio. 
The  father  was  a  cabinet-maker  by  trade,  but  in 
this  country  followed  farming.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  His  wife 
died  in  her  seventy-third  year,  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Elizabeth,  in  Mankato,  Minn.  Their 
eleven  children  were  all  born  in  this  country,  but 
only  four  of  the  number  grew  to  mature  years. 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Frederick  Boegen,  who  is 
a  machinist  of  Mankato,  Minn.;  Nicholas  was  a 
carpenter  and  died,  leaving  a  wife  and  one  child; 
Peter  is  the  next  younger;  and  Louis  is  a  me- 
chanical engineer  of  St.  Paul,  Minn.;  lie  is  mar- 
ried and  has  three  children. 

The  early  days  of  our  subject  were  spent  upon 
his  father's  farm,  and  in  his  home  he  was  taught 
to  speak  the  German  language,  but  he  associated 
witlr  his  English  neighbors  and  thus  learned  the 
language  of  his  adopted  country.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  both  the  parochial  and  public  schools,  and 
afterward  secured  a  certificate  and  engaged  in 
teaching  school  in  Seneca,  Fail-field  and  Stark 
Counties,  Ohio,  and  in  Urbana,  Ohio.  Later  he 
was  employed  in  the  same  capacity  in  Hunting- 
ton,  Ind.,  and  proved  a  successful  teacher.  He 
not  only  aided  others  in  acquiring  knowledge, 
but  his  extensive  experience  in  that  line  proved 
of  great  value  to  him.  Coming  to  Illinois  in 
1876,  he  entered  a  drug  store  in  Peoria,  and  later 
was  for  two  years  Principal  of  the  public  schools 
of  Berlin,  111. 

Mr.  Perl  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
having  been  Mrs.  Mary  Meier,  by  whom  he  had 
two  children,  John  and  Agnes.  In  1878  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie  Luken, 
daughter  of  Henry  Luken,  of  Berlin.  She  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  two  children,  Frank  and 
Henry. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  Mr.  Perl  enlisted 
in  the  service  of  his  country  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Ohio  In- 
fantry, under  Capt.  Zimmerman,  and  was  mus- 
tered in  at  Monroeville,  where  the  company 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


229 


drilled  for  about  six  months.  He  then  went  to 
the  front  and  served  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
in  West  Virginia,  participating  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valle}'  campaign.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
Fisher's  Hill,  Opequon  and  Cedar  Creek,  and  was 
honorably  discharged  in  1865,  after  Lee's  sur- 
render, having  followed  the  Old  Flag  for  three 
years. 

In  the  year  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Perl  came  to 
Decatur  and  bought  out  Charles  &  Nicholas 
Laux,  undertakers.  He  then  had  only  $850, 
which  he  had  saved  from  his  salary  as  a  teacher. 
His  business  career  in  this  city  has  been  one  of 
great  success,  and  his  possessions  now  aggregate 
$50,000,  which  he  has  made  in  his  business  and  in 
fortunate  speculations.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch 
Democrat.  In  religious  belief  he  is  ;i  Catholic, 
and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
His  official  career  began  in  1884,  when  he  was 
elected  Coroner  by  one  hundred  and  thirty-four 
votes,  overcoming  a  large  Republican  majority. 
In  1889  he  was  elected  by  fifty  votes  as  Alderman 
from  the  Fourth  Ward,  and  in  1890  was  elected 
by  the  handsome  majority  of  six  hundred  and 
eight  to  the  office  of  Sheriff.  No  higher  testi- 
monial of  his  popularity  could  be  given  than  his 
election  in  this  Republican  county.  It  has  been 
his  unpleasant  duty  during  the  term  to  cause  the 
hanging  of  W.  H.  Crawford,  the  murderer  of  Lina 
Mathias,  but  by  those  who  were  present  and  had 
witnessed  other  executions  it  was  pronounced  to 
be  the  most  perfectly  managed  affair  ever  seen. 
Mr.  Perl  has  faithfully  discharged  every  duty  de- 
volving upon  him,  and  has  proved  one  of  the 
most  efficient  officers  that  has  ever  served  as 
Sheriff  of  Macon  County. 

Mr.  Perl  has  traveled  quite  widely  over  this 
country,  but  no  place  furnishes  the  attractions  of 
a  home  to  him  as  does  Decatur,  where  his  numer- 
ous fiiends  have  learned  to  know  him  as  a  busi- 
ness man  of  strict  integrity  and  steiling  worth. 
Although  he  comes  of  German  parentage,  there  is 
no  truer  American  citizen  in  Macon  County.  He 
believes  in  the  free  institutions  of  this  country, 
and  takes  a  commendable  pride  in  upholding  and 
advancing  them.  Outside  of  business  and  pub- 
lic life  he  shows  a  different  side  to  his  character, 

10 


taking  great   enjoyment  in   the  aesthetic  side  of 

life  and  in  branches  of  higher  education.  Music 

has  particular    attractions   for    him,    and  he    has 
considerable  ability  in  that  direction. 


-  R.  WILLIAM  M.  CATTO,  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Catto  &  Jones,  medical  prac- 
titioners of  Decatur,  is  a  Canadian  by 
birth.  He  was  born  near  Hamilton,  on 
the  28th  of  November,  1858,  and  is  the  second  in 
a  family  of  six  children.  The  parents,  John  and 
Isabella  (Angus)  Catto,  were  both  natives  of  Aber- 
deen, Scotland,  and  in  early  life  emigrated  to 
America.  Of  their  five  sons  and  one  daughter, 
one  died  in  early  childhood.  Alexander  married 
Miss  Hattie  Althouse,  and  with  his  wife  and  two 
children,  Fred  and  Hattie  Belle,  lives  in  Ontario, 
Canada.  Walter  was  killed  in  a  railroad  accident 
at  Tacoma,  Wash.,  at  the  age  of  thirty  years.  He 
married  Helen  Lachlin  and  left  three  children. 
John  and  Bella  complete  the  family.  The  father 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  Canada  during  his 
early  years,  but  for  some  time  past  has  been  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock-raising  near  Bucoda, 
Wash.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
as  was  his  wife,  who  died  in  1878,  at  the  age  of 
forty-five  years.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  Walter  Catto,  spent  his  entire  life  in  Scot- 
land, and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  William  Angus,  never  left 
his  native  land. 

The  Doctor  was  reared  in  Western  Ontario,  and 
there  acquired  his  early  education,  which  was  sup- 
plemented by  a  course  in  the  Literary  College  of 
St.  Catharines,  Canada.  His  taste  and  desire  lead- 
ing him  to  enter  the  medical  profession,  he  pursued 
a  course  along  that  line,  and  was  graduated  from 
the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine,  in  Detroit,  Mich., 
in  the  spring  of  1882.  He  was  afterward  House 
Surgeon  in  the  hospital  of  that  city  for  two  years, 
and  has  now  been  engaged  in  active  general  prac- 
tice for  eleven  years,  in  which  time  he  has  supple- 


230 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


merited  his  theoretical  knowledge  by  actual  ex- 
perience, and  has  thus  become  a  skilled  physician. 

On  the  19th  of  December,  1882,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Dr.  Catto  and  Miss  Florence, 
daughter  of  Leonard  and  Lucinda  (Harrington) 
Nightingale,  the  former  a  native  of- England,  and 
the  latter  of  Canada.  They  have  had  four  chil- 
dren: Florence,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years; 
Bruce  and  Keith;  and  one  son  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  politics,  the  Doctor  is  independent.  He  is 
connected  with  the  C(eur  de  Lion  Lodge,  K.  P., 
and  is  a  member  of  Macon  Lodge  No.»8,  A.  F.  &. 
A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.;  Decatur 
Council  No.  16,  R.  &  S.  M.;  Beaumanoir  Command- 
ery  No.  9,  K.  T.;  Peoria  Consistory,  S.  P.  R.  S.; 
and  Medina  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  holds 
membership  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
his  wife  is  a  communicant  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 
Although  their  residence  in  Decatur  is  of  compar- 
atively short  duration,  they  have  already  made 
many  warm  friends.  When  Dr.  Catto  came  to  this 
city  he  bought  out  Dr.  Harsha,  and  has  had  a 
large  practice  from  the  beginning,  and  it  has  now 
assumed  extensive  proportions.  The  firm  of  Catto 
&  Jones  occupies  four  large  rooms  in  one  of  the 
best  localities  in  the  city,  and  our  subject  has  one 
of  the  largest  practices  in  central  Illinois.  He  has 
also  won  a  foremost  place  in  the  ranks  of  his  pro- 
fessional brethren.  He  owns  a  good  farm  of 
eighty-five  acres  three  miles  east  of  the  city,  and 
has  one  of  the  finest  residences  of  the  city,  located 
at  the  corner  of  William  and  Edward  Streets. 


MANDUS  H.  HILL,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  3,  Milan  Township,  is 
one  of  the  self-made  men  of  Macon  County, 
for  he  started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy  with 
only  $4  in  money.  He  has  worked  and  labored  to 
secure  the  prosperity  which  now  crowns  his  efforts, 
and  his  path  has  not  always  been  a  flowery  one. 
He  has  encountered  hardships  and  difficulties,  but 


these  have  been  overcome  by  perseverance  and  a 
determined  effort,  and  he  therefore  deserves  all  the 
more  credit  for  his  success. 

Mr.  Hill  was  born  in  Wood  County,  Ohio,  No- 
vember 30,  1851,  and  is  of  English  and  German 
descent.  His  parents,  John  and  Hester  (Crumm) 
Hill,  had  a  family  of  ten  children,  five  sons  and 
five  daughters,  and  our  subject  is  the  fifth  in  order 
of  birth.  Eight  of  the  number  are  still  living. 
The  father  was  born  in  September,  1823,  in  Ohio, 
and  there  spent  his  entire  life,  his  death  occurring 
in  August,  1888.  He  always  folio  wed  ngricultuial 
pursuits  as  a  means  of  livelihood.  His  wife,  who 
was  born  in  the  Buckeye  State  January  28,  1822, 
is  still  living  there,  making  her  home  with  her 
children.  She  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy -one 
years.  Of  the  family,  Wallace  W.,  the  eldest,  is  a 
physician  of  Weston,  Wood  County,  Ohio;  Jane 
is  the  wife  of  Dolphis  Hinkley,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Wood  County;  George  E.  is  a  grain-buyer  c>f 
Ohio;  John  Rufus  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Henry  County,  Ohio;  Amandus  is  the  next 
younger;  Loretta  is  deceased;  Elizabeth  is  the 
next  younger;  Martha  is  also  deceased;  Arsina  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  Edwards,  a  farmer  of  Ohio; 
and  Lester  is  a  school  teacher  and  minister. 

Mr.  Hill  of  this  sketch  gave  his  father  the  bene- 
fit of  his  services  and  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  decided 
to  seek  a  home  in  the  West.  He  came  to  Macon 
Count}-,  111.,  and,  locating  in  Milau  Township,  was 
employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month  for  three 
years.  He  then  rented  land  and  continued  its  opera- 
tion for  five  years,  when,  with  the  money  he  had  ob- 
tained as  the  result  of  his  labors,  he  purchased  the 
farm  on  which  he  now  resides. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey 
Mr.  Hill  chose  Miss  Laura  Bartlett,  who  was  born 
in  Madison  County,  111.,  September  5,  1854,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  David  M.  and  Nancy  (Stinson) 
Bartlett.  Her  father  was  born  in  Illinois  October 
11,  1830,  and  in  this  State  made  his  home  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  February,  1877.  He 
served  in  the  late  war  and  was  crippled  in  the 
struggle.  His  wife  was  also  born  in  Illinois,  and 
was  called  to  the  home  beyond  in  1862.  Their 
family  numbered  six  children,  but  the  eldest, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


231 


Mary  Ann,  died  in  infancy;  Jane  is  the  wife  of 
William  Mays, a  resident  of  Nemaha  County,  Neb.; 
Altha  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Green,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  livery  business  in  Polk  County,  Neb.;  Will- 
iam is  a  resident  farmer  of  the  same  State;  and 
Ida  Belle  died  in  infancy. 

Four  children  grace  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hill,  but  Ora,  their  first-born,  died  in  infancy. 
Those  still  at  home  are  Linder,  Wilbur  and  Guy. 
The  parents  hold  membership  with  the  Christian 
Church,  and  their  lives  abound  in  good  works  and 
deeds.  Mr.  Hill  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics 
and  warmly  advocates  the  principles  of  that  or- 
ganization. He  has  served  his  township  as  Clerk, 
and  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  six  years, 
discharging  his  duties  with  a  promptness  and  fi- 
delity that  have  led  to  his  re-election  and  won  for 
him  the  commendation  of  all.  As  the  result  of 
his  good  business  management  and  fair  and  honest 
dealing  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and  devotes  his 
time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits. 


ILTON  A.  SMITH,  proprietor  and  editor 
of  the  State  Sentinel,  the  Prohibition  or- 
gan for  central  Illinois,  published  at  De- 
catur,  has  long  been  prominent  in  tem- 
perance work,  and  though  his  residence  in  Macon 
County  is  of  short  duration,  he  is  not  unknown 
by  reputation  to  the  readers  of  this  volume.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Massac  County,  111.,  and  is 
a  son  of  George  H.  and  Lucretia  (Hammond) 
Smith,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Georgia. 
On  the  paternal  side  he  is  of  English  and  Irish  de- 
scent. His  maternal  grandmother,  however,  was  a 
Cherokee  Indian, and  her  husband  also  had  Indian 
blood  in  his  veins.  In  1837  the  parents  of  our 
subject  came  to  Illinois. 

Milton  received  a  common-school  education, 
and  when  only  (ifteen  years  of  age  joined  the  boys 
in  blue  of  the  Twenty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  but 
was  mustered  in  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  One 


Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry, 
after  its  consolidation  with  the  Ninth  Mounted 
Infantry.  He  was  in  Sherman's  army  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  participating  in  ninety -six  battles 
and  skirmishes  and  going  with  Sherman  on  the  cele- 
brated march  to  the  sea.  When  the  war  was  over 
he  was  honorably  discharged  and  returned  home. 
He  then  taught  school  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
became  Principal  of  the  Vienna  High  School.  For 
two  years  he  was  a  law  student,  but  abandoned 
that  profession  to  enter  the  editorial  field.  For 
sixteen  years  he  was  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Johnson  County  Journal,  but  at  length  sold  that 
paper,  and  in  1892  came  to  Decatur.  purchasing 
the  State  Sentinel.  This  paper  is  devoted  to  the 
local  interests  of  Macon  County,  but  the  principal 
motive  of  its  publication  is  the  furtherance  of 
temperance  principles  and  the  Prohibition  party. 

In  1874  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Emma  Wright,  of  Vienna,  Johnson  County, 
111.,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  eight  children, 
six  yet  living:  George  R.,  Bessie  Lee,  May,  Effie, 
Nellie  and  Earl  R.  Eunice  died  at  the  age  of  three 
years;  and  Lloyd  was  thrown  from  a  wagon  and 
killed  at  the  age  of  eight  months.  The  parents 
and  children  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  the  lay 
delegates  from  the  southern  Illinois  Conference 
at  the  general  conference  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  held  at  Omaha,  in  May,  1892. 

Our  subject  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  while 
in  the  army  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  supported 
the  Republican  party  until  his  views  on  the  tem- 
perance question  led  him  to  become  a  Prohibition- 
ist, as  he  saw  that  the  old  party  would  not  act 
on  that  question.  He  has  been  prominent  in  tem- 
perance work  for  a  number  of  years,  and  his  ef- 
forts to  rid  the  people  of  the  liquor  traffic  and  its 
consequences  have  been  productive  of  much  good. 
He  has  served  as  Chairman  of  the  Twelfth  Con- 
gressional District,  and  also  of  the  county  and 
State  Central  Committees  of  his  party,  and  has 
been  a  delegate  to  two  National  conventions  and 
several  State  conventions.  One  leading  charac- 
teristic of  his  was  shown  in  his  renouncing  the 
old  party,  with  which  he  had  long  been  connected, 
as  his  conscience  led  him  to  enter  the  Prohibition 


232 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


field,  and  he  never  wavers  in  carrying  out  any 
conviction  which  he  believes  to  be  right.  He  lias 
been  a  prominent  worker  in  church  and  Sunday- 
school,  and  the  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a 
warm  friend.  lie  advocates  any  worthy  enter- 
prise calculated  to  upbuild  the  community  and  up- 
hold a  higher  moral  standing.  Although  his  resi- 
dence in  Decatur  has  been  of  shoit  duration,  he  has 
already  won  the  confidence  and  good-will  of  its 
best  citizens  and  gained  the  high  regard  of  many. 


I    -  ON.  WILLIAM  E.  NELSON,  County  Judge 
^'^ 

of  Macon  County,  and  who  for  many  years 

has  been  a  prominent  member  of  the  Deca- 
tur Bar,  claims  Tennessee  as  the  State  of 
his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  White 
County  June  4,  1824.  His  parents,  Richard  and 
Eliza  (McCampbell)  Nelson,  were  both  natives  of 
Tennessee,  and  were  of  Irish  and  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent respectively.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
John  Nelson,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  a 
millwright  and  millowner.  He  was  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier  and  served  throughout  the  struggle. 
His  death  occurred  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
five  years,  at  his  home  in  Overtoil  County,  Tenn. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Andrew 
McCampbell,  was  born  in  Scotland,  and  after  his 
marriage  to  a  lady  of  that  country  removed  to 
Ireland,  whence  they  emigrated  to  America,  locat- 
ing in  Virginia..  Later  they  became  residents  of 
Tennessee,  where  Mr.  McCampbell  followed  farm- 
ing in  Knox  County.  He  too  aided  the  colonies 
in  their  struggle  for  independence,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five  years. 

Richard  Nelson  was  an  attorney-at-law,  and  re- 
sided in  Sparta  from  the  time  of  his  marriage  until 
1846,  when  he  removed  to  Carrollton,  Miss.,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  in  1865, 
in  his  sixty-fifth  year.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  as  is  his  wife,  who  is  still 
living  in  Carrollton,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 
Mr.  Nelson  served  as  a  member  of  the  Constitu- 


tional Convention  in  Tennessee,  and  was  Judge  of 
the  Probate  Court  for  many  years  in  Mississippi. 
The  family  numbered  five  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, but  only  three  are  now  living:  William,  of 
this  sketch;  Mary  F.,  wife  of  Charles  N.  Scott,  of 
Carrollton,  Miss.;  and  Emily,  wife  of  James  M. 
Moore,  of  College  City,  Cal. 

In  the  county  of  his  birth  our  subject  was  reared 
to  manhood  and  remained  until  his  removal  to 
Decatur,  in  June,  1857.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  subscription  schools,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  he  began  the  study  of  law  with  his 
father.  In  August,  1844,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  and  engaged  in  legal  practice  in  White  County 
and  the  adjoining  circuit.  As  a  companion  and 
helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Mary  A. 
Snodgrass,  daughter  of  Col.  James  and  Mnrgarct 
(McKinne3')  Snodgrass,  of  White  County.  Their 
union  was  celebrated  February  26,  1846,  and  unto 
them  were  born  five  children,  three  sons  and  two 
daughters:  Margaret  Eliza,  James  Ridley.  Theodore, 
Flora  and  Richard.  All  died  in  infancy,  with  the 
exception  of  Theodore,  a  resident  of  Chicago,  who 
is  at  present  Deputy  Recorder  of  Deeds,  and  a 
prominent  politician.  He  married  Augusta  A., 
daughter  of  John  R.  Blaine,  of  Decatur,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Mary  Lena.  In  November,  1876, 
the  mother  of  this  family ,who  had  been  a  member  of 
the  Church  of  Christ,  died  at  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Nelson  cast  in  his  lot  with 
the  early  settlers  of  Decatur  in  1857,  and,  opening 
a  law  office,  has  since  engaged  in  legal  practice. 
He  was  appointed  by  the  Governor  as  one  of  the 
committee  for  the  revisal  of  the  statutes,  and  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Twenty  -seventh  General 
Assembly  of  Illinois,  which  convened  immediately 
after  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  in  1870,  and 
he  served  throughout  all  the  repeated  sessions  of 
that  long  assembly.  He  was  subsequently  elected 
Circuit  Judge  of  the  Fourteenth  Circuit,  filling  the 
office  one  term,  and  has  since  been  elected  County 
Judge  of  Macon  County,  being  the  present  incum- 
bent. 

In  June,  1889,  the  Judge  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Lucy  II.  Montgom- 
ery, widow  of  John  T.  Montgomery, and  daughter 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


233 


of  Judge  Jeptha  G.  Holiingsworth,  of  Elkton,  Todd 
County,  Ky.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  among 
the  most  prominent  and  highly  esteemed  citizens 
of  Decatur,  having  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances.  Judge  Nelson  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  belongs  to  Ionic  Lodge  No. 
312,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.; 
and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  stancli  Democrat,  and  the  principles  of 
Democracy  find  in  him  a  very  warm  advocate. 
Judge  Nelson  has  been  frequently  honored  with 
many  of  the  leading  positions  within  the  gift  of  his 
fellow-townsmen,  and  in  the  various  offices  he  has 
filled  he  has  acceptably  and  faithfully  served,  doing 
all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the 
people  at  large.  He  is  a  broad  and  liberal-minded 
man,  and  in  the  court  room  presides  with  a  dignity 
and  ability  that  have  won  him  the  commendation 
and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought 
in  contact. 


^ILLIAM  SCHROLL,  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential  citizen  of  Decatur,  who  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  at  his  pleasant  home, 
situated  at  No.  322  South  Union  Street,  claims 
Pennsylvania  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was 
horn  in  Cumberland  County,  about  seven  miles 
from  Harrisburg,  on  the  10th  of  February,  1833, 
and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Bailey) 
Schroll.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of  the  Key- 
stone State.  About  1843  they  removed  from 
Cumberland  to  York  County,  but  their  home  was 
again  about  the  same  distance  from  the  capital 
city  of  Pennsylvania.  The  year  1850  witnessed 
their  emigration  Westward.  They  came  to  Illinois 
and  located  in  Wheatland  Township,  about  six 
miles  southeast  of  Decatur,  where  the  father  se- 
cured wild  land  and  opened  up  a  farm,  upon 
which  he  made  his  home  until  his  death.  He 
cleared  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  and 
placed  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  His 
death  occurred  in  September,  1861,  at  the  age  of 


fifty-eight  years.  His  wife,  who  survived  him 
about  twelve  years,  died  in  1873  in  Decatur. 
This  worthy  couple  had  a  family  of  six  children, 
as  follows:  Jacob  B.,  who  is  now  living  at  Farber, 
Audrain  County,  Mo.;  Ann  B.,  wife  of  Peter  Wei- 
ser,  who  is  living  in  Holdredge,  Neb.;  William, 
whose  name  heads  this  record;  George,  who  died 
in  Arcola,  Mo.;  Samuel,  who  died  in  Paola,  Miami 
County,  Kan.;  and  Elizabeth,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Silas  Timmons  and  died  in  this  county.  The 
three  children  now  deceased  were  all  married  and 
left  families. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  ten  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  removed  to  York  County, 
Pa.,  and  was  a  young  man  of  seventeen  when 
they  came  to  Illinois.  He  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  twenty  years  of  age  and  then  began 
learning  the  carpenter's  trade  in  Decatur  with 
Ricketts  &  Simpson.  When  he  had  mastered  the 
business  he  continued  te  follow  it  as  a  means  of 
livelihood  until  1856,  when  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  occupation  to  which  he  had  been 
reared.  He  removed  to  a  farm  ten  miles  north- 
west of  Decatur,  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
on  the  prairie,  where  he  located  and  where  he 
made  his  home  from  1856  until  1873.  He  had  im- 
proved three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
placing  the  entire  amount  under  a  high  state  of 
•cultivation.  From  1873  until  1876  he  made  his 
home  in  this  city,  and  then  returned  to  the  farm, 
where  he  lived  until  1881.  Since  that  time  he  has 
lived  a  retired  life  in  Decatur.  He  was  formerly- 
engaged  quite  extensively  in  buying  and  shipping 
stock.  He  still  owns  four  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  valuable  land,  which  he  rents.  This  is 
divided  into  two  farms,  one  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Hickory  Point  Township,  and  the 

other  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Illini 
Township. 

The  lady  who  is  now  Mrs.  Schroll  was  in  her 
maidenhood  Miss  Thomasine  Eleanor  Barrow.  She 
was  born  in  Westmoreland,  in  the  north  of  Eng- 
land, and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  came  to  the 
United  States.  When  a  young  lady  of  twenty- 
two  she  became  the  wife  of  our  subject.  Their 
union  was  celebrated  January  16,  1855,  and  unto 
them  have  been  born  the  following  children:  John 


234 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Franklin,  a  grain  dealer  at  Pierson,  Piatt  County, 
111.;  Charles  E.,  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bucking- 
ham it  Schroll,  attorney s-at-law;  Nellie  D.,  who  is 
a  student  in  the  State  University  of  Michigan,  at 
Ann  Arbor,  she  having  been  graduated  from  the 
Uecatur  High  School  in  the  Class  of  '90;  and  Wil- 
bur Fred,  who  is  now  attending  the  Decatur  High 
School.  Charles  was  a  graduate  of  the  High 
School,  and  then  pursued  a  four-years  course  in 
Harvard  University,  spending  three  years  in  the 
law  school.  Five  children  of  the  family  are  now 
deceased:  Willie  B.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four 
months;  George,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
years;  Lizzie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  a  year;  Win- 
nefred,  whose  death  occurred  in  her  sixth  year; 
and  Lillie,  who  died  in  her  fourth  year. 

In  political  sentiment,  Mr.  Schroll  is  a  Repub- 
lican and  has  served  as  Alderman  of  the  Third 
Ward  for  two  years.  He  is  truly  a  self-made  man, 
for  when  he  began  farming  he  had  only  $450.  He 
has  made  judicious  and  careful  investments,  has 
exercised  good  judgment  in  his  business  affairs, 
and  as  the  result  of  his  enterprise  and  industry  he 
has  acquired  a  handsome  property,  which  now  en- 
ables him  to  live  retired. 


~z=^ 


i— 1^-1 


BLACK  is  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  and  extensive  land-owners  of  Ma- 
con  County.  He  resides  on  section  30, 
Pleasant  View  Township,  where  in  an  early  day 
he  purchased  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
land.  To  this  he  has  added  from  time  to  time, 
as  his  financial  resources  have  increased,  until  his 
possessions  now  aggregate  six  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  the  choicest  land  in  the  community.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  this  farm  is  a  model  one. 
The  highly  cultivated  fields,  divided  by  well-kept 
fences,  the  substantial  buildings,  the  improved 
machinery,  all  attest  the  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive spirit  of  one  of  Macon  County's  leading 
agriculturists. 

Mr.  Black  was  born  in   Sangamon    County,  111., 


May  14,  1826,  and  is  of  English  descent.  His  fa- 
ther was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  in  that  State 
passed  his  boyhood  days.  When  a  young  man  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  locating  in  San- 
gamon  County,  where  he  lived  until  called  to  the 
home  beyond.  During  the  early  days,  when  mucli 
trouble  was  experienced  with  the  Indians,  he 
served  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  His  wife,  who 
was  also  born  in  Kentucky,  died  at  the  home  of 
our  subject,  in  this  county,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eighty-four. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  George 
Black  was  reared  to  manhood.  Under  the  parental 
roof  he  remained  until  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity, and  to  his  father  gave  the  benefit  of  his  ser- 
vices. When  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself 
he  had  no  capital  save  a  young  man's  bright  hope 
of  the  future  and  a  determination  to  win  suc- 
cess if  it  could  be  obtained  through  enterprise 
and  perseverance.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate 
on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Lavina  Broom,  of 
St.  Clair  County,  111.,  their  union  being  celebrated 
in  1847. 

By  the  marriage  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
born  eight  children,  of  whom  two  died  when 
quite  young.  Those  still  living  .ire  Andrew  C., 
the  eldest,  who  manages  the  home  farm;  Erastus, 
a  well-known  agriculturist  of  Macon  County; 
Bruzilla,  wife  of  Charles  Pope,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Christian  County,  111.;  David,  who  is  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  in  this  county;  William, 
who  is  also  a  farmer  of  Macon  County;  and  Ches- 
ter L.,  who  completes  the  family  and  still  resides 
on  the  home  farm.  The  children  have  all  been  pro- 
vided with  good  educational  privileges  and  are 
occupying  respected  positions  in  the  circles  of  so- 
ciety in  which  they  move.  The  mother  of  this 
family  was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  12th  of 
March,  1890.  She  had  been  a  true  and  faithful 
helpmate  to  her  husband,  and  the  sorrow  felt  b3r 
her  family  was  shared  by  a.  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances,  to  whom  she  was  endeared  by 
her  many  excellencies  of  character. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Black  began  farming, 
and  his  life  has  been  one  of  industry.  On  coining 
to  this  county  he  purchased  a  part  of  his  present 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


235 


)ERRY  H.  CASSELL,  a  retired  merchant  of 
Decatur,  who  is  well  known  as  the  owner 
of  Cassell  Castle,  his  magnificent  home 
which  he  erected  in  1886,  was  born  in  Dau- 
phin County,  Pa.,  May  22,  1823,  and  is  a  son  of 
William  and  Elizabeth  (Leidig)  Cassell,  who  were 
also  born  in  the  Keystone  State.  In  1839,  the.y 
emigrated  Westward,  locating  in  Putnam  Count}-, 
111.,  where  the  mother  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 
years,  and  the  father  in  the  eighty-second  year  of 
his  age.  Our  subject  remained  in  Pennsylvania 
until  1838,  when,  in  his  sixteenth  year,  he  came  to 
Illinois,  joining  his  brothers,  Augustus,  Joseph  and 
Christian,  in  Putnam  County.  His  brother  Henry 
is  now  living  two  miles  east  of  Decatur.  Michael 
L.  makes  his  home  in  the  city;  and  John  is  living 
in  Niantic.  His  sister,  Mrs.  Esther  Albert,  makes 
her  home  with  our  subject. 

Berr}'  H.  Cassell  spent  about  a  year  in  Putnam 
County,  and  in  the  summer  of  1839  returned  to 
Pennsylvania,  but  in  the  succeeding  autumn  he 
again  came  to  Illinois,  this  time  being  accompa- 
nied by  his  parents  and  their  family.  They  made 
the  journey  by  water  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  thence 
in  a  one-horse  wagon  to  their  destination.  So  se- 
vere was  the  weather  that  our  subject  froze  his 


farm,  and  as  his  financial  resources  have  increased, 
he  has  extended  its  boundaries.  His  well-directed 
efforts  have  placed  him  in  a  position  of  wealth 
and  affluence,  and  he  is  now  numbered  among 
the  substantial  citizens  of  this  community.  In 
politics  he  is  an  inflexible  adherent  of  the  Dem- 
ocracy, and  for  three  years  he  served  as  School 
Director,  which,  however,  is  the  only  position 
that  he  would  consent  to  accept.  The  cause  of 
education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  his 
support  and  co-operation  are  given  to  all  those 
enterprises  calculated  to  promote  the  general  wel- 
fare. Mr.  Black  has  made  the  most  of  his  oppor- 
tunities and  privileges  through  life  and  has  thus 
won  prosperity. 


feet.  About  the  20th  of  November  they  reached 
Decatur,  then  a  place  of  about  three  hundred  in- 
habitants, whence  word  was  sent  to  the  brother  in 
Putnam  County,  who  came  and  took  the  parents 
home  with  him.  Berry  was  rather  inclined  to  re- 
main, and  did  so.  Capt.  David  L.  Allen  and  Col. 
Leonard  Ashton,  the  former  a  land-owner  and  the 
latter  the  stage  driver,  took  a  great  interest  in  him 
and  offered  to  secure  him  a  position.  Berry  had 
learned  the  tinner's  trade,  and  they  induced  him 
to  set  up  a  shop  in  Decatur.  His  mother  had  given 
him  $1.25,  so  he  opened  a  tin  shop,  securing  a  set 
of  tools  of  an  old  man  who  had  a  tinker's  outfit. 
His  shop  was  in  the  basement  under  the  store  of 
Peddecord  Bros.  &  Co.,  and  having  secured  a  small 
box  of  tin  plate  he  began  business  about  the  mid- 
dle of  January.  By  the  1st  of  July  he  had  saved 
$75,  and  in  1842  he  was  enabled  to  purchase  a 
complete  outfit.  He  carried  on  business  success- 
fully for  ten  years  longer.  In  1846,  by  the  as- 
sistance of  Peddecord  &  Prather,  he  secured  a  stock 
of  stoves  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  the  first  stock,  and  in- 
deed the  first'stoves,  ever  brought  to  the  county. 
These  were  soon  sold  out,  and  to  purchase  his  sec- 
ond stock  Mr.  Cassell  went  to  St.  Louis.  His  goods 
were  brought  to  Decatur  by  farmers  who  traded 
in  that  city.  There  was  little  money  in  circula- 
tion in  this  community  at  that  day,  so  Mr.  Cassell 
accepted  produce  for  his  goods,  and  this  he  traded 
for  hardware  in  St.  Louis. 

In  1852,  our  subject  formed  a  partnership  with 
Henry  Prather,  and  did  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  Prather  &  Cassell,  carrying  an  extensive 
stock  of  hardware,  furniture,  agricultural  imple- 
inents,etc.  This  partnership  was  continued  until 
1855,  when  Mr.  Cassell  sold  his  interest  and  pur- 
chased the  Herald  House,  now  the  St.  Nicholas 
Hotel.  He  changed  its  name  to  the  Cassell  House, 
and  did  an  extensive  business  for  two  and  a-half 
years.  From  1857  until  1860,  he  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  in  Monticcllo,  111.,  but  made  his 
home  in  Decatur.  During  the  latter  year  he  opened 
a  grocery  store  in  this  city,  which  he  carried  on 
until  1865,  after  which  he  again  carried  on  the 
hardware  business  in  Monticello  for  a  year.  Since 
that  time  he  has  been  engaged  extensively  in  the 
real-estate  business.  From  time  to  time  as  his 


'23(5 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


financial  resources  increased,  he  made  judicious  in- 
vestments, and  in  1852  bought  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  city  on  the  east, 
for  which  he  paid  112.50  per  acre.  This  was  consid- 
ered very  foolish  by  many,  for  no  land  previous 
to  that  time  had  sold  for  more  than  $10  per  acre. 
He  engaged  in  farming  it  for  several  years,  and  in 
1855  built  his  house  upon  it.  Subsequently  por- 
tions of  it  were  platted  and  added  to  the  city,  and 
on  various  occasions  he  has  made  seven  additions, 
and  will  yet  make  two  more.  The  Decatur  Coal 
Company's  works  are  now  situated  on  his  land,  as 
is  also  the  Union  Depot.  Others  have  purchased 
portions  of  his  property,  platted  it  and  added  it  to 
the  city.  We  have  before  mentioned  the  elegant 
residence  which  Mr.  Cassell  erected  in  1886.  It  is 
built  on  a  beautiful  knoll  and  is  one  of  the  finest 
homes  in  the  city.  He  has  also  erected  some  store 
buildings  and  made  other  substantial  improve- 
ments in  Decatur. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Cassell  was  a  Whig,  and  at- 
tended the  first  Republican  convention  which  con- 
vened in  Illinois  for  putting  a  State  ticket  in  the 
field.  This  was  held  in  Bloomington  in  1856.  He 
has  been  an  active  member  of  the  party  since  that 
time,  and  is  greatly  interested  in  its  growth  and 
success.  He  has  been  honored  with  several  posi- 
tions of  public  trust, — was  County  Recorder  in 
1846,  has  served  as  City  Clerk,  was  Treasurer  and 
Assessor  for  several  years,  and  has  also  been  Trus- 
tee. He  was  made  a  Mnson  in  Macon  Lodge  in 
1850,  and  has  been  a  leading  member  of  the  blue 
lodge,  chapter,  commandery,  council  and  consis- 
tory, and  has  been  Representative  to  the  Grand 
Lodge. 

Mr.  Cassell's  marriage  was  celebrated  October  26, 
1843,  Miss  Louise  M.Shultz, a  native  of  Maryland, 
becoming  his  wife.  The  following  children  were 
born  of  their  union:  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Baron  H.,  a  farmer  residing  two  and  a-half 
miles  east  of  Decatur;  William  L.,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Clara  Owen,  who  became  the  wife  of  John 
Carroll,  but  both  are  now  deceased;  and  Thomas 
A.,  who  assists  his  father  in  the  care  of  his  real- 
estate  interests.  The  Cassell  family  is  one  widely 
known  in  this  community.  For  almost  fifty-five 
years  our  subject  has  been  a  resident  of  Macon 


County,  and  has  therefore  been  an  eye-witness  of 
the  greater  part  of  its  growth  and  development. 
He  has  always  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  prog- 
ress and  upbuilding,  and  is  numbered  both  among 
the  valued  citizens  and  the  honored  pioneers  of 
this  community. 


J,'  AMES  BEARD,  a  farmer  residing  on  section 
10,  South  Macon  Township,  was  born  in 
Washington  County,  Tenn.,  July  26,  1826, 
'  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Hall) 
Beard.  The  Beard  family  is  of  English  lineage 
and  was  probably  founded  in  America  during 
Colonial  days.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  also 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  in  1804.  He  fol- 
lowed farming  throughout  his  entire  life,  and  in 
1849  emigrated  to  Macoupin  County,  111.,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  called  to  his  final  rest  in 
1860.  His  wife  was  born  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood as  her  son  James,  and  her  last  days  were 
spent  in  Macoupin  Countj',  she  passing  away  at  an 
advanced  age.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  par- 
ents of  nine  children,  four  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing. Our  subject  is  the  eldest.  John  Cole  is  a 
resident  farmer  of  Macoupin  County.  Valentine 
is  now  living  in  Carlinville,  111.  John  also  makes 
his  home  in  Macoupin  County. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  which  were 
quietly  passed  under  the  parental  roof  until  he 
had  attained  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  then  began 
to  learn  the  harness-maker's  trade,  and  in  1849  he 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  the 
West.  He  had  expected  to  return  to  Tennessee  in 
a  short  time,  but  on  reaching  Illinois  he  was  so 
pleased  with  the  country  and  its  prospects  that  he 
determined  to  make  his  future  home  in  this  State. 
He  secured  work  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month, 
and  for  a  number  of  years- he  was  employed  in 
that  capacity.  On  coming  to  Macon  County,  he 
made  his  first  purchase  of  land,  consisting  of  one 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


239 


hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  bought  of  the 
railroad.  It  was  entirely  unimproved,  but  he  at 
once  began  its  development  and  soon  transformed 
it  into  a  rich  tract.  Since  that  time,  however,  he 
has  disposed  of  a  portion  of  his  property,  naw 
owning  a  forty-acre  farm. 

The  lady  who  now  bears  the  title  of  Mrs.  Beard 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Sallie  Moser.  Their 
marriage  was  celebrated  in  Macoupin  County,  in 
February,  1866,  and  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  they  have  now  traveled  life's  journey  to- 
gether. They  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  are  highly  respected  citizens,  whose 
excellencies  of  character  and  upright  lives  have 
gained  them  many  friends.  In  his  political  affilia- 
tions. Mr.  Beard  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense 
of  office-seeking,  but  has  been  elected  and  served 
as  Road  Commissioner  and  School  Director.  He 
has  led  a  quiet  and  unassuming  life,  yet  true  to 
every  public  and  private  trust,  and  his  freedom 
from  ostentation  has  undoubtedly  been  one  of  the 
factors  that  have  gained  him  the  high  regard  in 
which  he  is  universally  held. 


f  OSEPH  P.  SMALLWOOD,  who  for  many 
years  has  been  prominently  connected  with 
the  business  interests  of  Decatur,  but  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  his  comfortable  home 
at  No.  159  West  North  Street,  was  born  on  a  farm 
a  mile  and  a-half  from  this  city,  July  10,  1829. 
His  parents,  Parmenus  and  Deborah  (Brown)  Small- 
wood,  were  both  natives  of  Virginia,  and  after 
their  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in  the  Old 
Dominion,  emigrated  to  Ohio,  in  1823.  The  follow- 
ing year  they  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Macon 
County,  being  among  its  first  pioneers.  The  In- 
dians in  this  locality  were  then  more  numerous 
than  the  white  settlers,  deer  and  wolves  were 
plentiful,  and  prairie  grass  grew  higher  than  a 
man's  head.  The  father  was  a  farmer,  and  in  the 
year  of  his  arrival  entered  three  hundred  and 


twenty  acres  of  land  a  mile  and  a-half  north  of 
Decatur,  which  he  transformed  into  a  good  farm. 
He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  His 
death  occurred  in  1850,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years, 
and  his  wife,  who  survived  him  until  1877,  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  eighty.  She  was  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church.  Unto  them  were  born  the 
following  children:  Thompson,  Amanda,  Betsy, 
Susan,  Sallie,  George,  John,  Samuel,  Douglas,  As- 
bury,  Joseph,  Gideon,  and  one  who  died  in  in- 
fanc3'.  Only  four  are  now  living,  our  subject  and 
his  three  sisters:  Amanda,  wife  of  William  Ben- 
nett; Betsy,  wife  of  Walter  Roben;  and  Susan, 
widow  of  Emanuel  Davis. 

In  taking  up  the  life  record  of  our  subject  we 
present  to  our  readers  the  sketch  of  a  man  widely 
known  throughout  Macon  County.  His  early  ed- 
ucation was  acquired  in  the  proverbial  pioneer 
schoolhouse,  built  of  logs  and  furnished  with  slab 
seats.  He  aided  in  the  development  of  a  farm  un- 
til sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  determined  to 
follow  some  other  pursuit,  and  began  learning  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  five 
years.  In  1850,  during  the  gold  excitement  in 
California,  he  made  his  way  to  that  State,  where 
he  followed  mining  for  three  years,  but  he  did  not 
meet  with  any  great  degree  of  success.  In  the 
spring  of  1854  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  resumed 
farming,  to  which  occupation  he  devoted  his  en- 
ergies until  1859.  In  that  year  he  traded  his  land 
for  a  steam-mill  and  engaged  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness for  about  a  year.  He  then  went  to  Montana, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  freighting  during  the 
summer  season  for  seven  years.  In  1870  we  again 
find  him  in  Decatur,  where  he  embarked  in  the 
clothing  and  merchant-tailoring  business,  which 
he  followed  for  thirteen  years.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  time  he  sold  out  and  began  improving  his 
farms  in  Edgar  and  Shelby  Counties.  He  now 
owns  eight  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Hume  and 
two  hundred  in  Windsor. 

In  October,  1857,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Smallwood  and  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Frederick,  of  Decatur.  They  became  the 
parents  of  two  children,  Effie  and  Sheridan.  The 
latter  died  when  quite  young.  The  former  be- 
came the  wife  of  John  B.  Lauffer,  and  is  also  now 


240 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


deceased.  The  mother  of  this  famity  died  in  Oc- 
tober, 1859,  in  the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  which  she  held  membership. 

In  1885  Mr.  Smallwood  erected  a  handsome 
block  known  as  the  Smallwood  Flats,  88x40  feet 
in  dimensions  and  three  stories  and  a  basement 
high.  It  is  heated  by  hot  water,  and  is  supplied 
with  hot  and  cold  water  and  all  modern  conven- 
iences. He  also  owns  considerable  other  city  prop- 
erty. In  addition,  Mr.  Smallwood  has  a  stable 
and  feed-yard  at  No.  355  East  Prairie  Street,  where 
several  hundred  horses  can  be  accommodated.  He 
has  raised  a  number  of  thoroughbred  horses,  in- 
cluding "Aloha, "a  celebrated  running  horse,  which 
he  sold  in  1892  for  over  $20,000.  He  now  has 
some  verv  fine  thoroughbreds  in  his  stables.  Mr. 
Smallwood  is  a  man  of  enterprise  and  persever- 
ance, and  his  keen  judgment  and  good  manage- 
ment have  been  important  factors  in  his  success  in 
life.  He  has  made  a  handsome  fortune  by  his 
well-directed  efforts,  and  can  now  live  retired, 
resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  for- 
mer toil. 


)  EUBEN  BETZER,  who  is  now  living  a  re- 
ip**(-  tired  life  in  Decatur,  is  a  native  of  Ohio. 
cii  M|  He  was  born  in  Ross  County  on  the  5th  of 
^H  July,  1824.  and  is  the  seventh  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  eleven  children,  whose  parents 
were  William  and  Margaret  (Harvey)  Betzer,  the 
former  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  latter  of 
Pennsylvania.  In  1810  the  father  had  emigrated 
to  the  Buckeye  State,  and  two  years  later  he  en- 
listed as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  Of  the 
family  only  two  are  now  living.  One  sister,  Bar- 
bara, wife  of  Dr.  F.  May,  was  for  some  time  a  resi- 
dent of  Decatur,  but  she  and  her  husband  are  both 
now  deceased.  Michael  came  to  Illinois  in  1856, 
and  died  in  McLean  County,  this  State.  Jonathan 
and  Peter  both  located  in  Illinois  in  the  same 
year.  The  latter  died  in  January,  1876.  Jona- 


than removed  to  Kansas  in  1865,  and  now  makes 
his  home  in  Saline  County.  With  the  exception 
of  our  subject  he  is  theonty  survivor  of  the  family. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  Reuben  Bet- 
zer was  reared  to  manhood,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five  years  he  settled  upon  a  farm  adjoin- 
ing the  old  homestead,  there  living  until  the  death 
of  his  father.  The  latter  gave  to  each  of  Ins  sons 
land  to  the  value  of  81,000,  and  to  each  of  his 
daughters  that  amount  of  money.' 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1848,  our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  Evans,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  in 
1826,  and  spent  her  maidenhood  near  Circleville, 
in  Pickaway  County.  The  young  couple  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm,  where  they  re- 
sided until  1865.  In  that  year  they  determined 
to  seek  a  home  in  the  West,  and,  coming  to  Deca- 
tur, located  on  a  farm  in  Whitmore  Township, 
about  six  miles 'northeast  of  the  city.  It  com- 
prised two  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  improved 
land,  and  its  boundaries  have  since  been  extended 
until  it  now  comprises  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres.  To  its  further  development  and  culti- 
vation Mr.  Betzer  devoted  his  energies  until  1867, 
when  he  laid  aside  all  business  cares  and  came  to 
the  city.  His  farm  is  highly  improved  with  good 
barns,  fences,  a  substantial  dwelling  and  all  mod- 
ern necessaries  and  conveniences.  He  now  rents  it 
for  $1,400  per  year. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Betzer  have  no  children  of  their 
own,  but  have  given  homes  to  two.  Their  niece, 
Effie  A.  Betzer,  came  to  them  at  the  age  of  thir- 
teen, and  remained  with  them  until  her  marriage 
to  Amos  F.  Imboden,  a  policeman  of  Decatur. 
Another  niece,  Maria  L.  Evans,  lived  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Betzer  from  her  seventh  to  her  twenty- 
first  year.  She  is  now  the  widow  of  Frank  Spill- 
man,  and  makes  her  home  in  Decatur. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Betzer  is  a  Democrat, 
but  has  never  sought  or  desired  public  office.  In 
early  life  he  was  a  member  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church,  and  his  wife  was  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Later  they  both  united 
with  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
since  coming  to  Decatur  have  held  membership 
with  the  Old-School  Presbyterian  Church.  Our 
subject  served  as  Elder  in  Ohio,  and  was  one  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


241 


five  who  built  a  church  in  his  neighborhood.  His 
labor  and  enterprise  in  former  years  now  enable 
him  to  live  retired  in  the  enjoyment  of  life's  pleas- 
ures. He  frequently  spends  his  winters  in  the 
South,  and  the  summer  of  1892  was  spent  in  Cali- 
fornia. He  has  visited  many  places  of  interest, 
and  his  travels  have  proved  of  much  pleasure  and 
profit  to  him. 


J I  AMES   M.    SHADDOCK    belongs    to    that 
class  of  people  to  whom  the" prosperity  and 
stability  of  the  county  is  largely  due — the 
farmers.     He  carries   on    agricultural    pur- 
suits on  section  10,   South   Macon  Township,  and 
is  numbered  among  the  leading  farmers  of  Macon 
County.     As  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
the  community,  we  feel  assured  that  this  record  of 
his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  read- 
ers. 

Mr.  Shaddock  is  a  native  of  Virginia.  He  was 
born  in  Caroline  County,  on  the  17th  of  August, 
1848,  and  is  a  son  of  James  A.  L.  Shaddock.  His 
father  was  also  born  in  the  Old  Dominion  and  still 
resides  in  that  State.  He  is  of  English  descent,' 
and  throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  followed 
farming.  Ater  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he 
wedded  Annie  E.  Rollins,  who  was  also  a  native 
of  Virginia,  and  was  likewise  of  English  lineage. 
Ten  children  were  born  of  their  union. 

Our  subject,  who  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth, 
passed  his  boyhood  days  quietly  under  the  par- 
ental roof,  attending  the  select  schools,  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  South.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  West, 
and,  having  arrived,  at  that  epoch  in  a  voung 
man's  life  when  he  becomes  his  own  master,  he 
made  the  journey  to  Macon  County,  111.,  and  cast 
in  his  lot  with  its  early  settlers.  As  he  had  no 
capital,  he  had  to  secure  employment  in  order  to 
provide  for  his  maintenance,  and  hired  out  as  a 
farm  hand  by  the  month.  He  was  thus  employed 


for  about  four  years,  when  he  rented  land  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  himself.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources were  increased  and  his  labors  brought  him 
in  some  capital,  he  purchased  land,  and  he  now 
owns  two  hundred  acres,  comprising  a  fine  farm 
that  is  pleasantly  situated  three  miles  south  of 
Macon.  It  is  supplied  with  good  buildings  and  is 
well  fenced,  and  the  highly  cultivated  fields  indi- 
cate the  careful  supervision  of  a  practical  and  pro- 
gressive owner. 

In  March,  1877,  Mr.  Shaddock  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Jemima  Atteberry,  of  this 
county.  By  their  union  has  been  born  a  family 
of  five  children,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy.  A 
son  and  three  daughters  are  still  living,  namely: 
Lula  May,  Maud  E.,  James  Franklin  and  Bertha 
Ann.  They  are  still  under  the  parental  roof  and 
are  the  joy  of  the  household. 

Mr.  Shaddock  holds  membership  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  his  wife  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  Church,  but  they  are  united  in  acts  of 
kindness  and  in  the  interest  which  they  take  in  all 
that  is  calculated  to  upbuild  humanity.  Socially, 
our  subject  is  a  member  of  Macon  Lodge  No.  434, 
K.  P.  He  is  now  serving  his  district  as  School 
Director,  and  the  cause  of  education  finds  in  him 
a  loyal  friend.  In  local  politics,  he  votes  inde- 
pendently, but  at  national  elections  he  supports 
the  men  and  measures  of  the  Democracy. 


&EV.  HENRY  W.  LESSMAN,  Pastor  of  St. 
Johannes'  Lutheran  Church  of  Decatur, 
\V,  which  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Clayton 
and  Orchard  Streets,  has  during  his  residence 
in  this  city,  covering  a  period  of  three  years,  not 
only  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  own  con- 
gregation, but  has  made  many  friends  outside  of 
the  denomination.  He  has  labored  untiringly  in 
the  field  which  he  has  chosen,  and  the  best  interests 
of  Decatur  have  certainly  been  thereby  promoted. 
Mr.  Lessman  was  born  in  Hermansburg,  Hanover, 


242 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Germany,  on  the  12th  of  March,  1852,  and  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in  his  native  land, 
but  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  bade  good-bye  to 
home  and  friends  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
I'nited  States.  After  his  arrival  here  he  became  a 
student-  in  the  Concordia  Theological  College,  a 
German  Lutheran  school  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  from 
which  lie  was  graduated,  after  having  completed 
the  course,  in  the  Class  of  '73.  Soon  afterward  he 
was  ordained  at  Sherrill's  Mound,  Dubuque 
Count}1,  Iowa,  by  the  Rev.  J.  Osterhus,  and  took 
charge  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  that  place,  con- 
tinuing as  its  pastor  for  five  years.  On  the  expi- 
ration of  that  period  he  went  to  Wisconsin  and, 
locating  in  Berlin,  preached  for  the  church  in 
Berlin  and  the  one  in  Burnett,  a  neighboring  town, 
for  six  j  ears.  It  was  in  1890  that  he  came  to 
Decatur  to  accept  the  pastorate  of  St.  Paul's 
Lutheran  Church. 

On  the  4tli  of  June,  1874,  Mr.  Lessman  was 
united  in  marriage  in  Sherrill's  Mound,  Iowa,  with 
Miss  Lizzie  Stirnweis,  a  native  of  that  State. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  a  family  of 
seven  children,  namely:  Tillie,  Lydia,  Ernest, 
Emma,  Clara,  Lena  and  Walter.  Mrs.  Lessman 
has  been  a  faithful  helpmate  to  her  husband,  aid- 
ing him  greatly  in  all  his  work. 

The  church  of  which  Rev.  Mr.  Lessman  is  now 
pastor  was  organized  in  1891,  being  set  off  from 
St  Paul's  Church.  It  was  established  with  one 
hundred  and  fifty  of  the  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  members  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  and  its  present 
membership  is  one  hundred  and  eighty.  The 
house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1892,  at  a  cost  of 
$16.000,  and  dedicated  on  the  18th  of  December 
of  that  year  by  our  subject,  assisted  by  Prof.  Her- 
zer  and  Rev.  Mr.  Hermann,  of  Nokomis,  111.  A 
pipe  organ  was  put  in  at  a  cost  of  $1,500  and  two 
bells  costing  $420.  The  edifice  is  a  brick  structure, 
42x90  feet,  possessing  much  architectural  beauty 
and  tastefully  furnished  and  arranged  in  the  in- 
terior. The  parochial  school  carried  on  in  connec- 
tion with  this  church  was  established  in  1887,  and 
lias  now  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  pupils,  under 
the  care  of  two  competent  teachers. 

Rev.  Mr.  Lessman  is  a  member  of  the  Missouri 
Synod.  It  was  entirely  through  his  efforts  that 


funds  were  raised  for  the  erection  of  St.  Johannes' 
Church,  and  as  a  result  of  his  untiring  labors  he 
has  given  to  his  congregation  a  very  pleasant 
church  home. 


JpS^OAH  D.  MYERS,  M.  D.,  is  one  of  the  later, 
111  yet  one  of  the  important,  additions  to  the 

ikd-s)  medical  profession  in  Decatur.  He  was 
born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Jackson  Township, 
Fountain  County,  Ind.,  in  1843,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Catherine  (Fine)  Myers.  His  grand- 
father, Jacob  Myers,  was  a  son  of  a  Revolutionary 
hero,  and  was  born  and  reared  in  North  Carolina. 
He  went  to  the  Northwest  on  horseback,  exploring 
portions  of  Indiana,  and  being  pleased  with  the 
country  resolved  to  make  it  his  future  home  when 
the  Indians  and  wild  beasts  should  become  suffici- 
ently subdued  to  make  it  possible  for  a  white  man 
to  live  there.  In  1811  he  took  his  family  in  a 
wagon  to  the  Hoosier  State,  but  finding  that  the 
country  was  still  too  wild  for  settlement,  was 
obliged  to  leave,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Kentucky. 
He  followed  farming  at  Crab  Orchard,  where  the 
father  of  our  subject  was  born.  In  1812  he  re- 
turned with  his  family  to  his  native  State,  and 
there  lived  until  1829,  when  he  again  started  for 
Indiana,  arriving  in  1830.  He  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  what  is  now  Fountain  County. 
His  father  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  but 
never  returned.  The  Myers  family  is  of  German 
origin,  and  was  founded  in  America  in  early 
Colonial  days. 

On  the  maternal  side  the  Doctor  is  of  German 
descent.  On  leaving  the  Fatherland,  his  ancestors 
located  in  North  Carolina,  and  his  great-grand- 
father also  entered  the  Colonial  service.  It  is 
supposed  that  he  was  killed,  as  no  news  was  ever 
received  of  him  after  his  enlistment.  The  father 
of  our  subject  became  a  well-to-do  firmer  and 
sawyer,  and  built  the  first  steam  sawmill  in  Foun- 
tain County.  Removing  to  Jasper  County,  111., 
he  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Gila,  where  he  is 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


243 


now  living  a  retired  life,  al  the  age  of  eighty-one. 
He  served  as  Postmaster  of  that  place  un'der  Presi- 
dent Hayes.  His  wife  died  in  1891,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-nine. 

In  the  Myers  family  were  eleven  children: 
Maria,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  Jacob, 
who  was  burned  to  death  when  eighteen  months 
old;  Peter,  a  resident  farmer  of  Jasper  County; 
Susan,  wife  of  M.  M.  Sowers,  a  farmer  of  the  same 
county;  John  C.,  a  miller  in  Harvcysburg,  Ind.; 
Levi  F.,  who  died  in  Wallace,  Ind.,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two,  leaving  a  wife  and  one  child,  Byron 
F.;  Noah  D.,  of  this  sketch;  Mathias,  who  was 
drowned  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Mary,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  George  W.  Myers,  a  farmer,  and 
died  leaving  a  child,  whose  death  occurred  soon 
after;  Amanada  C.,  twin  sister  of  Mary,  and  wife 
of  James  A.  Sanders,  who  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Fountain  County,  Ind.;  and  Eli  L.,  who 
is  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Fountain 
County. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Dr. 
Myers,  who  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  such 
a  community  as  is  described  by  Edward  Eggleston 
in  his  "Hoosier  School  Master."  During  his  early 
boyhood  he  had  a  desire  to  engage  in  the  practice 
of  medicine,  and  his  dreams  of  the  future  soon 
won  him  the  nickname  of  "Doc,"  by  which  he 
was  known  around  his  father's  brick-kiln.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-two  lie  began  teaching,  and  followed 
that  profession  for  some  time,  after  which  he  went 
to  the  State  University  in  Bloomington,  Ind., 
where  he  pursued  a  scientific  course.  The  money 
which  he  had  acquired  was  there  exhausted  and 
he  had  to  resort  to  teaching  once  more  to  obtain 
the  means  to  prosecute  his  medical  studies.  He 
began  fitting  himself  for  his  chosen  profession 
with  Dr.  A.  T.  Steele,  of  AVaveland,  Ind.,  with 
whom  he  remained  three  years,  when  lie  entered 
Hush  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  attending  his 
first  course  in  the  winter  of  1870-71.  That  school 
was  burned  out  in  the  memorable  fire  of  October 
9,  1871,  and  he  became  a  student  in  the  Medical 
College  of  Ohio,  at  Cincinnati,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  on  the  2d  of  March,  1872. 

In  1873  Dr.  Myers  was  married  to  Miss  Mattie 
J.  Ward,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Mais- 


grove)  Ward,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  four 
children:  Bessie  L.,  Minnie  M.,  Lulu  P.  and  Merl 
M.  After  his  graduation  the  Doctor  began  prac- 
tice in  Veedersburgh,  Ind.,  where  he  remained  for 
a  year,  and  then  removed  to  Brown's  Valley,  in 
Montgomery  County,  where  he  practiced  for  eigh- 
teen months.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  went  to  Jasper  County,  and  located  on  the 
present  site  of  the  village  of  Gila.  He  was  the 
founder  of  the  village,  as  he  built  the  first  house 
and  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  postoffice 
at  that  place,  as  well  as  the  mail  route.  The 
Doctor  did  a  large  practice  at  Gila  for  thirteen 
years,  when  he  removed  to  Decatur.  He  thor- 
oughly understands  his  profession  and  has  become 
a  successful  practitioner.  He  is  examining  physi- 
cian for  Easterly  Camp  No.  1626,  M.  W.  A.,  and 
is  also  a  member  and  examining  surgeon  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  of  Decatur,  to- 
gether with  Ionic  Lodge  No.  312,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  himself  and  wife,  with  their  two  eldest 
children,  hold  membership  with  the  English  Luth- 
eran Church.  Dr.  Myers  may  truly  be  called  a 
self-made  man.  The  advantages  of  his  youth 
were  extremely  limited  and  his  education,  literary 
and  professional,  has  all  been  acquired  through  his 
own  efforts.  The  ambition  and  enterprise  which 
led  him  to  carry  out  the  long  cherished  dream  of 
his  youth  will  always  keep  him  in  the  front  ranks 
among  his  professional  brethren. 


HEODORE  COLEMAN  is  cashier  for  Ha- 
worth  &  Sons,  and  is  widely  known  in  busi- 
ness circles  in  this  city  as  a  man  of  sterling 
worth,  and  as  being  upright  and  honorable  in  all 
his  dealings.  For  the  promotion  of  the  be^t  in- 
terests of  the  city  he  gives  his  support,  and  he  is 
recognized  as  a  leading  resident  of  the  community. 
He  was  born  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  August  7,  1852,  and 
is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Nancy  W.  (Ela)  Colemnn, 
whose  family  numbered  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 


244 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ters,  namely:  Theodore,  Lucy  B.,  Alfred  W..  James 
H.,  Hattie  P.  (wife  of  Robert  W.  Hastie,  of  Tay- 
lorville),  and  Abby,  who  died  in  infancy.  The 
father  of  this  family  was  a  native  of  Virginia, and 
the  mother  of  Maine.  The  former  was  a  clerk  in 
a  dry-goods  house  in  early  life  and  afterward 
served  as  salesman  in  the  Methodist  Book  Con- 
curn,  in  Louisville.  Ky.  In  the  spring  of  1855  he 
removed  to  Decatur,  and  began  teaching  school. 
He  afterward  served  as  a  book-keeper  for  the  Hen- 
kle  <fe  Priest  Mill,  and  subsequently  was  with 
Moorehouse,  Wells  &  Co.,  and  previous  to  this 
time  he  had  engaged  in  farming  for  four  years. 
He  served  as  Tax  Collector  in  1868.  He  was  called 
to  the  home  beyond  in  the  spring  of  1869,  at  the' 
age  of  fifty-two  years.  A  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  he  was  also  a  local  preacher, 
and  both  by  piecept  and  example  taught  the  way 
of  life.  His  widow  is  still  living  in  this  city,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Church. 

The  Coleman  family  is  of  English  origin.  The 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  James  H.  Colemau,  was 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  became  a  paving  con- 
tractor in  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  he  carried  on 
business  for  some  years.  His  last  days  were  spent 
near  Shelburn,  Jnd.,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six  years.  His  only  daughter  is  now  living 
near  that  place.  He  took  quite  an  active  part  in 
politics,  supported  the  Whig  party,  and  ere  liis 
death  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  maternal 
grandfather,  Theodore  Ela,  who  was  a  shoemaker 
by  trade,  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  but  re- 
moved to  the  Pine  Tree  State  in  early  life, settling 
in  Lowell,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-six. 

Theodore  Coleman,  our  subject,  was  only  two 
and  a-half  years  old'when  brought  by  his  parents 
to  Illinois.  He  was  reared  in  this  county,  and 
the  greater  part  of  his  education  was  acquired  in 
Decatur.  He  was  the  Hrst  boy  graduated  from  the 
Eligh  School  of  this  city,  the  year  of  that  event 
being  1868.  While  in  school  he  served  during 
vacations  and  leisure  hours  as  ollice  boy  for  the 
firm  of  Durfee,  Warren  &  Co.  for  three  years,  af- 
ter which  he  accepted  a  position  with  David  Mar- 
tin, remaining  in  his  employ  for  four  years.  Since 
leaving  school,  he  has  continuously  engaged  in 
book-keeping.  For  four  years  he  was  also  em- 


ployed by  H.  W.  Hill  &  Co.,  and  for  a  year  and 
a-half  served  as  book-keeper  for  Chambers  &  Quin- 
lan.  In  1879  began  his  connection  with  the  Ha- 
worth  Check-Rower  Company,  with  which  he  has 
continued  ever  since. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  1881,  Mr.  Coleman  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Miss  Linnie  Good,  daugh- 
ter of  Daniel  and  Barbara  (Barnett)  Good,  who 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  but  resided  near 
Oreana  at  the  time  of  the  marriage  of  their  daugh- 
ter. Three  children  bless  this  union:  Daniel  Roy, 
Hattie  May  and  Fannie  Lucile.  The  family  hold 
membership  with  Grace  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  Mr.  Coleman  is  one  of  the  Stewards 
and  Trustees.  He  also  belongs  to  Ionic  Lodge 
No.  312,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No.  21, 
R.  A.  M.;  and  Decatur  Lodge  No.  364,  I.  O.  G.  T., 
of  which  he  is  a  charter  member.  He  is  a  stanch 
advocate  of  temperance  principles  and  votes  with 
the  Prohibition  party.  Whatever  tends  to  up- 
build the  educational  and  moral  interests  of  the 
community  receives  his  hearty  co-operation,  and 
his  aid  is  never  withheld  from  a  worthy  enterprise. 
His  service  with  well-known  business  firms  of  the 
city  is  a  high  testimonial  to  his  ability  and  faith- 
fulness to  duty. 


RANK  WARD,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
and  fruit-growing  on  section  34,  Blue 
Mound  Township,  has  the  honor  of  being  a 
native  of  this  county.  He  first  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  of  day  January  20,  1835,  in  Wheatland 
Township,  on  what  is  known  as  the  old  Ward 
Farm,  three  and  a-half  miles  southwest  of  Decatur. 
He  is  the  third  in  order  of  birtli  in  a  family  which 
numbered  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  His  father, 
William  Ward,  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1802, 
and  remained  in  that  State  until  eighteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  left  home  and  went  to  Kentucky.  In 
1822  he  became  a  resident  of  Greene  County,  111., 
and  in  1825  removed  to  Macon  County,  locating 
on  Government  land  in  Wheatland  Township, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


245 


where  he  made  his  home  until  his  death,  on  the 
4th  of  January,  1854.  The  mother  of  our  subject, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Wheeler, 
was  also  a  native  of  Tennessee.  Her  father,  Will- 
iam Wheeler,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
this  county,  coming  here  in  1825.  Her  death  oc- 
curred in  .June,  1841,  and  her  remains  were  in- 
terred in  Walnut  Grove  Cemetery.  The  children 
born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ward  were:  Larkin,  who 
died  in  1864,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years;  Mary, 
who  died  in  1867,  at  the  age  of  thirty-three; 
Frank,  of  this  sketch;  Hiram,  a  progressive  farmer 
and  stock-raiser,  who  owns  the  old  homestead; 
and  Rial,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Moultrie  County. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Ward  was 
again  married.  In  November,  1841,  he  wedded 
Sarah  Ann  Abbott,  and  unto  them  were  born  six 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  John  A., 
the  eldest,  is  a  farmer  of  this  county;  Nancy  J.  is 
the  wife  of  Oliver  Logan,  an  agriculturist  of 
Wheatland  Township;  Margaret  E.  is  the  widow 
of  Robert  Elder;  William  J.  resides  in  Morgan, 
111.;  and  George  W.  is  successfully  engaged  in 
farming  in  Colorado. 

Frank  Ward,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  was 
reared  to  manhood  arnid  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier 
life,  and  became  early  inured  to  the  hard  labor  of 
developing  a  new  farm.  He  continued  on  the  old 
homestead  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when,  on 
his  father's  death,  he  started  out  for  himself  to 
earn  his  own  livelihood.  He  began  work  as  a 
farm  hand  by  the  month,  being  thus  employed  for 
a  year,  after  which  he  engaged  with  a  Govern- 
ment surveyor,  who  was  laying  out  township  lines. 
Four  months  were  spent  in  that  way,  and  he  then 
again  engaged  in  farm  labor  for  two  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to  the 
old  homestead  and  began  farming  for  himself  on 
forty-five  acres  of  land,  which  he  inherited  from 
his  father's  estate.  To  agricultural  pursuits  he 
has  since  devoted  his  energies,  and  as  a  farmer  he 
has  made  of  his  life  a  success.  He  now  owns  sixty 
acres  of  valuable  land,  the  greater  part  of  which 
is  planted  in  small  fruits. 

In  January,  1859,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Ward  and  Miss  Nancy  I.  Pasley,  who  was 
born  in  this  county  May  19,  1841, and  is  a  daugh- 


ter of  Robert  Pasley,  an  honored  pioneer.  The 
children  born  to  them  were:  Emma  E.;  Charles  E., 
who  is  engaged  in  carpentering;  Dora  E.,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Ira  G.  Warnick  and  died  leaving 
two  children;  Allie  C.  and  Ralph,  who  are  living 
with  our  subject;  and  William,  who  completes  the 
family.  One  child  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ward  arc  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church,  are  highly  respected  people  in  this 
community.  Their  home  is  the  abode  of  hospital- 
ity, its  doors  being  ever  open  for  the  reception  of 
their  many  friends.  In  his  political  views,  Mr. 
Ward  has  always  been  liberal,  supporting  the  man 
whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  to  fill  the  office,  re- 
gardless of  party  affiliations.  He  has  been  a  wit- 
ness of  the  growth  of  Macon  County  since  the 
days  of  its  early  infancy,  and  well  deserves  to  be 
numbered  among  those  who  laid  the  foundation 
for  its  present  prosperity  and  advanced  condition. 


felLLIAM  C.  SMITH,  a  pioneer  residing  on 
section  16,  South  Wheatland  Township, 
was  born  July  2,  1819,  in  Rutherford 
County, Tenn., about  twenty-five  miles  from  Nash- 
ville. His  grandfather,  Robert  Smith,  was  of 
Scotch  lineage,  his  wife  being  of  Irish  descent. 
He  was  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  was  takeji 
prisoner  during  the  struggle.  His  death  occurred 
near  Princeton.  Ky.  His  son  Robert,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Guilford  County,  N.  C., 
in  1782,  and  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when  his 
parents  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Cumberland 
River,  near  Nashville.  Tenn.  They  afterward  took 
up  their  residence  on  Stone  River,  ten  miles  from 
Murfreesboro.  The  Indians  were  then  quite  nu- 
merous and  the  entire  county  was  wild.  Rob- 
ert Smith,  Jr..  volunteered  for  service  in  the  War 
of  1812  under  Gen.  Jackson,  but  was  forced  to 
return  home  on  account  of  sickness.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Wilson  County,  Tenn.,  to  Miss  Ellen  Wil- 
son, who  died  when  our  subject  was  four  years 
old,  leaving  three  sons  and  four  daughters.  One 


246 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


child  died  in  infancy;  Margaret  died  in  1828, 
just  after  the  removal  of  the  family  to  this  county; 
Nancy,  wife  of  Henry  Trauber,  died  in  Mt.  Zion 
Township;  Robert,  who  served  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  died  in  1835;  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of 
A.  M.  Wilson,  of  Mt.  /ion,  and  both  are  now  de- 
ceased; Sarah  Jane,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  J. 
P.  Law;  and  William  completes  the  family.  All 
were  born  in  Tennessee. 

The  father  emigrated  witli  his  family  to  Sanga- 
mon  Count}-,  111.,  with  a  four-horse  wagon  and 
two-horse  carriage,  and  was  accompanied  by  John 
Wilson  and  his  famil}'.  They  remained  a  year  in 
Sangamon  County  and  then  came  to  Macon  Coun- 
ty. Although  the  county  was  not  then  organ- 
ized and  the  land  had  not  yet  come  into  market, 
Mr.  Smith  entered  over  one  thousand  acres  of 
land  in  different  localities.  His  home  was  a  log 
cabin,  20x40  feet  in  dimensions,  and  contained 
two  rooms.  It  stood  on  the  site  of  our  subject's 
residence,  and  there  he  made  his  home  until  1855, 
when  his  death  occurred,  and  he  was  buried  in 
Salem  Cemetery.  His  first  wife  died  in  Tennes- 
see, and  later  he  there  married  Mrs.  Jane  (Crisp) 
Allen,  whose  death  occurred  in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa. 
Mr.  Smith  was  a  Jacksonian  Democrat,  and  was 
acquainted  with  Andrew  Jackson.  He  held  mem- 
bership with  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church 
of  this  neighborhood,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the 
founders,  and  was  much  interested  in  church 
work.  A  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  he 
was  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  commu- 
nity, and  is  numbered  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers. His  son,  A.  W.,  served  as  County  Com- 
missioner in  an  early  day. 

William  Smith,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
had  very  limited  school  privileges,  but  his  train- 
ing at  farm  work  was  not  meagre.  He  early 
learned  to  swing  the  axe  and  use  the  mall  and 
wedge  and  reap-hook.  In  the  early  da\'s  he  has 
killed  deer  and  has  borne  all  the  experiences  of 
frontier  life,  sharing  in  its  pleasures  and  in  its 
hardships.  When  he  had  attained  a  sufficient  age 
he  took  charge  of  the  old  home  farm  and  caied 
for  his  father  until  his  death. 

In  1842  Mr.  Smith  was  joined  in  marriage  in 
Blue  Mound  Township  with  Miss  Lucy  J.  Pope, 


who  was  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1819,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Dempsey  Pope,  who  came  to  Ma- 
con  County  in  1827.  For  fortj-two  years  she 
proved  a  faithful  helpmate  and  companion  to  her 
husband,  but  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1884, 
having  had  six  children.  John  W.,  who  was  born 
in  1843,  and  educated  in  Mt.  Zion  Academy, 
afterward  graduated  from  the  law  school  of  Al- 
bany, N.  Y.,  and  is  now  an  attorney  of  Chicago. 
He  is  the  author  of  '-Smith's  History  of  Macon 
County."  George  Robinson  died  at  the  age  of 
five  months.  William  B.,  who  was  born  in  1845, 
and  married  Miss  Goff,  of  this  county,  is  living 
upon  a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  and  is  a  promi- 
nent and  representative  farmer  of  the  community 
in  which  he  has  spent  his  entire  life.  He  has 
served  as  Assessor  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  his 
township.  Robert,  who  resides  upon  a  part  of  the 
old  homestead,  carries  on  a  sawmill  and  black- 
smith shop.  He  manied  Belle  Wilson,  and  they 
have  two  children.  He  and  his  brother  William 
were  both  students  in  the  academy  at  Mt.  Zion, 
and  he  completed  his  education  in  Lincoln  Uni- 
versity, of  Logan  County.  Sarah  is  the  wife  of 
A.  L.  Myer,  a  farmer  of  South  Wheatland  Town- 
ship. James  Willis,  who  was  educated  in  Decatur, 
married  Ada  Grey  and  resides  in  Chicago. 

In  1885  our  subject  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Smith.  Her  par- 
ents were  William  D.  and  Marilla  (Martin)  Baker, 
who  came  to  Illinois  at  a  very  early  day.  The 
father  is  now  deceased,  but  the  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing at  the  age  of  ninety -four.  Mrs.  Smith  was 
born  in  Macon  County  in  1831,  and  became  the 
wife  of  John  R.  Smith,  who  enlisted  for  the  war 
as  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  died  in  the  service.  Her 
mother  is  still  living  on  the  farm  where  she  lo- 
cated in  the  spring  of  1829.  Her  father  served 
on  the  first  grand  jury  of  the  county.  Her  grand- 
father, Josiah  Martin,  served  throughout  the  Rev- 
olutionary War,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Cowpens.  The  members  of  the  Martin  family  are 
Mrs.  Smith;  Rev.  N.  M.,  who  is  living  on  the  old 
homestead;  Mrs.  M.  L.  Dennis,  of  this  county; 
and  Rev.  W.  P.,  a  minister  of  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Hillsboro,  111. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


251 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  cast  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  Van  Buren,  and  has  since  been  a 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  now  owns 
a  good  farm,  but  rents  his  land  and  is  living  a 
retired  life.  He  has  served  his  township  as  Road 
Commissioner.  He  and  his  wife  are  numbered 
among  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the  commu- 
nity, few  having  longer  resided  in  Macon  County 
than  they.  They  have  been  identified  with  its 
entire  growth  and  upbuilding,  and  well  deserve 
mention  among  its  honored  pioneers. 


EWIS  B.  CASNER  is  connected  with  many 
of  the  leading  industries  of  Decatur,  is  a 
v\  stockholder  in  several  of  its  banks,  and  is 
prominent  in  many  other  business  interests  of  this 
thriving  city  of  Illinois.  The  enterprise,  ambi- 
tion and  industry  of  such  men  as  our  subject  have 
made  Decatur  what  it  is  to-day.  His  name  is 
therefore  inseparably  connected  with  its  upbuild- 
ing, and  with  pleasure  we  present  this  record  of 
his  life  to  our  readers.  Mr.  Casner  was  born  in 
Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  August  30,  1830,  and  isa 
son  of  Peter  and  Annie  (Holderman)  Casner.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  when  a 
iad  of  fifteen  became  a  resident  of  Ohio.  In  1841 
he  located  in  Mercer  County,  111.,  accompanied  by 
his  family,  and  four  years  later  came  to  Macon 
County,  settling  in  Long  Creek  Township,  nine 
miles  southeast  of  Decatur.  There  the  mother 
died.  .  Mr.  Casner  improved  a  large  farm  and  died 
in  his  fiftieth  year.  In  the  family  were  five  chil- 
dren. George,  who  died  about  1879,  was  a  farmer 
of  Long  Creek  Township;  Christopher,  a  farmer  of 
the  same  township,  died  in  1881;  Jemima  is  the 
widow  of  Jacob  Bear,  of  Pickaway  Count}',  Ohio, 
and  now  lives  in  New  Boston,  111.;  Hanson  was 
married,  and  died  in  1852,  leaving  a  daughter, 
Ella,  now  the  wife  of  M.  L.  Dick,  of  Decatur. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  sixteen  years  of 
age  when  he  came  to  this  county,  and  he  remained 
with  his  mother  until  a  young  man  of  twenty-two. 

11 


At  that  age  he  embarked  in  farming  for  himself  on 
a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  where  he  remained 
until  1891.  His  father  had  entered  the  land  from 
the  Government  and  our  subject  still  owns  a  part 
of  it.  At  one  time  Mr.  Casner  had  two  thousand 
acres  all  in  one  body,  and  for  years  he  was  exten- 
sively engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  He 
bred  fine  stock,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  intro- 
duce Shorthorn  cattle  into  this  county.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-two  he  had  only  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land,  so  his  entire  possessions  have 
been  acquired  since  that  time,  and  through  his 
own  efforts. 

Mr.  Casner  was  married  September  22,  1853,  to 
Miss  Mary  Eleanor  Flaningan,  who  was  born  in 
Montgomery  County,  Ind.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  four  children:  Oliver,  who  died  in  1890, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two;  Cordelia,  wife  of  James 
Wykoff,  a  farmer  of  this  county;  Idola,  wife  of 
Dr.  John  A.  Dawson,  who  is  living  in  Decatur; 
and  Ermina,  wife  of  A.  B.  Chapman,  of  Casner. 
Mrs.  Casner's  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Eleanor  Abernerthy,  and  was  born  in  Virginia. 
She  spent  the  last  winter  with  Mrs.  Casner,  but 
makes  her  home  with  her  daughter  in  Crawfords- 
ville,  111.  She  has  now  reached  the  advanced  age 
of  ninety-one  years. 

As  before  stated,  probably  no  man  in  the  county 
has  done  more  for  its  upbuilding  and  the  promo- 
tion of  its  business  interests  than  our  subject.  He 
was  influential  in  securing  the  Indianapolis,  Deca- 
tur &  Western  Railroad,  which  crosses  his  farm,  and 
he  hud  out  the  town  of  Casner  as  a  shipping  point. 
There  he  erected  a  store,  which  he  carried  on  for 
seven  years,  or  until  his  removal  to  the  city.  In 
1891  he  came  to  Decatur.  Some  six  years  pre- 
vious, as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Gorin,  Dawson 
&  Co.,  he  had  established  a  bank,  which  in  1891 
was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Citizens' 
National  Bank.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators, 
became  Director  and  Vice-President,  and  in  Jan- 
uary, 1892,  was  elected  President.  He  is  also  a 
stockholder  in  the  Decatur  Brick  and  Tile  Company, 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  incorporators,  and  was 
its  first  and  is  its  present  President.  J.  G.  Shea, 
of  Danville,  is  its  manager,  and  O.  C.  Stafford  is  in 
direct  charge  of  the  business.  The  capital  stock  of 


252 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


the  company  is  $30,000.  Mr.  Casner  was  also  one 
of  the  incorporators  and  first  President  of  the 
Danville  Brick  and  Tile  Company,  which  has  a 
capital  stock  of  $75,000  and  a  capacity  of  one 
hundred  thousand  brick  per  day.  He  is  also  its 
President  at  this  writing.  The  Decatur  Company 
has  a  capacity  of  fifty  thousand  brick  per  day. 
Of  the  Leader  Manufacturing  Company  of  Decatur 
he  is  also  a  Director.  Their  plant  manufactures 
brick-making  machinery.  Mr.  Casner  is  also  Pres- 
ident of  the  Farmers'  Bank  of  Decatur,  a  private 
bank  that  opened  its  doors  for  business  July  22, 
1893,  and  he  was  one  of  its  leading  promoters.  A 
man  of  keen  judgment,  deliberate  and  careful, 
yet  progressive,  possessing  enterprise  and  energy, 
Mr.  Casner  has  proved  one  of  the  leading  and  in- 
fluential business  men  of  this  city,  and  his  industry 
and  fertile  resources  have  not  only  benefited  him- 
self, but  have  proved  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the 
city  as  well.  His  straightforward  and  honorable 
dealings  have  made  his  word  as  good  as  his  bond, 
and  his  honorable  career  has  won  him  high  regard. 
In  politics,  in  early  life  he  was  a  Whig,  but  in 
185C  joined  the  Republican  party,  which  he  long 
supported.  He  now,  however,  votes  with  the 
Prohibition  party. 


M.  CALDWELL  is  proprietor  of  a  livery, 
feed  and  sale  stable  of  Decatur.  He  began 
business  in  this  city  in  1870,  and  for  fifteen 
years  lias  occupied  his  present  location.  His  sta- 
ble covers  100x80  feet,  and  the  barn  and  its  con- 
tents are  valued  at  about  $25,000.  He  keeps  on 
hand  twenty-five  horses  and  a  fine  line  of  buggies 
and  carriages;  in  fact,  everything  found  in  a  first- 
class  livery  stable.  From  the  public  he  receives  a 
literal  patronage,  which  is  justly  merited. 

The  life  record  of  Mr.  Caldwell  is  as  follows: 
He  was  born  in  Sandusky,  Ohio,  on  the  10th  of 
September,  1840,  and  during  five  years  of  his 
boyhood  resided  in  Alma,  Ohio.  From  a  very 
early  age  he  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world. 


When  a  lad  of  ten  lie  began  driving  a  stage  from 
Flint  to  Saginaw,  Mich.  His  father  had  located 
in  the  latter  place  when  the  Indians  were  paid  at 
that  point.  Throughout  nearly  his  entire  life  our 
subject  has  been  engaged  in  dealing  in  horses. 
For  thirty -six  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
livery  business,  embarking  in  that  enterprise  in 
Saginaw,  Mich.,  soon  after  the  town  was  started. 
He  afterward  followed  the  same  pursuit  in  Fen- 
ten  ville,  Mich.,  and  in  1864  located  in  Griggsville, 
III.  At  that  place  he  engaged  in  breaking  horses, 
which  he  sold  to  proprietors  of  circuses.  There 
he  remained  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Decatur, 
as  before  stated.  His  brother,  F.  B.  Caldwell,  was 
in  partnership  with  him  during  his  residence  in 
Griggsville,  and  the  connection  was  continued  in 
Decatur  until  1883.  He  is  now  engaged  as  a  dealer 
in  carriages  in  Chicago. 

In  Griggsville,  111.,  on  the  2d  of  September, 
1868,  Mr.  Caldwell  was  married,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  L.  Nettie  White.  She  is  a  na- 
tive of  Massachusetts,  but  in  her  maidenhood  went 
to  Griggsville,  where  she  remained  until  after  her 
marriage.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  a  daughter,  Eva  Eliza. 

In  connection  with  his  other  business  interests, 
Mr.  Caldwell  was  also  engaged  in  breeding  thor- 
oughbred "Wilkes"  horses.  He  owns  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres,  five  miles 
southwest  of  Decatur,  where  he  hasafine"Wilkes" 
stallion  and  a  number  of  standard-bred  mares. 
He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  horses  and  a  lover  of 
the  noble  steed.  He  has  not  only  sold  many 
horses  in  the  home  market,  but  has  shipped  to 
various  points.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators 
of  the  Trotting  Association,  and  continued  his 
membership  with  the  same  until  1892. 

In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Caldwell  is  con- 
nected with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, and  in  politics  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He 
takes  an  active  interest  in  political  affairs  and 
always  keeps  well  informed  on  the  issues  of  the 
day.  He  is  now  serving  as  Township  Commis- 
sioner, a  position  he  has  filled  for  fifteen  years 
with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of 
his  constituents.  He  and  two  other  members  of 
the  Board  have  entire  charge  of  all  the  roads  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


253 


expend  about  $15,000  each  year  on  improvements 
in  this  lino.  In  connection  with  D.  A.  Maffett 
and  C.  Amman,  lie  laid  out  and  platted  Maffett's 
Addition  to  Decatur.  He  lias  also  handled  con- 
siderable other  real  estate.  Mr.  Caldwell  is  a 
public-spirited  and  progressive  man  and  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  city  and  its  upbuilding. 


.- 


J"  /  M. '  BRO WNBACK,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
banking  business  in  Blue  Mound,  and  is 
J  one  of  the  substantial  and  representative 
1  citizens  of  that  place,  is  a  native  of  Illinois. 
He  was  born  on  the  16th  of  October,  1853,  in 
Shelbyville,  Shelby  County,  and  is  the  youngest 
in  a  family  of  seven  children  whose  parents  were 
Henry  and  Rebecca  (Zepp)  Brown  back.  The  father 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  his  youth 
learned  the  trade  of  a  cabinet-maker.  He  was 
married  in  the  Buckeye  State,  and  with  his  wife 
and  family  emigrated  to  Shelby  County,  111.,  in 
1850,  there  making  his  home  until  his  death,  his 
wife  also  dying  in  that  county.  The  Brownback 
family  is  of  German  extraction,  the  grandparents 
of  our  subject  having  come  from  Germany  to 
America. 

J.  M.  Brownback,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
passed  his  early  boyhood  days  upon  his  father's 
farm  midst  play  and  work.  He  attended  the  com- 
mon schools,  and  his  primary  education  was  sup- 
plemented by  a  three-years  course  of  study  in  the 
Normal  State  University,  of  Normal,  111.,  which 
he  entered  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  When  his 
school  course  was  ended  he  carried  on  a  dry-goods 
store  in  Normal,  owned  by  his  brother,  for  three 
years.  He  then  secured  work  in  a  bank  in  Le  Roy, 
111.,  being  there  employed  for  about  six  months,  af- 
ter which  he  traveled  fora  publishing  house.  The 
next  business  in  which  he  engaged  was  that  of 
book-keeping,  he  having  a  position  in  a  hotel  in 
Pana,  111.  In  1873  he  embarked  in  business  for 
himself  as  a  dealer  in  drugs  and  grains,  and  car- 


ried on  a  successful  business  in  that  line  for  twelve 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  sold 
out  and  removed  to  Blue  Mound,  where  he  opened 
a  bank,  which  he  still  owns. 

On  the  llth  of  April,  1882,  Mr.  Brownback 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Vande- 
veer,  whose  home  was  in  Taylorville,  111.  By 
their  union  have  been  born  two  children,  who  are 
still  with  their  parents:  Alcieum  and  Elloiese. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Brownback  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  while  he  feels  an  interest  in  political 
affairs,  as  every  true  American  citizen  should  do, 
he  has  never  sought  or  desired  public  office.  In 
his  social  relations,  he  is  a  Knight-Templar  Mason, 
belonging  to  Blue  Mound  Lodge  No.  682,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.;and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T., 
of  Decatur.  He  takes  an  active  and  commendable 
interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
of  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his  home, 
and  gives  his  support  to  all  worthy  enterprises 
calculated  to  promote  the  general  welfare.  He  is 
an  enterprising  man,  and  his  well-directed  efforts 
through  life  have  brought  him  success.  The  bank 
of  which  he  is  now  at  the  head  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing financial  institutions  of  the  county,  and  he  is 
one  of  the  representative  business  men. 


ff%ETER  M.  SEIBERLING,  who  is  success- 
fully engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in 
Blue  Mound,  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
State.  He  was  born  near  Allentown,  Pa., 
on  the  17th  of  May,  1847,  and  is  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  fourteen  children, 
whose  parents  are  James  and  Sarah  (Moser)  Seiber- 
ling.  The  father  of  our  subject  is  also  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  there  reared  to  manhood 
upon  a  farm.  After  attaining  his  majority,  he 
engaged  in  keeping  tavern  for  several  years.  At 
length  he  determined  to  move  Westward,  and  in 
1852  emigrated  to  Ohio,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm,  upon  which  he  resided  for  twelve  3' ears. 


254 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


It  was  in  1864  that  he  came  to  Macon  County  and 
purchased  land  upon  which  the  town  of  Blue 
Mound  is  now  located.  lie  is  still  living  on  the 
old  homestead,  where  he  has  now  resided  for  thirty 
years.  His  wife,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, is  also  residing  at  the  old  home.  The 
Seiberling  family  is  of  German  extraction. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  four 
years  of  his  life  in  the  county  of  his  nativity,  and 
then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  sixteen  years  of  age, 
his  boyhood  being  passed  upon  the  home  farm. 
After  coming  to  Illinois,  he  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
when  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself,  having 
received  such  educational  privileges  as  the  public 
schools  afforded.  After  leaving  home  he  began 
railroading,  being  employed  on  a  construction 
train  and  as  a  brakeman.  He  also  served  as  a  con- 
ductor on  a  freight  train  for  a  time,  but  at  length 
he  abandoned  that  pursuit  and  returned  home  to 
engage  in  partnership  with  his  brother  in  the 
grocery  business.  This  connection  was  continued 
for  about  nine  years,  when  he  sold  his  interest  in 
that  store. 

After  selling  out,  Mr.  Seiberling  purchased  the 
store  which  he  still  owns  and  occupies,  which  con- 
tains a  good  brick  storeroom,  75x20  feet  in  dimen- 
sions, and  which  is  well  filled  with  a  complete  stock 
of  groceries,  provisions,  queensware  and  every  tiling 
found  in  that  line.  His  dealings  are  always  char- 
acterized by  the  strictest  honesty  and  integrity, 
and  he  has  therefore  won  the  confidence  and  good- 
will of  his  patrons,  who  are  many. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Seiberling 
occurred  on  the  24th  of  December,  1874,  when  was 
celebrated  his  marriage  with  Miss  Clara  E.  Good- 
man, a  native  of  Decatur,  111.  Their  union  has 
been  blessed  by  a  family  of  six  children,  of  whom 
five  are  still  living,  namely:  Edith  R.,  Terrance  P., 
Vera  H.,  Max  and  Louis.  Edwin  G.,  the  fourth 
child,  died  in  infancy.  The  children  are  all  at- 
tending school. 

Politically,  Mr.  Seiberling  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party,  with  which  he  has  affiliated 
since  attaining  his  majority.  He  has  been  called 
upon  to  serve  in  a  number  of  public  positions  of 


honor  and  trust,  having  filled  the  offices  of  Town- 
ship Clerk,  Township  Collector  and  Trustee  on  the 
Village  Board.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
School  Hoard  for  several  terms,  and  in  the  various 
positions  which  he  has  held  his  prompt  and  faith- 
ful performance  of  duty  has  won  him  high  com- 
mendation. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America. 


/  *==*s= 


PRANK  SHLAUDEM  AN,  an  educated  gen  tle- 
!  man  and  prominent  business  man  of  De- 
catur, is  Vice-President  of  the  Decatur 
Brewing  Company,  and  also  Vice-President  of  the 
Decatur  Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Company.  His  en- 
tire life  has  been  passed  in  this  city,  where  his 
birth  occurred  on  the  17th  of  June,  1862.  Under 
the  parental  roof  the  days  of  his  boyhood  were 
passed,  and  his  primary  education  was  acquired  in 
the  public  schools  of  the  city.  He  afterward  at- 
tended the  University  t>f  Illinois,  at  Champaign, 
taking  a  five-years  course  as  a  mechanical  engineer 
in  the  mechanical  department.  He  was  then  grad- 
uated from  that  institution  in  the  Class  of  '82, 
with  the  degrees  of  B.  8.  and  M.  E.  After  his 
graduation  he  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  Brush  Electric  Light  Com- 
pany. He  worked  in  all  the  departments  of  that 
company  and  became  familiar  with  every  detail  of 
the  business.  Later  he  spent  six  months  in  Chi- 
cago. He  had  expected  to  devote  his  attention  to 
electrical  work,  but  events  caused  him  to  abandon 
this  plan.  However,  he  has  built  two  electric  ma- 
chines, one  for  lighting  the  ice  factory  and  one  for 
motor  purposes  in  the  bottling  works,  of  three- 
horse  power.  He  put  up  the  first  electrical  ma- 
chine in  Decatur,  a  Brush  machine  of  ten-horse 
power  for  exhibition  purposes. 

In  October,  1886,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Shlaudeman  and  Miss  Josephine  Baum, 
whose  home  was  in  Springfield,  111.  They  have  a 
pleasant  residence  on  Webster  Street,  and  are  well 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


255 


known  in  this  community,  having  many  friends. 
From  his  boyhood  our  subject  has  been  familiar 
with  the  brewing  business,  and  in  1886  entered 
the  brewery.  Since  that  time  lie  has  given  his  en- 
tire attention  to  the  business,  and  has  practically 
been  its  manager.  He  has  entire  charge  of  the 
manufacturing  department,  and  his  brother  Harry 
superintends  the  office  and  sales.  The  property 
covers  a  tract  of  several  acres.  The  Decatur  Brew- 
ing Company  was  incorporated  on  the  27th  of 
March,  1888,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000.  Its 
officers  are  H.  Shlaudcman,  President;  Frank 
Shlaudeman,  Vice-President;  and  Harry  Shlaude- 
inan,  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  It  has  a  capacity 
of  twenty  thousand  barrels  annually, .with  an  an- 
nual business  of  fourteen  thousand  barrels,  and 
they  purchase  about  fifteen  thousand  bushels  of 
barley,  mainly  grown  in  Iowa,  Wisconsin  and 
Minnesota.  Employment  is  furnished  to  twenty- 
three  men.  The  bottling  works  are  separate  from 
the  brewery.  Mr.  Shlaudeman  is  an  intelligent 
and  cultured  gentleman,  pleasant  and  popular, 
and  a  man  of  good  business  ability. 


r'  RCH1BALD  DICKSON,  one  of  the  rep- 
resentative farmers  of  Milan  Township, 
'  who  is  living  on  section  14,  is  of  Scotch 
birth.  He  was  born  on  the  20th  of  De- 
cember, 1837,  near  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and  was 
the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eightchil- 
dren,  whose  parents  were  Archibald  and  Inez  (Al- 
lison) Dickson.  William,  the  eldest  child,  is  now 
deceased;  Georgiana  and  Peter  have  also  departed 
this  life;  James  is  an  extensive  cattle  dealer  of 
Australia;  Adam  is  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Milan 
Township;  Archibald  is  the  next  younger;  George 
carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Clay  County, 
Neb.;  and  Christiana,  wife  of  Archie  McNeil,  is  still 
living  in  Scotland. 

The  father  of  this  family  was  born   near  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  in  1806,  and  was  there  reared  to 


manhood  and  married.  Crossing  the  broad  At- 
lantic to  America,  his  death  here  occurred  in  1851. 
His  wife,  who  survived  him  for  a  number  of  years, 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1874. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  spent  his  early  boyhood  days  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  lads,  remaining  under  the  pa- 
rental roof  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  learning  the  stone-cutter's  trade,  to  which 
he  served  a  five-years  apprenticeship,  becoming 
quite  familiar  with  it.  He  was  a  young  man  of 
twenty  years  when,  in  1857,  he  bade  adieu  to 
friends  and  native  laud  and  crossed  the  briny  deep 
to  Canada,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  about 
ten  months.  He  then  went  to  Janesville,  Wis., 
where  he  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month  until  1859.  That  year  witnessed  his  arrival 
in  Macon  County,  111.,  where  he  was  again  em- 
ployed as  a  farm  hand  until  after  the  breaking  out 
of  the  late  war. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1861,  Mr.  Dickson, 
prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  responded  to  the 
country's  call  for  troops,  and  enlisted  as  a  member 
of  Company  I,  Seventh  Illinois  Cavalry,  in  which 
he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  saw  much 
hard  service,  participating  in  many  important 
engagements.  He  was  always  found  at  his  post 
and  proved  himself  a  valiant  defender  of  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  which  now  float  so  proudly  over  the 
united  Nation.  Returning  home  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  Mr.  Dickson  engaged  in  the  operation  of 
a  rented  farm  until  1869,  when  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  railroad  land,  on  which  he  now 
resides.  It  was  quite  swampy,  and  not  a  furrow 
had  been  turned  oran  improvement  made  thereon. 
There  were  very  few  houses  in  the  township  at  the 
time,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  land  was  still  in 
its  primitive  condition. 

On  the  19th  of  November,  1868,  Mr.  Dickson 
wedded  MissEva  M.AlIinson,  of  this  county.  She 
died  August  2,  1872,  leaving  a  son,  James  J.,  who 
is  now  a  farmer  of  Shelby  County,  111.  Mr.  Dick- 
son  was  again  married,  February  4,  1874,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Jennie  H.  Hall,  who  was 
born  August  12,  1853,  and  is  a  daughter  qf  George 
and  Emma  (Galtry)  Hall,  of  New  Jersey.  Their 
union  lias  been  blessed  with  seven  children,  six 


256 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


yet  living:  Ella  M.,  Harry  A.,  Mabel,  Ollie,  and 
Frank  and  Grace,  twins.  Nellie,  the  eldest,  died  in 
infancy. 

The  family  have  a  beautiful  home  in  Milan 
Township,  Mr.  Dickson  there  owning  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  rich  land,  which  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  Republican  principles, 
and  has  been  honored  with  several  official  positions 
of  honor  and  trust.  He  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  as  Township  Supervisor,  and  was  Assessor 
for  two  years,  Road  Commissioner  for  four  years, 
Town  Clerk  and  School  Director.  In  all  the  offices 
that  he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill  he  has  dis- 
charged his  duties  in  a  prompt  and  able  manner 
that  has  won  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  He 
is  alike  true  to  every  public  and  private  trust,  and 
his  straightforward  dealing  and  bis  honorable,  up- 
right life  have  placed  him  among  Macon  County's 
best  citizens. 


&HOMAS  M.  TAYLOR,  a  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  residing  on  section  33,  Blue  Mound 

°. 

Township,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native 
of  Macon  County.  He  first  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  of  day  August  24, 1850,  on  the  old  home 
farm  of  the  Taylor  family.  His  father,  John  G. 
Taylor,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  with  his  par- 
ents came  to  Illinois  in  1839,  locating  near  Spring- 
field. He  was  the  second  in  a  family  of  eleven 
children  born  unto  David  and  Sarah  (Young) 
Taylor,  but  only  three  of  the  number  are  now  liv- 
ing: James,  who  is  a  resident  of  this  county; 
Amanda  J.,  wife  of  Luther  Devons,  a  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  Polk  County,  Iowa;  and  Louisa, 
widow  of  James  Pope,  also  a  resident  of  Macon 
County. 

John  Taylor  was  reared  to  manhood  amid  the 
scenes  of  frontier  life,  and  in  1836  came  to  Macon 
County,  where  he  entered  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment, developing  the  farm  on  which  his  son  now 
Thomas  now  resides.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest 


settlers  of  the  community  and  was  one  of  the 
prominent  agriculturists.  While  going  to  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  with  stock,  he  was  killed  on  the  rail- 
road at  Toledo,  Ohio,  in  August,  1873.  Mr.  Tay- 
lor had  been  twice  married.  He  first  wedded 
Elizabeth  Warnick,  of  Macon  County,  and  unto 
them  were  born  two  children:  James  M.,  a  farmer 
of  Kansas;  and  Anna,  widow  of  Lyman  King. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Taylor  married 
Martha  M.  Dilly,  a  native  of  Maryland.  Her 
girlhood  days  were  spent  in  that  State,  and  with 
her  parents  she  came  to  Illinois.  She  died  Jan- 
uary 2,  186!),  and  was  buried  by  the  side  of  her 
husband  in  Greenwood  Cemetery,  of  Decatur, 
where  a  large  and  beautiful  monument  marks  their 
last  resting-place.  She  had  also  been  previously 
married.  On  the  13th  of  October,  1842,  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  William  B.  Bosworth,  who  died 
three  years  later  leaving  a  son,  Joseph  B.  The 
parents  of  our  subject  had  three  children  besides 
our  subject:  Benjamin  Z.,  a  resident  of  Decatur, 
who,  as  a  partner  of  Thomas,  is  engaged  in  the 
stock  business;  William,  an  insurance  agent  resid- 
ing in  Chicago;  and  Jennie,  wife  of  James  Durfee, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business  in  De- 
catur. 

Thomas  Taylor  whose  name  heads  this  sketch 
passed  his  boyhood  days  quietly  upon  his  father's 
farm,  amid  the  scenes  of  frontier  life  in  Macon 
County.  On  attaining  his  majority,  he  began 
life  for  himself  and  soon  was  employed  by  the 
Japanese  Government  to  take  a  trainload  of  stock 
from  the  United  States  to  that  country.  At  that 
time  he  was  only  a  young  man,  but  he  was  rec- 
ommended by  R.  J.  Oglesby,  who  was  then  Gover- 
nor of  Illinois.  Our  subject  remained  in  Japan 
for  one  year,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  Un- 
ited States,  and  again  coming  to  the  old  home 
farm  he  purchased  his  father's  herd  of  thorough- 
bred Shorthorn  cattle.  He  rented  the  old  farm  and 
also  engaged  in  raising  Berkshire  hogs.  He  has 
since  engaged  extensively  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  In  1888  he  sold  his  Shorthorn  cattle  and 
began  breeding  fine  thorough-bred  horses. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1874,  Mr.  Taylor  mar- 
ried Miss  Theola  Farnsworth,  who  was  born  Jan- 
uary 26,  1853,  in  Washington  County,  Ohio. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


257 


Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  seven  children: 
Anna  L.,  born  February  27,  1876;  Chloe  C.,  born 
July  1,  1878;  Cora  L.,  born  May  28,  1881;  Ida  A., 
born  February  11,  1883;  John  Garvey,  born  Sep- 
tember 24,  1884;  Jennie  D.,  born  August  2,  1888; 
and  Thomas  15.,  born  July  3,  1891.  The  parents 
of  Mrs.  Taylor  are  Abel  R.  and  Cynthia  Ann 
(Sprague)  Farnsworth,  the  former  of  German,  and 
the  latter  of  Scotch-Irish,  descent.  They  are  still 
living  in  Blue  Mound  at  a  ripe  old  age.  Their 
family  numbered  nine  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Taylor  was  sixth  in  order  of  birth. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Taylor  is  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  commu- 
nity. He  now  lives  on  the  old  homestead,  which 
his  father  entered  from  the  Government  in  1836. 
He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  farmers  and 
horse-breeders  of  the  county.  He  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance throughout  central  Illinois,  and  by  all 
who  know  him  is  held  in  high  regard  for  his  gen- 
tlemanly qualities,  his  many  excellencies  of  char- 
acter and  his  sterling  worth.  He  well  deserves 
representation  among  the  pioneers  of  his  native 
county. 


RDMfl 


1  OIIN  WARD,  who  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing on  section  28,  South  Wheatland  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  this  neighborhood  Sep- 
tember 14,  1842,  and  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  oldest  families  of  the  county.  His 
father,  William  Ward,  was  born  in  North  Carolina 
in  1802,  and  emigrated  to  Tennessee,  and  thence 
to  Illinois.  After  a  year  spent  in  Vandalia,  he 
came  to  this  county,  in  1823,  accompanied  by  his 
mother,  brothers  and  sisters.  Here  he  married  Miss 
Wheeler,  a  sister  of  Sheriff  Wheeler.  He  served  as 
a  ranger  against  the  Indians  under  Mr.  Wheeler 
and  got  a  land  warrant  for  his  services.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ward '  were  born  five  children: 
Larkinand  Mary,  deceased;  Franklin;  Hiram;  and 
Rial,  of  Moultric  County.  For  his  second  wife, 
Mr.  Ward  married  Mrs.  Abbott,  daughter  of  Thomas 


Morris,  and  a  native  of  Ohio.  The  children  of 
that  union  are  John;  Nancy  J.,  wife  of  Oliver  Lo- 
gan, of  South  Wheatland  Township;  Mrs.  Marga- 
ret Elder,  of  Elwin ;  William  J.,  who  is  living  near 
Taylor ville,  111.;  and  George,  of  Longmont,  Colo. 
The  mother  of  this  family  resides  in  Elwin,  but 
the  father  died  in  January,  1854.  He  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  this  community,  living  in  Ma- 
con  County  when  it  contained  only  eight  families. 
The  Indians,  however,  were  very  numerous,  wild 
game  of  all  kinds  was  plentiful,  and  the  Ward 
family  experienced  all  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions of  pioneer  life. 

The  first  recollections  of  our  subject  are  of  the 
log  cabin  home,  a  mile  and  a-half  south  of  his  pres- 
ent residence.  His  father  later  built  a  frame  house, 
weather-boarded  with  walnut  lumber.  He  attended 
a  private  school  in  a  log  building,  and  afterward 
went  to  the  High  School  in  Mt.  Gilead  and  the 
Academy  in  Mt.  Zion.  When  he  was  twelve  years 
of  age  his  father  died,  and  the  management  of  the 
farm  largely  devolved  upon  his  young  shoulders. 
In  June,  1861,  he  completed  his  education,  and 
after  aiding  in  harvesting  the  crops  he  enlisted  in 
July  as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Forty-first  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  The  regiment  was  organized  at 
Camp  Macon  and  went  to  St.  Louis  to  guard 
an  arsenal,  thence  to  Bird's  Point  (Mo.),  Pa- 
ducah  (Ivy.),  and  on  the  Belmont  expedition.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Ft.  Henry  and  Ft. 
Donelson,  and  when  Pillow  made  his  charge  he 
tried  to  escape  across  an  open  field,  but  was  shot 
through  the  right  thigh  and  left  in  the  enemy's 
hands.  Nothing  was  done  to  'relieve  him,  and  af- 
ter a  day  and  night  he  was  recaptured,  placed  in 
an  ambulance  wagon  and  taken  to  a  steamer,  on 
which  lie  was  conveyed  to  Mound  City  Hospital. 
After  lying  there  for  some  time,  he  went  home  on 
a  furlough,  but  as  soon  as  possible  he  rejoined  his 
regiment,  reaching  his  command  at  the  time  of  the 
evacuation  of  Corinth.  For  ten  months  after  he 
returned  he  was  unfit  for  field  duty,  and  so  drove 
the  ambulance  most  of  the  time.  Going  down  the 
river  to  Vicksburg,  he  was  made  Sergeant  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  siege  of  that  city.  After  the  sur- 
render he  started  for  Jackson,  and  at  the  battle  at 
that  place  was  wounded  in  the  head  by  a  canis- 


258 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ter-shot  and  left  for  dead  on  the  field.  However, 
he  was  picked  up  with -the  rest  of  the  prisoners 
and  sent  in  box  cars  to  Richmond,  Va.  He  had  to 
dress  his  own  wound  during  the  eight  days'  jour- 
ney. He  was  confined  in  Libby  and  at  Belle  Isle 
until  September.  There  he  suffered  manjr  hard- 
ships. The  prisoners  were  given  very  little  to  eat, 
and  even  the  comforts  of  life  were  denied  them. 
During  his  seventy-seven  days  in  prison,  his 
weight  was  reduced  from  one  hundred  and  forty- 
five  to  ninety-three  pounds.  In  September,  1862, 
he  was  paroled,  sent  to  Annapolis,  Md.,  and  then 
to  St.  Louis.  After  being  exchanged  he  received 
a  furlough  and  returned  home.  In  May,  1864,  he 
again  reported  for  duty  at  Springfield.  His  regi- 
ment had  been  divided  in  the  mean  time  and  the 
veterans  were  sent  to  Georgia.  Mr.  Ward  joined 
them  at  Huntsville,  Ala.,  and  took  part  in  the  At- 
lanta campaign.  His  time  having  then  expired, 
he  was  mustered  out  August  20,  1864,  being  then 
only  twenty-two  years  of  age. 

On  his  return  to  the  North,  Mr.  Ward  engaged 
in  farming  for  himself  and  also  began  dealing  in 
wood,  having  saved  $500  during  his  service  in  the 
army.  Later  he  embarked  in  stock-raising  and  for 
many  years  followed  that  pursuit.  He  has  lived 
upon  his  present  farm  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
It  comprises  one  hundred  and  forty-one  acres  of 
rich  land,  and  is  conveniently  located  near  Deca- 
tur.  He  is  now  furnishing  gravel  and  sand  for 
streets.  Every  improvement  upon  his  place  has 
been  made  by  his  own  hands  and  stands  as  a  mon- 
ument to  his  thrift  and  enterprise. 

In  1867,  in  Mt.  Zion  Township,  Mr.  Ward  mar- 
ried Mattie  Lemaster,  who  was  born  in  Springfield, 
111.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  Lemaster.  Five 
children  grace  their  union:  Rosa  M.;  Minnie  B., 
wife  of  Adam  Phillips,  of  Blue  Mound  Township; 
Maud,  Claude  and  Mattie.  The  mother  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church  of  Decatur,  and  is  a 
most  estimable  lady.  Mr.  Ward  is  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  Post  of  Decatur  and  the  Macon 
County  Veteran  Association,  and  has  served  as  As- 
sessor of  his  township.  He  cast  his  first  Presiden- 
tial vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  has  since  been 
a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  aid- 
ing in  all  possible  ways  in  its  growth  and  upbuild- 


ing. He  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Central  Com- 
mittee and  is  a  valiant  supporter  of  the  party  of 
reform,  which  in  years  past  through  its  supporters 
saved  the  country  in  her  houf  of  peril.  Mr.  Ward 
is  a  man  highly  esteemed  throughout  the  commu- 
nity for  his  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity,  is 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  county, 
and  is  a  prominent  citizen. 


jOBERT  W.  HIGHT,  one  of  the  representa- 
tive farmers  of  Macon  Township,  residing 
on  section  14,  claims  Virginia  as  the  State 
of  his  birth,  which  occurred  in  Rockbridge 
County  on  the  21st  of  June,  1830.  He  is  the 
eldest  in  a  family  of  six  children,  numbering  five 
sons  and  one  daughter,  who  were  born  of  the  un- 
ion of  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Rapp)  Hight.  (A 
sketch  of  his  parents  will  be  found  elsewhere  in 
this  volume.) 

Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  remain- 
ing on  the  old  homestead  in  Virginia  until  seven- 
teen years  of  age.  He  then  left  his  native  State 
and  emigrated  to  Tennessee  with  the  family,  spend- 
ing two  years  in  that  State.  It  was  in  1849  that 
he  became  a  resident  of  Illinois.  In  that  year  his 
parents  removed  to  Greene  Count}-,  where  Robert 
remained  for  five  years,  when,' in  1855.  he  came  to 
Macon  County.  Here  he  purchased  wild  prairie 
land  and  began  the  improvement  of  the  farm. 
Upon  the  tract  of  which  he  became  the  possessor 
not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  or  an  improvement 
made,  but  his  labors  have  transformed  the  place 
into  rich  and  fertile  fields,  and  the  farm  of  to-day 
bears  little  resemblance  to  that  of  thirty  years  ago. 
July  23, 1863,  in  Macon  County,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hight  and  Miss  Martha  J.  Un- 
roe,  a  native  of  Virginia.  By  their  union  has 
been  born  a  family  of  eight  children,  five  sons 
and  three  daughters.  Ervel,  the  eldest,  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  banking  business  in  Assumption,  111.; 
Maggie  is  now  the  wife  of  Frank  Webb,  a  mer- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


259 


clmnt  of  Decatur;  Florence  is  the  wife  of  John 
Culver,  owner  of  the  marble  works  of  Decatur; 
Norway,  Frank,  Robert,  Clyde  and  Ray  are  the 
younger  members  of  the  family  and  are  still  at 
home.  Good  educational  privileges  have  been 
provided  the  children,  thus  fitting  them  for  the 
practical  and  responsible  duties  of  life.  The  fam- 
ily is  one  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this 
community  and  its  members  rank  high  in  social 
circles. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Hight  was  formerly  a  Democrat, 
but  as  he  entertains  and  advocates  strong  temper- 
ance principles,  his  views  on  that  subject  led  him 
to  identify  himself  with  the  Prohibition  party,  of 
which  he  is  now  a  stanch  advocate.  He  has  never 
sought  or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of 
public  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  his  business  interests.  Himself  and 
family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
They  reside  upon  a  fine  farm  of  four  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  constituting  one  of  the  best 
farms  of  the  neighborhood,  with  its  richly  culti- 
vated fields  and  many  improvements.  His  entire 
possessions,  Mr.  Hight  has  acquired  through  his 
own  efforts  and  he  may  therefore  truly  be  called  a 
self-made  man. 


IHOMAS  DAVIS,  a  self-made  man,  who 
started  out  in  life  for  himself  empty-handed, 
but  is  now  the  possessor  of  a  comfortable 
competence,  resides  on  section  27,  South  Macon 
Township,  where  he  owns  a  good  farm.  A  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  he  was  born  in  Washington 
County  September  12,  1819,  and  is  a  son  of 
George  and  Hester  (Whiteman)  Davis.  The  fa- 
ther was  a  Pennsylvanian  farmer,  of  Welsh  and 
Irish  lineage,  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  his  native 
State,  dying  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years.  His 
wife,  who  was  also  born  in  the  Keystone  State, 
there  remained  until  called  to  the  home  beyond. 
Their  famity  numbered  the  following  sons  and 
daughters:  Isaac,  who  came  to  Macon  County  in 


1856,  and  here  resided  until  his  death  in  1889; 
Sarah  and  Mary  Jane,  both  deceased;  Ellen,  wife 
of  Charles  Guttry,  of  Belleville,  Pa.;  Thomas,  who 
is  the  next  younger;  Eliza,  wife  of  William  Hat- 
field,  of  Pennsylvania;  Martha,  who  makes  her 
home  in  the  Keystone  State;  and  Goldsmith,  a 
farmer  of  Pennsylvania. 

Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  only  nine  summers 
when  he  left  home  and  went  to  live  with  a  farmer 
and  cooper,  with  whom  he  remained  for  nine 
years,  and  under  his  instruction  he  learned  the 
cooper's  trade.  He  then  removed  to  Licking 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  for  five  3-ears  as 
a  farm  hand  at  $140  per  year.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  invested  his  money  in  sheep. 
In  1846  he  went  to  Muskingum  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  operated  a  rented  farm  for  a  year,  and 
in  December,  1848,  we  find  him  in  Macon  County. 
In  connection  with  a  partner  named  Buckingham, 
who  furnished  the  capital,  Mr.  Davis  rented  a 
fourteen  hundred  acre  farm  for  twelve  years. 
During  that  time  he  also  entered  land  from  the 
Government.  In  1866  our  subject  purchased  Mr. 
Buckingham's  interest  in  the  land  and  stock,  giv- 
ing him  a  note  for  $48,000.  At  that  time  he 
owned  about  five  thousand  acres  of  land  in  this 
and  adjoining  counties,  together  with  three  thou- 
sand sheep  and  a  great  many  head  of  cattle  and 
hogs.  He  became  one  of  the  leading  stock-dealers 
in  central  Illinois,  doing  an  extensive  business. 

In  1854  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  our 
subject  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Rogers,  of  Washington 
County,  Pa.,  but  after  fourteen  months  the  lady 
was  called  to  the  home  beyond.  In  1857  he  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Margaret  Rogers,  a  sister  of  the  first  wife.  Three 
children  were  born  to  them,  but  all  are  now  de- 
ceased. 

Mr.  Davis  is  a  Populist  in  his  political  views. 
His  beautiful  home  farm  comprises  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  is  pleasantly 
and  conveniently  located  a  mile  east  of  Macon. 
It  has  all  the  equipments  and  appointments  of  a 
model  farm  of  the  nineteenth  centur}-,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  this  he  also  owns  five  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  elsewhere  in  this  county. 
His  business  has  been  one  of  prosperit}',  owing  to 


260 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  sagacity,  far-sightedness  and  judicious  invest- 
ments. His  fair  and  honest  dealing  and  his  per- 
severance and  enterprise  gained  for  him  a  hand- 
some property,  which  numbers  him  among  the  sub- 
stantial farmers  of  Macon  Count}7.  His  example 
may  well  serve  to  encourage  others,  who,  like 
himself,  have  to  begin  life  empty-handed  and 
work  their  way  upward,  or  else  be  content  with 
always  occupying  a  lowly  position. 


LBERT  A.  RENFRO,  who  owns  and  oper- 
ates a  farm  of  eighty  acres  on  section  8, 
Milan  Township,  is  one  of  the  wide- 
awake and  enterprising  young  farmers  of 
the  county,  and  is  a  public-spirited  and  progress- 
ive citizen,  who  always  does  his  part  in  public  af- 
fairs and  does  what  he  can  to  promote  the  gen- 
eral welfare.  He  is  both  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  this  community.  He  claims  Illinois  as 
the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occur- 
red in  Greene  County  on  the  30th  of  September, 
1857,  He  is  a  son  of  Moses  Renfro,  who  was  also 
born  in  Illinois,  his  father  having  come  to  this 
State  from  Kentucky  in  an  early  day.  The  fam- 
ily located  in  Wayne  County,  where  Moses  Renfro 
passed  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He 
became  a  farmer  and  followed  that  pursuit  as  a 
means  of  livelihood  in  this  State  until  1885,  when 
he  removed  to  Missouri,  where  he  now  makes  his 
home.  lie  has  reached  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine 
Close,  was  also  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  her  death 
occurred  in  this  State  when  our  subject  was  about 
six  years  of  age.  The  family  numbered  four  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  two  daughters,  the  eldest  of 
whom  is  Albert.  Mary  Elizabeth  is  now  deceased; 
John  is  a  resident  farmer  of  Milan  Township;  and 
Isafonia  is  the  wife  of  William  George,  an  agri- 
culturist of  Kansas. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject 
passed  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He 
remained  with  his  parents  until  nineteen  years  of 


age  and  then,  in  1877,  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self, since  which  time  he  has  been  dependent  en- 
tirety upon  his  own  resources.  He  at  once  came 
to  Macon  County,  where  he  secured  employment 
as  a  farm  hand,  working  by  the  month.  Five 
years  were  spent  in  that  way,  after  which  lie 
rented  a  farm  and  engaged  in  its  operation  for 
eight  years.  His  frugal  and  industrious  life  and 
his  good  management  gained  for  him  some  capital 
in  that  time  and  he  determined  to  purchase  land, 
so  he  bought  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides. 

In  1880,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Renfro  and  Miss  Luthera  M.  Hill,  of  Missouri. 
Seven  children  were  born  of  the  union  of  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife,  but  one  died  in  infancy.  The 
four  sons  and  two  daughters  yet  living  arc:  James 
A.,  Isa  B.,  Howard,  Clarence,  Mamie  and  Lena. 
All  are  still  with  their  parents. 

The  Renfro  household  is  the  abode  of  hospital- 
ity and  its  members  rank  high  in  the  social  circles 
in  which  they  move.  Our  subject  and  his  wife 
hold  membership  with  the  Methodist  Church,  are 
faithful  workers  in  the  Master's  vineyard,  and 
take  an  active  interest  in  all  that  tends  to  promote 
the  cause  of  Christianity.  In  politics  he  is  a  sup- 
porter of  Democratic  principles,  but  has  never 
been  an  office-seeker.  His  honorable,  upright  life, 
marked  by  the  strictest  integrity,  has  won  for  him 
universal  confidence  and  esteem. 


ICHAEL  C.  LIVINGSTON  is  a  farmer  and 
mechanic  now  residing  on  section  34,  Blue 
Mound  Township.  He  is  one  of  the  worthy 
citizens  that  Pennsylvania  has  furnished 
to  Macon  County.  A  native  of  the  Keystone 
State,  he  was  born  in  Cumberland  County  on  the 
8th  of  May,  1841,  and  is  the  sixth  in  a  family  of 
seven  children.  The  parenls,  Michael  and  Anna 
(Stofer)  Livingston,  were  also  natives  of  Cumber- 
land County,  Pa.,  and  in  that  State  they  spent 
their  entire  lives.  They  died  within  three  weeks 
of  each  other,  when  our  subject  was  about  eleven 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


261 


years  of  age.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, and  in  connection  with  agricultural  pur- 
suits he  also  carried  on  the  carpenter's  trade. 

Being  thus  early  left  an  orphan,  Michael  Liv- 
ingston hired  out  to  a  farmer  in  Pennsylvania  for 
two  years,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  made  his  way  Westward  to  Macon  County,  111. 
Here  for  some  time  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  by 
the  month.  During  his  boyhood  he  also  picked 
up  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed 
until  July,  1861.  The  Civil  War  having  then 
broken  out,  he  determined  to  enter  the  service  and 
aid  his  country  in  her  struggle  to  preserve  the 
Union.  He  enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company  A, 
Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  in  which  he  faithfully 
served  for  three  years.  On  the  20th  of  December, 
1862,  he  was  captured  at  the  battle  of  Holly 
Springs,  Miss.,  and  was  a  paroled  prisoner  for  six 
months.  On  the  6th  of  April  of  the  same  year  he 
was  wounded  by  a  gunshot  in  the  right  leg,  just 
below  the  knee,  and  for  a  time  was  in  the  field 
hospital.  He  participated  in  a  number  of  impor- 
tant engagements  and  was  always  found  at  his 
post,  faithfully  performing  any  task  allotted  to , 
him.  When  his  term  of  service  had  expired  he 
was  honorably  discharged. 

Having  been  mustered  out,  Mr.  Livingston  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Macon  County,  and  worked 
at  the  carpenter's  trade  for  about  three  years.  He 
then  purchased  a  general  store  in  Harristown, 
which  he  carried  on  during  the  four  succeeding 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  sold 
his  store  and  resumed  work  at  the  carpenter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  successfully  until  1881. 
He  then  purchased  land,  and  in  connection  with 
carpentering  followed  farming  for  ten  years.  In 
1891  he  entirely  abandoned  carpenter  work  and 
now  devotes  himself  exclusively  to  the  manage- 
ment of  the  farm.  Mr.  Livingston  has  probably 
built  more  large  barns  in  Macon  County  than  any 
other  man.  He  was  a  conscientious  and  expert 
workman,  and  from  the  public  received  a  liberal 
patronage,  which  he  well  deserves. 

In  1867  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Michael 
C.  Livingston  and  Miss  Sidney  M.  Brown,  of  Ma- 
con County,  a  daughter  of  F.  A.  Brown,  one  of 
the  honored  pioneers  of  this  county.  From  her 


father's  estate  she  inherited  two  hundred  acres  of 
land,  on  which  they  now  reside.  It  is  a  beautiful 
home,  pleasantly  located  and  supplied  with  all  the 
comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  By 
the  union  of  this  worthy  couple  have  been  born 
five  children,  but  four  of  the  number  are  now  de- 
ceased. Mamie  E.,  the  youngest,  is  still  with  her 
parents. 

In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Livingston  is  con- 
nected with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to 
Summit  Lodge  No.  431,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.;  and  Macon 
Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  Post.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  having  continuously  voted  with  that 
party  since  attaining  his  majority.  His  wife  and 
daughter  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  to  its  support  he  contributes  liberally. 
He  was  one  of  the  faithful  and  valiant  boys  in 
blue,  and  in  times  of  peace  Mr.  Livingston  is  alike 
true  to  his  duties  of  citizenship.  He  is  a  pro- 
gressive and  public-spirited  man,  and  his  sterling 
worth  has  won  for  him  many  friends. 


OWELL  A.  SMITH,  one  of  the  enterprising 
and  thrifty  farmers  of  Milan  Township, 
resides  on  section  34,  where  he  has  a  fine 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  rich  land. 
This  valuable  tract  is  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation, and  in  consequence  j-ields  to  the  owner  a 
golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he 
bestows  upon  it.  There  are  good  buildings  upon 
the  place,  and  such  accessories  as  are  found  upon 
a  model  farm  of  the  nineteenth  century  are  not 
lacking  there. 

Mr.  Smith  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  this  county, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  city  of  Decatur 
on  the  27th  of  November,  1861.  In  a  family  of 
ten  children  he  is  the  eighth  in  order  of  birth. 
His  parents,  Edward  O.  and  Harriet  (Krone)  Smith, 
are  represented  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Lowell 
remained  in  his  native  city  until  nine  years  of 
age,  when  his  parents  removed  to  California,  he 


262 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


accompanying  them.  The  next  eleven  years  of 
his  life  were  passed  on  the  Pacific  Slope,  where  he 
pursued  his  studies  and  acquired  a  good  High 
School  education.  At  the  age  of  twent}'  years  he 
returned  to  Macon  County,  and,  taking  up  his  res- 
idence on  the  farm  which  has  since  been  his  home, 
has  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits 
from  that  time  to  the  present. 

Mr.  Smith  has  been  twice  married.  On  the  20th 
of  February,  1884,  he  was  united  to  Miss  Frances 
Watson,  of  Christian  County,  111.,  but  after  three 
years  she  was  called  to  the  home  beyond.  At  her 
death  she  left  two  children,  who  still  survive, 
Lloyd  and  Forest  E.  Mr.  Smith  was  again  married, 
on  the  12th  of  March,  1890,  when  Miss  Martha  C. 
Mays,  of  Moultrie  County,  111.,  became  his  wife. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  one  child. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Smith  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Democracy,  with  which  he  has  af- 
filiated since  attaining  to  man's  estate.  He  has 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  his  township  for 
two  terms  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satis- 
faction of  his  constituents.  His  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  a  most  estimable 
lady.  The  young  couple  are  widely  known  through- 
out this  community  and  their  many  excellencies 
of  character  have  gained  them  many  friends.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  wide-awake  and  enterprising  young 
farmer,  and  his  energy  and  perseverance  will  no 
doubt  make  his  business  career  a  successful  one. 


P ^ERNANDO  D.  BROMLEY,  a  practical  and 
progressive  farmer  of  Milan  Township,  re- 
siding on  section   32,  is  a   native  of    the 
Empire  State.  He  was  born  on  the  21st  of  October, 
1831,  near  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  is  the  fifth  in  or- 
der of  birth  in  a  family  of  nine  children,  three  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.     The  parents  were  Sam- 
uel and  Sarah  (Potter)  Bromley.     The  father  was 
born  in  Canada,  but  when   quite  young  removed 
with  his  parents  to  New  York,  where  he  spent  his 


early  life  upon  a  farm.  There  he  was  married, 
and  in  1846  he  emigrated  Westward  with  his 
family,  locating  in  Morgan  County,  111.,  where  he 
spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  at 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven.  The  Bromley 
family  is  of  English  and  Irish  extraction.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  of  Scotch  and  Engli.sh 
descent.  She  was  born  in  the  Empire  State,  and 
her  death  occurred  in  this  county  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six. 

Our  subject  was  only  about  a  year  old  when  his 
parents  left  the  East  and  became  residents  of 
Michigan,  and  was  a  lad  of  ten  summers  when  the 
family  came  to  Illinois,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  He  remained  upon  his  father's  farm 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  and  was  then 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Christina  Augustine, 
of  Morgan  County,  who  died  a  year  later,  leaving 
one  child,  Charles,  who  is  now  deceased.  In  Au- 
gust, 1864,  Mr.  Bromley  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Miss  Christie  Ann  Clif- 
ton, of  Scott  County,  111.  Ten  children  were  born 
of  their  union,  but  three  died  in  infancy.  Those 
still  living  are  Floyd,  who  carries  on  the  home 
farm;  Charles  A.,  Roy,  Maude,  Jessie,  Bessie  and 
Kittie. 

After  his  first  marriage,  Mr.  Bromley  began 
farming  for  himself  in  Morgan  County,  111.,  and 
there  remained  until  1872,  which  year  witnessed 
his  arrival  in  Macon  County.  Here  he  purchased 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  and  upon 
that  farm  has  since  made  his  home.  It  now  com- 
prises two  hundred  acres,  he  having  disposed  of 
the  remaining  forty.  His  land  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  the  place  is  well  improved 
with  good  buildings  and  everything  that  goes  to 
make  up  a  model  farm  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Mr.  Bromley's  possessions  have  all  been  acquired 
through  his  own  efforts,  as  he  started  out  in  life  a 
poor  boy  with  no  capital,  and  has  made  all  that  he 
has  through  his  own  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment. 

In  his  political  views,  our  subject  has  followed 
in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and  has  always  been 
a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party.  He 
served  his  township  as  Supervisor,  proving  a  ca- 
pable and  efficient  officer.  Socially  he  is  a  member 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


263 


of  South  Macon  Lodge  No.  642,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
Macon,  and  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church.  They  are  highly  respected  citi- 
zens and  hold  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles. 
Mr.  Bromley  is  not  only  numbered  among  the 
best  citizens,  but  also  ranks  as  a  leading  agricul- 
turist, and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  this 
record  of  his  life  to  our  readers. 


[  OIIN  N.  FULLER,  who  is  living  a  retired 
life  in  Decatur,  claims  New  York  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Mt.  Hope,  Orange  County,  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1814, and  comes  of  an  old  New  England 
family.  His  grandfather,  Jeptba  Fuller,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut,  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  His  son,  James  D.  Fuller,  was 
born  in  the  Empire  State,  and  was  a  carpenter 
and  millwright  by  trade.  He  married  Nancy 
Wheat,  daughter  of  Simeon  Wheat  and  a  native 
of  New  York.  His  death  occurred  in  that  State, 
at  the  age  of  thirty-three  years,  and  his  wife,  who 
long  survived  him,  passed  away  in  Massachusetts, 
at  the  age  of  eighty.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  but  Mr.  Fuller  believed  in  the 
faith  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 

Our  subject  is  the  only  one  now  living  of  the 
family  of  six  children.  He  remained  in  the  Em- 
pire State  until  twenty  years  of  age,  and  at  fifteen 
began  learning  the  tanner's  and  currier's  trade. 
He  commenced  serving  a  regular  apprenticeship, 
but  bought  the  last  six  months  of  the  time  from 
his  employer  and  began  railroad  work.  He  was 
first  employed  as  foreman,  and  afterward  did  con- 
tracting for  a  number  of  years,  being  thus  em- 
ployed in  nearly  all  the  Eastern  States.  He  worked 
on  the  old  Boston  &  Providence  Railroad  whon  it 
was  thought  to  be  a  great  feat  to  haul  six  cars  of 
ten  tons'  capacity  at  the  rate  of  six  miles  an  hour. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three  Mr.  Fuller  was  mar- 
ried, the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Harriet 


Horton,  of  Canton,  Mass.,  and  a  daughter  of  Sam- 
uel Hen.shaw  Horton.  They  had  one  child,  Rin- 
aldo  H.,  now  deceased.  The  mother  died  about 
1840.  Mr.  Fuller  then  wedded  Miss  Elizabeth  P. 
Cluff,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  a  daughter, 
Harriet,  but  she  also  passed  away.  For  his  third 
wife  Mr.  Fuller  chose  Miss  Elizabeth  Bishop,  a  na- 
tive of  England,  and  three  children  grace  their 
union.  Harriet  became  the  wife  of  Preston  Mur- 
phy, by  whom  she  had  one  son,  Lester  F.,  and 
after  his  death  married  William  L.  Krigbaum,  by 
whom  she  has  four  children:  Howard,  Daniel, 
Helen  and  William  L.  Jennie  became  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Jones,  who  died  leaving  two  sons,  John 
and  Edmund.  By  her  second  husband,  George 
Hathaway,  she  has  two  children,  Alice  and  George. 
Bessie  became  the  wife  of  Harry  Hitter,  and  died 
leaving  a  son,  Buitram.  Mrs.  Fuller  died  about 
1872,  after  which  our  subject  married  Mrs.  Hannah 
Parker,  widow  of  Branch  Parker,  of  Jackson,  Mich., 
and  a  daughter  of  William  Daily.  She  removed 
from  New  York  to  Michigan  in  an  early  day,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  dying 
in  that  faith  in  1885. 

Mr.  Fuller  came  to  Illinois  in  1852  and  followed 
railroading,  keeprng  pace  with  the  progress  of  the 
times.  He  made  the  journey  by  rail  to  Clinton, 
and  then  drove  in  a  buggy  to  Decatur,  where  he 
took  a  contract  for  building  about  fifteen  miles  of 
what  is  now  the  Indiana,  Decatur  &  Western  Rail- 
road from  Decatur  east.  Moving  his  family  to  this 
city,  he  has  here  since  made  his  home.  In  his 
railroad  experience  he  was  associated  with  some  of 
the  best-known  railroad  men  in  the  country,  and 
his  counsel  and  advice  were  frequently  sought  by 
those  high  in  railroad  circles.  He  is  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life,  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest.  His 
business  enterprise  has  brought  him  a  comfortable 
competence  and  he  now  owns  a  valuable  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  thirty  acres  near  Casner,  also  a 
tract  of  thirty  acres  just  east  of  Decatur,  together 
with  his  city  propert}-,  including  his  home  at  No. 
432  South  Main  Street. 

Socially,  Mr.  Fuller  is  a  member  of  Macon 
Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No. 
21,  R.  A.  M.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No. 
9,  K.  T.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Methodist.  lu 


264 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


politics  he  was  a  Whig  in  an  early  day,  but  has 
been  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party  since  its 
organization.  For  twelve  years  he  held  the  office 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  proving  a  capable  and 
trustworthy  official.  He  has  led  a  busy  and  use- 
ful life,  and  although  he  is  now  well  along  in  years, 
having  possessed  a  strong  and  vigorous  constitu- 
tion, he  is  still  well  preserved.  He  can  read  small 
print  without  the  aid  of  glasses,  has  an  excellent 
memory  and  writes  a  good,  smooth,  business  hand 
that  shows  a  steady  nerve.  He  is  popular  with 
both  old  and  young,  for  his  genial  and  pleasant 
manner  has  won  him  many  warm  freinds. 


ELIX  B.  TAIT  is  proprietor  of  F.  B.  Tait  & 
Co.'s  check-rower  and  corn-planter  estab- 
lishment. This  is  located  at  No.  328  East 
Cerro  Gordo  Street,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  in- 
dustries of  Decatur.  Our  subject  was  born  in 
Macon  County,  about  three  miles  north  of  the  city, 
November  29,  1850,  and  comes  of  an  old  family 
of  Irish  origin,  which  was  founded  in  America  by 
his  paternal  grandfather,  a  native  of  the  Emerald 
Isle.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Joseph  Spangler, 
was  born  in  Germany  and  was  a  mere  child  when  he 
crossed  the  briny  deep.  He  located  in  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  in  1835,  and  there  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  farming  for  many  years.  He  also  built 
the  Spangler  Mill,  a  few  miles  east  of  Decatur. 
His  death  occurred  in  this  city  at  the  age  of  sixty 
years. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  James  D.  and  Su- 
sanna (Spangler)  Tait,  were  botli  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  former,  having  lost  his  father,  left 
"home  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  learned  the 
saddler's  trade.  Wishing  to  try  his  fortune  on  the 
broad  prairies  of  the  West,  and  hoping  thereby  to 
benefit  his  financial  condition,  he  came  to  Decatur 
in  1839  and  opened  the  first  harness  and  saddlery 
shop  in  this  place.  For  about  four  years  he  carried  on 
that  business,  after  which  he  spent  the  succeeding 


two  .years  of  his  life  in  operating  the  Spangler 
Mill.  He  then  removed  to  the  farm  north  of  De- 
catur which  he  still  owns.  He  made  it  his  home 
until  1876,"  when  he  went  to  California,  and  after 
a  year  spent  on  the  Pacific  Slope  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  this  city,  where  he  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight.  His  wife,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church,  died 
May  28,  1882.  In  1884  Mr.  Tait  wedded  Mrs. 
Catherine  Rea,  widow  of  Samuel  Rea  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Dennis,  of  Lancaster,  Ohio.  Mr. 
Tait  is  also  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church, 
and  is  a  man  possessing  many  excellencies  of  char- 
acter. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  spent  his  entire 
life  in  the  county  of  his  nativity.  His  early  edu- 
cation, acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in 
the  State  Normal  School,  of  Normal,  111.,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '73.  He 
then  engaged  in  teaching  in  Woodstock  Sem- 
inary for  a  year,  after  which  he  returned  to  De- 
catur. Having  determined  to  take  up  a  profession, 
he  began  reading  law  in  the  office  of  Smith  &  Clo- 
key,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Mt.  Vernon, 
111.,  in  1876.  Later  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Hon.  John  A.  Brown,  and  during  the  four  succeed- 
ing years  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  this 
city,  but  in  1880,  owing  to  failing  health,  he  was 
forced  to  abandon  his  chosen  career. 

In  that  year  Mr.  Tait  turned  his  attention  to 
the  manufacture  of  check-rowers,  and  since  that 
he  has  added  the  manufacture  of  corn-planters  to 
his  business.  He  began  in  a  small  way  near  the 
Union  Iron  Works  and  continued  there  until  1882, 
when,  on  account  of  his  rapidly  increasing  trade, 
which  necessitated  the  providing  of  larger  quarters, 
the  business  was  moved  to  the  present  factory  on 
Cerro  Gordo  Street.  The  main  building  is  50x160 
feet,  and  to  this  has  been  added  a  foundry  45x75 
feet,  a  blacksmith  shop  35x70  feet,  and  a  warehouse 
50x220  feet.  In  the  factory  are  employed  from 
eighty-five  to  one  hundred  hands, and  the  sales  of 
the  establishment  reach  $250,000  per  year.  The 
sales  in  1893  have  increased  a-third  over  those  of 
the  previous  year. 

On   the    13th   of  October,  1892,  Mr.  Tait  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


265 


united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Boyer, 
daughter  of  David  Essick,  a  native  of  Pennsylva- 
nia. Our  subject  and  his  wife  hold  a  high  posi- 
tion in  social  circles  and  have  many  warm  friends 
throughout  the  community.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Universalist  Church,  and  she  holds  member- 
ship ivith  the  Methodist  Church.  In  politics,  he  is 
a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles.  His  success 
in  a  commercial  way  has  been  well  deserved,  as  he 
brought  to  his  business  enterprise  and  industry, 
and  as  a  result  of  his  well-directed  efforts  and  his 
fair  and  straightforward  dealings  he  has  built  up 
an  excellent  trade  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  one 
of  Decatur's  leading  industries. 


ENRY  M.  WHITMER  has  been  a  resident 
of  Decatur  since  I860,  and  is  widely  known 
throughout  his  adopted  county.  He  is 
prominently  identified  with  the  business 
interests  of  the  city,  being  a  carpenter  and  con- 
tractor and  a  leading  brick  manufacturer.  Evidence 
of  his  busy  and  well-spent  life  is  shown  in  ninny 
substantial  buildings  which  he  has  erected, some  of 
which  were  made  from  the  brick  from  his  yard. 
Mr.  Whitmer  is  a  native  of  Pennsj'lvania,  having 
been  born  in  Northumberland  County,  January 
11,  1833,  and  is  one  of  eight  children  whose  par- 
ents were  Benjamin  and  Lydia  (Mitchell)  Whit- 
mer. 

The  paternal  grandfather,  Henry  Whitmer,  came 
from  an  old  family  of  Swiss  origin,  that  was 
founded  in  the  Keystone  State  about  two  hundred 
years  ago.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
and  removed  to  Northumberland  County,  where 
he  died  in  1876,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  He 
was  a  stone  mason  and  farmer,  and  was  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812.  His  family  numbered  two 
sons  and  a  daughter.  The  Mitchell  family  is  of 
Pennsylvania  ancestry,  and  the  grandfather  was  a 
Pennsylvnnia  cabinet-maker.  The  parents  of  our 
subject  were  both  born  in  that  State,  and  lived 
upon  a  farm  in  Northumberland  County.  The 


father  died  about  1878,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four 
years,  but  his  widow  is  still  living  in  Mifflintown, 
Pa.,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  to  which  her 
husband  also  belonged.  Of  their  family,  consist- 
ing of  seven  sons  and  a  daughter,  three  died  in 
infancy.  The  others  were:  Reuben  W.,  Henry  M., 
Isaac,  Samuel  H.  and  Mary.  All  are  now  deceased 
with  the  exception  of  our  subject  and  his  brother 
Samuel,  a  physician  of  Newport,  Pa. 

When  our  subject  was  quite  small,  he  removed 
with  his  parents  from  Northumberland  County  to 
Juniata  County,  Pa.,  where  he  acquired  his  early 
education  in  a  log  schoolhouse.  In  1850,  he  com- 
menced serving  an  apprenticeship  to  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  which  he  has  followed  more  or  less 
continuously  since.  On  coming  to  Illinois  in 
1860,  he  located  in  Decatur,  and  began  business  as 
a  carpenter  and  contractor.  This  he  has  carried 
on  continuously  since  in  connection  with  the 
manufacture  of  brick.  He  does  an  extensive  busi- 
ness in  the  latter  line,  turning  out  twenty  thou- 
sand brick  daily.  In  the  home  and  foreign  mar- 
kets he  finds  a  ready  sale  for  his  product,  as  is 
shown  by  the  large  production  needed  to  meet 
the  demand. 

December  17,  1857,  Mr.  Whitmer  married  Miss 
Anna  A.  App,  daughter  of  John  and  Catherine 
(Gross)  App,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
Seven  children  were  born  of  their  union,  but 
Ida,  the  eldest  child,  died  in  infancy,  as  did  also 
one  son.  Edward,  who  has  a  large  plant  and  is 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  in  Jackson- 
ville, 111.,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Whitmer  & 
Son,  married  Miss  Ida  Mitchell,  of  that  city,  and 
they  have  two  children.  Howard,  of  Decalur, 
married  Miss  Josephine  Kerney,  of  Jacksonville, 
by  whom  he  has  one  son,  Harry  Myrle,  who  is  a 
partner  of  H.  M.  Whitmer  &  Son  and  superinten- 
dent of  the  yards.  Alberta,  who  is  a  teacher  of  the 
piano,  a  student  of  Prof.  Liebling, of  Chicago,  and 
a  member  of  the  Woman's  Club,  is  at  home.  Cora 
is-  the  wife  of  Arthur  McNab,  of  Decatur,  and 
unto  them  have  been  born  two  children,  Anna  and 
Margaret.  Frank  is  the  next  younger. 

The  members  of  the  family  all  belong  to  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Socially,  Mr.  Whitmer  is 


266 


yORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


connected  with  tlie  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a 
member  of  the  Chapter,  and  in  politics  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  in  Decatur  Township,  besides  some 
small  tracts  of  land  and  some  real  estate  in  the 
city,  including  his  home  at  No.  700  South  Webster 
Street,  which  he  built  in  1866,  when  it  was  at  the 
extreme  outskirts  of  the  town.  He  platted  Whit- 
mer  Addition,  and  three  additions  have  been  made 
from  the  original  ten  acres.  From  the  time  he 
entered  upon  his  life  work  his  career  has  been  a 
busy  one.  He  has  devoted  himself  assiduously  to 
its  interests,  and  his  diligence  and  enterprise  have 
won  for  him  prosperity.  He  is  now  at  the  head 
of  an  important  industry  and  is  ranked  among  the 
successful  and  substantial  business  men  of  De- 
catur. 


MILLER  has  been  connected  with 
the  mercantile  interests  of  Blue  Mound  for 
twenty-one  years,  having  established  a  gro- 
cery store  in  that  place  in  1872.  In  1877 
he  opened  his  present  store,  being  now  engaged  as 
a  dealer  in  clothing,  boots  and  shoes.  His  store  is 
well  stocked,  and  his  moderate  prices,  his  fair  and 
honest  dealing,  and  his  earnest  desire  to  please  his 
customers  have  secured  him  a  good  trade.  The 
commercial  interests  of  Blue  Mound  are  well  rep- 
resented by  our  subject,  who  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  substantial  and  representative  citizens  of 
the  community. 

On  the  1st  of  April,  1848,  near  Chillicothe,  Ross 
County,  Ohio,  our  subject  was  born.  The  Miller 
family  is  of  Welsh  extraction.  The  father  of  our 
subject,  Abraham  Miller,  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  in  the  Old  Dominion  was  reared  to  manhood 
upon  a  farm.  When  a  j'oung  man  he  emigrated 
to  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1855.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Lydia  Herbert.  She,  too,  was 
of  Welsh  descent  and  was  a  native  of  the  Buckeye 
State.  She  was  called  to  her  final  home  at  the  age 
of  sixty-five  years,  and  was  laid  to  rest  by  the  side 


of  her  husband,  where  a  substantial  monument  has 
been  erected  to  their  memory. 

This  worthy  couple  had  a  family  of  ten  children, 
eight  sons  and  two  daughters,  the  eldest  of  whom, 
George.,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years;  Isaac 
died  in  infancy;  Hezekiah  is  a  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  living  in  Ross  County,  Ohio;  William  L.  is 
a  prosperous  agriculturist  and  a  very  extensive 
stock-dealer,  residing  on  the  old  homestead  in  Ross 
County;  Mary  E.  is  the  widow  of  Daniel  Goodman 
and  makes  her  home  in  the  same  county;  Anna 
is  the  wife  of  Daniel  A.  Dorsey  and  is  residing  in 
Kearney,  Neb.;  Jesse  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war 
and  died  in  the  service;  James  follows  farming 
near  Humboldt,  Kan.;  Joseph  is  the  next  in  order 
of  birth;  and  Amos  B.,  who  completes  the  familv, 
is  a  commission  merchant  of  Dayton,  Ohio. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  earl}'  ooyhood  of  our  subject,  which  was  passed 
in  attendance  at  the  district  schools  and  in  work 
on  the  home  farm.  When  only  sixteen  years  of 
age  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  One  Hundred  and 
Fifty-fifth  Ohio  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  There  were  four  sons  of  the 
Miller  family  who  entered  the  service,  and  one  of 
the  number  laid  down  his  life  on  the  altar  of  his 
country.  When  the  war  was  over,  Joseph  returned 
to  his  home  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  resumed 
work  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  remained  until 
he  had  attained  to  man's  estate.  lie  then  pur- 
chased a  sawmill  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  which 
he  operated  for  two  years.  On  selling  out  he  came 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  Christian  County,  just  across 
the  line  from  Macon  County.  To  the  improve- 
ment of  the  farm  which  he  there  purchased  he  de- 
voted his  time  and  attention  until  1872,  when  he 
rented  his  land  and  came  to  Blue  Mound. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  1871,  Mr.  Miller  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Cordelia  Overley,  of  Kin- 
nikinnick,  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  four  children:  Mabel,  a  highly  edu- 
cated young  lady;  Trenna  J.;  Joseph,  who  died  in 
infancy;  and  Margaret. 

On  locating  in  Blue  Mound  Mr.  Miller  embarked 
in  the  grocery  business  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Miller  <fe  Seelig,  which  partnership  was  continued 
until  1877,  when  he  purchased  Mr.  Seelig's  inter- 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PORTRATT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


269 


est.  He  then  disposed  of  his  stock  of  groceries 
and  opened  his  present  store.  He  now  owns  one 
of  the  leading  clothing  and  boot  and  shoe  stores 
in  Blue  Mound.  He  occupies  a  brick  building  one 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  long,  and  this  is 
well  stocked  with  everything  in  this  line.  Al- 
though his  attention  is  largely  taken  up  with  his 
business  interests,  he  has  yet  found  time  to  devote 
to  public  affairs,  and  has  served  as  President  of 
the  Town  Board  and  in  the  position  of  School 
Director.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican 
and  warmly  advocates  the  principles  of  that  party. 
He  holds  membership  with  Blue  Mound  Lodge  No. 
682,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and  with  Blue  Mound  Post 
No.  347,  G.  A.  R.  His  wife  holds  membership  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  he  contributes  liber- 
ally to  its  support.  He  also  gives  freely  to  every 
enterprise  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit, 
and  the  community  recognizes  in  him  a  valued 
citizen. 


ON.  JOHN  A.  BROWN,  a  well-known  res- 
ident of  Decatur,  was  born  July  23,  1843, 
I*  in  Abington,  Mass.,  and  is  of  the  seventh 
generation  from  Rev.  Samuel  Brown,  a 
Pilgrim  preacher,  who  with  his  flock  of  followers 
in  the  year  1632  became  the  first  settlers  of  Ab- 
ington. The  great  grandfathers  of  our  subject, 
on  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  sides,  were  he- 
roes of  the  Revolution,  and  served  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  that  struggle,  and  both  of  his 
grandfathers  were  prominent  and  influential  citi- 
zens of  Abington,  and  for  years  represented  their 
district  in  the  Legislature  of  the  State. 

Lysander  Brown,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  boot  and  shoe  manufacturers 
of  his  native  city.  He  employed  a  very  large 
number  of  men  and  aided  greatly  in  the  growth 
and  prosperity  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 
One  of  the  workmen  who  daily  toiled  at  his  shoe 
bench  was  Henry  Wilson,  whose  name  and  fame 
have  since  become  world-wide.  At  an  early  age 
John  A.  Brown  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ver- 

12 


mont,  and  on  leaving  the  Green  Mountain  State 
went  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1857.  That 
year  witnessed  his  emigration  Westward  and  saw 
him  located  in  Hannibal,  Mo.,  where  he  completed 
his  education  in  the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  he  commenced  the  battles  of  life,  and  has 
since  made  his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  secured 
a  position  as  ticket  agent  for  the  Hannibal  &  St. 
Joseph  Railroad  at  Chillicothe,  Mo.,  and  was  em- 
ployed in  that  capacity  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war. 

Mr.  Brown  at  once  espoused  the  Union  cause, 
and  during  the  four  years'  struggle  which  ensued 
he  rendered  efficient  aid  to  the  Government  in 
many  ways.  In  1861  he  resigned  his  position  and 
went  to  Jacksonville,  111.,  being  engaged  in  school 
teaching  for  four  years  in  Morgan  County.  Dur- 
ing all  this  time  he  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Union  League,  and  was  frequently  called  upon  to 
make  war  speeches.  In  the  spring  of  1865,  with  a 
span  of  horses,  his  entire  earthly  possessions,  he 
drove  to  Decatur  with  a  view  to  making  it  his  fu- 
ture home,  and  he  has  since  here  resided.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  connected  with  the  news- 
papers of  Decatur  as  editor,  and  was  also  special 
correspondent  of  the  St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Brown  studied  law,  and  in 
1875  was  admitted  to  the  Bar.  He  at  once  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  F.  B.  Tait  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  chosen  profession.  The  new  firm  was 
very  successful  and  immediately  entered  upon  a 
lucrative  practice.  This  connection  continued  for 
four  years,  and  on  its  dissolution  Mr.  Tait  em- 
barked in  the  manufacturing  business,  and  Mr. 
Brown  still  carries  on  the  practice  of  law.  In  1875 
Mr.  Brown  was  appointed  Master  in  Chancerj'  of 
Macon  County  by  Judge  C.  B.  Smith,  and  was  af- 
terwards re-appointed  by  the  same  gentleman  and 
by  Judges  Nelson,  Wilkin  and  Hughes,  holding  the 
office  for  fi  f teen  years.  He  was  also  School  Treas- 
urer of  Decatur  Township  during  all  this  period. 
Vast  amounts  of  money  in  this  time  passed  through 
his  hands,  and  as  the  result  of  his  faithfulness  to 
the  trust  reposed  in  him  he  has  established  a  repu- 
tation for  integrity  second  to  none.  His  honora- 
ble, upright  career  has  made  his  word  as  good  as 
his  bond. 


270 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


In  1868  Mr.  Brown  married  Miss  Annie  L.  Fow- 
ler, and  they  have  two  daughters,  May  and  Jessie. 
For  the  past  twenty  years  his  aged  mother  has 
lived  with  her  son,  and  although  she  is  now  eighty- 
six  years  of  age  she  is  still  hale  and  hearty.  Mr. 
Brown  is  President  of  the  Decatur  Implement 
Company,  also  of  the  Brown  Novelty  Company, 
and  at  this  time,  in  the  prime  of  life,  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  prosperous  citi- 
zens of  Macon  County.  He  has  always  had  great 
faith  in  Decatur  and  its  future,  and  has  been  quick 
to  act  where  its  interests  were  involved.  He  has 
always  been  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  while  not 
an  office-seeker,  in  every  campaign  his  voice  is  heard 
in  advocacy  of  Republican  principles. 


EFFERSON  G.  WILLARD  was  for  a  num- 
i  ber  of  years  connected  with  the  agricultural 
interests  of  Macon  County,  but  is  now  living 
_  a  retired  life  in  Decatur,  enjoying  a  well- 
earned  rest,  surrounded  by  the  comforts  and  lux- 
uries which  have  been  supplied  through  the  fruits 
of  his  former  toil.  In  January,  1892,  he  came  to 
the  city  and  built  a  fine  residence  at  a  cost  of 
$5,000,  at  No.  752  West  Macon  Street,  where  he 
now  makes  his  home. 

Mr.  Willard  was  born  in  Overton  County, 
Tenn.,  February  21,  1827,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
and  Martha  (Goodpasture)  Willard,  the  former  a 
native  of  Tennessee,  and  the  latter  of  Virginia.  On 
the  paternal  side  the  family  is  of  English  and 
Scotch  origin.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  William  Willard,  was  a  native  of  Virginia 
and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
after  which  he  was  granted  a  pension  by  the  Gov- 
ernment. He  reached  the  advanced  age  of  one 
hundred  and  five  years.  Up  to  the  last  he  retained 
his  mental  and  physical  vigor  and  when  a  centen- 
arian rode  fifty  miles  on  horseback  in  one  day. 
In  the  spring  of  1830,William  Willard,  Jr.,  removed 
with  his  family  to  Morgan  County,  111., and  entered 
from  the  Government  three  hundred  and  twenty 


acres  of  land,  nine  miles  west  of  Jacksonville.  Upon 
that  farm  he  made  his  home  until  1847,  when,  at 
the  age  of  forty-seven  years,  he  was  called  to  the 
home  beyond,  dying  of  congestive  fever.  He  had 
been  an  enthusiastic  Methodist.  His  wife  long 
survived  him  and  died  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty 
years,  in  Macon  County,  November  8, 1861.  They 
were  consistent  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  Mr.  Willard  served  as  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  local  congregation.  Their  family 
numbered  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, but  onl}'  three  are  now  living:  Jane,  widow 
of  Wilson  Smith,  a  resident  of  Morgan  County, 
111.;  Jefferson  G.,  of  this  sketch;  and  Abram  Jas- 
per, who  is  living  in  Coles  County,  111.,  seven  miles 
south  of  Mattoon. 

Our  subject  spent  his  early  life  in  Morgan 
Count}',  111.,  and  when  he  had  attained  a  sufficient 
age  began  his  education.  The  schools  of  that  com- 
munity were  very  primitive  in  character,  and  in  a 
log  schoolhouse  he  conned  his  lessons, sitting  upon 
a  rude  slab  bench.  In  one  end  of  the  building  was 
a  huge  fireplace,  and  the  light  was  admitted 
through  greased-paper  windows.  He  there,  how- 
ever, laid  the  foundation  for  a  useful  and  practical 
knowledge,  which  has  been  acquired  through  ex- 
perience and  observation.  On  the  28th  of  March, 
1849,  Mr.  Willard  was  married,  Miss  AliffC.  A veritt 
becoming  his  wife.  The  lady  is  a  daughter  of 
Nathan  G.  and  Mary  (Cooper)  Averitt,  the  former 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  the  latter  of  Tennessee. 
They  became  pioneer  settlers  of  Morgan  County, 
111.,  where  they  located  in  1830.  Two  children 
were  born  of  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife, 
but  one  died  in  infancy.  James  Monroe  is  still 
living  with  his  father  in  Decatur  and  is  connected 
with  the  Municipal  Electric  Light  Company  as 
General  Manager.  He  married  Miss  Florence  Dyke, 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  who  died  April  17,  1892. 
They  had  two  children,  Clara  Averitt  and  Chester 
Dyke,  twins,  but  the  latter  died  in  infancy. 

Upon  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willard  began 
their  domestic  life  in  Morgan  County  upon  a  farm 
and  there  remained  until  1855,  when  Mr.  Willard 
sold  his  property  in  that  county  and  came  with  his 
family  to  Macon  County,  where  he  hassince  made 
his  home.  He  purchased  ft  farm  of  three  hundred 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


271 


and  twenty  acres  in  Hanistown  Township,  on  sec- 
tion 9,  and  from  time  to  time  as  his  financial  re- 
sources were  increased  he  has  bought  more  land, 
until  his  possessions  now  aggregate  seven  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  a  portion  of  which  adjoins  the 
corporation  limits  of  Harristown.  While  living 
upon  his  farm  he  gave  particular  attention  to  rais- 
ing cattle  and  hogs  and  fed  most  of  his  grain  to 
his  stock.  His  farm  contains  the  finest  and  best 
stocked  fishpond  in  the  county,  covering  several 
acres,  and  which  is  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to 
many  friends. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willard  hold  membership  with  the 
Christian  Church,  and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century 
he  was  an  Elder  in  the  church  in  Harristown.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Prohibitionist.  Formerly  he  was  a 
Democrat  for  many  years,  easting  his  first  Prohi- 
bition vote  for  Fisk  and  Brooks  in  1888.  He  served 
efficiently  as  Road  Commissioner  for  twelve  j-ears 
and  was  President  of  the  Macon  County  Agricul- 
tural Society  for  three  years  and  was  also  one  of 
its  incorporators.  He  is  a  warm  friend  to  the  cause 
of  temperance  and  morality  and  does  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity, and  has  never  had  a  lawsuit  and  never 
served  on  a  petit  jury.  He  has  lived  so  that  he 
has  won  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  come  in  contact,  and  his  life  is  well 
worthy  of  emulation. 


ENRY  L.  HIGHLY,  a  prominent  and  influ- 

i'  ential  farmer  residing  on  section  12,  South 


Macon  Township,  was  born  on  the  12th  of  j 
Sjjj)  June,  1835,  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio, 
and  is  the  eleventh  child  of  the  family  of  thir- 
teen children  born  unto  Thomas  and  Susan  (Gist) 
Highly.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
was  reared  on  a  farm  in  the  Keystone  State,  and 
after  his  marriage  emigrated  to  Muskingum  County, 
Ohio,  where,  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  he  hewed 
out  a  farm.  There  he  remained  for  a  number  of 
years  and  reared  his  family,  but  at  length  sold  out 


and  removed  to  Hocking  County,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  farm,  upon  which  he  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
two  years.  The  Highly  family  is  of  German  origin. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  of  Irish  lineage, 
and  she  too  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Her 
death  occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years. 
Only  four  of  the  family  are  now  living:  Thomas 
A.,  who  carries  on  farming  in  Cherokee  County, 
Iowa;  Henry,  of  this  sketch;  Samuel,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Hocking  County,  Ohio;  and  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  John  Coon,  also  an  agriculturist  of  Hock- 
ing County. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Henry 
Highly,  who  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this 
community.  He  remained  at  home  until  fifteen 
years  of  age  and  then  left  the  parental  roof  to  be- 
gin work  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month.  He  was 
thus  employed  for  three  years,  after  which  he 
engaged  in  farming  on  shares,  operating  the 
property  of  one  man  for  ten  years.  It  was  in 
1861  that  he  came  Macon  County,  and  for  a  year 
after  his  arrival  he  again  worked  as  a  farm  hand. 
He  then  rented  land  for  a  year,  after  which  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  railroad  land,  upon  which 
he.  has  since  made  his  home. 

In  the  Buckeye  State,  on  the  6th  of  March,  1862, 
Mr.  Highly  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jane 
Gibson,  of  Hocking  County,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of 
Patrick  and  Margaret  (Flannigan)  Gibson,  who 
are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work  in  connec- 
tion with  the  sketch  of  J.  A.  Gibson.  The  wedding 
journey  of  the  young  couple  consisted  of  a  trip  to 
Illinois  in  a  covered  wagon,  they  reaching  their 
destination  after  fourteen  days.  Their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  two  sons:  Olney,  who  now  car- 
ries on  farming  in  South  Macon  Township;  and 
James  H.,  who  aids  in  the  operation  of  the  home 
farm. 

Mr.  Highly  is  a  warm  advocate  of  temperance 
principles  and  embodies  his  views  on  this  subject 
in  his  ballot,  which  he  deposits  in  favor  of  the  Pro- 
hibition party.  He  has  serred  as  School  Director 
in  his  township  for  twenty  years,  and  his  faithful- 
ness and  fidelity  are  indicated  by  his  long  continued 
service.  He  would  never  accept  other  office,  how- 
ever, preferring  to  devote  his  attention  to  his  busi- 


272 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ness  interests.  Socially,  he  has  been  connected 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity  for  thirty  years.  Him- 
self and  family  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  which  he  has  for  some  time  served  as 
Elder.  Generous  and  benevolent,  he  contributes 
liberally  to  its  support  and  gives  freely  of  his 
means  to  all  worthy  charities.  His  life  has  been 
an  honorable  and  upright  one,  well  spent  in  the 
service  of  the  Master.  In  his  business  career  Mr. 
Highly  has  prospered  and  now  possesses  a  hand- 
some property,  including  a  fine  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  which  is  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  well  improved. 


ENRY  C.  MOWRY  is  one  of  the  enterpris- 
ing  and  progressive  business  men  of  Macon 
County.  He  is  extensively  engaged  in 
grain  dealing  in  Forsyth  for  the  firm  of 
Day,  Sons  &  Co.,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  con- 
trols a  good  trade.  He  was  born  in  Smithfield, 
Providence  County,  R.  I.,  March  1,  1835,  in  the 
same  house  where  occurred  the  birth  of  his  father, 
Asa  Mo  wry,  and  that  of  three  generations  before 
him.  The  family  is  of  French  and  English  descent, 
and  is  one  of  the  old  families  of  Colonial  days. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Louisa  Johnson,  and  was  also  born  in  Rhode 
Island.  Her  father,  George  W.  Johnson,  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  and  died  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-four  years. 

Asa  Mowry  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  but,  having 
studied  law,  engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  legal 
profession  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life.  In  reli- 
gious belief  he  was  a  Quaker.  He  died  in  May, 
1841,  but  his  wife  survived  him  for  many  years, 
and  passed  away  July  24,  1883.  Of  their  family 
of  five  children  one  died  in  infancy.  Abbie  is 
still  living  in  the  East.  Henry  is  the  third  in  or- 
der of  birth.  Enos  died  in  October,  1863.  Ed- 
ward L.,  a  stone-cutter  by  tiade,  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  Rhode  Island. 

Our  subject  was  about  seven  years  of  age  when 


his  father  died.  He  then  began  work  in  the  cot- 
ton mills  of  his  native  State,  receiving  only  sev- 
enty-five cents  per  week  for  his  services.  He  was 
a  faithful  little  employe,  however,  who  learned  the 
business  well,  and  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age 
was  appointed  to  the  position  of  overseer  of  the 
Smithfield  Mills,  having  from  thirty  to  sixty  hands 
under  his  management.  He  continued  work  in  the 
mills  until  1855,  when  he  began  clerking  in  a 
clothing  store.  He  was  afterward  employed  in  a 
lumber-yard  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  late 
war,  when,  laying  aside  all  business  cares,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  his  country.  The  echoes  of 
Ft.  Sumter's  guns  had  hardly  ceased  reverberat- 
ing when  he  offered  his  services  to  the  Govern- 
ment. He  enlisted  August  17, 1861,  and  was  made 
Sergeant  of  Company  K,  First  Rhode  Island  In- 
fantry. This  was  the  first  regiment  of  which  Gen. 
Burnside  had  charge,  and  it  was  the  third  that 
entered  Washington  City.  Mr.  Mo  wry  participated 
in  the  hard-fought  battle  of  Bull  Run  and  the  en- 
gagements at  Roanoke,  Newbury  and  Fredericks- 
burgh.  He  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  left  leg 
by  a  spent  ball,  and  in  1862  received  his  final  dis- 
charge, acting  a/  Lieutenant  at  the  time,  though 
he  never  received  a  commission  to  that  ollice. 

After  this  Mr.  Mowry  returned  to  his  old  home 
and  accepted  the  position  of  mail  agent  on  the 
Providence  &  Worcester  Railroad,  to  which  office 
he  had  been  appointed  before  entering  the  service. 
He  was  thus  employed  until  1867,  when  he  came 
to  Macon  County,  111.,  locating  in  Forsyth,  where 
he  erected  an  elevator,  cribs  and  grain  office. 
There  he  engaged  in  grain-dealing  until  1869, 
when  he  went  to  Mattoon  and  carried  on  the  same 
business  for  the  firm  of  Day,  Sprague  <fe  Co.,  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  having  entire  charge  of  their 
Western  department.  In  1878  he  removed  his 
headquarters  to  Decatur,  but  in  the  latter  part  of 
that  year  returned  to  Forsyth,  where  he  has  since 
remained. 

On  the  2d  of  August,  1872,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Mowry  and  Miss  Henrietta  Flood. 
By  their  union  were  born  two  children:  Albert  E., 
who  is  now  station  agent  and  operator  at  Forsyth; 
and  Alfred  II.,  who  died  in  his  sixth  year. 

The    ambition   and    energy    which    caused  Mr. 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


273 


Mowry  to  educate  himself  in  the  East  Greenwich 
Academy  have  characterized  his  entire  life  and  made 
his  business  career  one  of  success.  In  politics  he 
takes  quite  an  active  part  and  votes  with  the 
Democratic  party.  He  has  served  as  Commissioner 
of  Hickory  Point  Township  for  several  terms,  and 
when  only  twenty-three  years  of  age,  while  in 
Rhode  Island,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture. Since  1865  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Odd 
Fellows'  lodge,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  order  and 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  lie  is  a  valued 
citizen,  who  takes  an  active  interest  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  community  and 
its  upbuilding.  His  public  and  private  life  are 
alike  above  reproach,  and  his  long  continuance 
with  the  firm  with  which  he  is  now  connected  is  a 
high  testimonial  to  his  fidelity. 


•„..  LEXANDER  S.  FREELAND,  who  is  con- 
((j8/D|  nected  with  the  agricultural  interests  of 
Milan  Township  and  makes  his  home  on 
section  1,  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life 
in  this  locality  and  is  well  deserving  of  representa- 
tion in  this  volume.  He  was  born  on  the  20th  of 
March,  1842,  in  what  was  then  a  part  of  Macon 
County,  but  is  now  in  Moultrie  County,  and  is  the 
only  child  of  David  and  Sarah  (Strain)  Freeland, 
a  sketch  of  whom  may  be  found  on  another  page 
of  this  volume. 

Alexander  was  only  about  a  year  old  at  the 
time  of  his  mother's  death.  lie  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  and  received  instruction  from  his  father 
for  six  months  and  for  about  nine  months  was  in 
the  country  schools,  and  so  acquired  only  a  limited 
education.  The  war  having  broken  out,  his  pa- 
triotism was  aroused,  and  he  determined  to  strike 
a  blow  in  defense  of  the  Union.  He  was  only 
nineteen  years  of  age  when,  on  the  9th  of  May, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Twenty-first  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  with  which  he  served  until  Decem- 
ber 16,  1865,  when,  peace  having  been  declared, 


he  was  honorably  discharged.  He  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Perryville,  Stone  River  and  Chick- 
amauga,  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and,  in  fact,  all  the 
engagements  in  which  his  regiment  took  part.  At 
the  battle  of  Nashville  a  color-bearer  had  fallen, 
and  from  that  time  on  Mr.  Freeland  carried  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  which  many  times  led  the  troops 
on  to  victory.  In  the  battle  of  Stone  River  he 
was  wounded  in  the  left  thigh  by  a  grape  shot, 
and  still  has  the  ball  in  his  possession.  He  was 
taken  to  the  field  hospital  for  a  short  time,  was 
thence  sent  to  Nashville  for  two  weeks,  and  after- 
ward spent  four  months  in  Cincinnati.  He  was 
also  taken  prisoner,  but  made  his  escape  four  days 
after  his  capture. 

When  the  war  was  over,  Mr.  Freeland  returned 
to  this  county  and  purchased  a  team  of  oxen  with 
money  which  he  had  obtained  in  the  service.  He 
then  began  breaking  prairie  and  has  since  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  now  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  which  rep- 
resents his  own  labor  and  energy,  and  which 
constitutes  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  locality. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  1868,  Mr.  Freeland  mar- 
ried Miss  Eliza  M.  Hood,  who  was  born  in  Shelby 
County,  111.,  September  27,  1851,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  A.  and  Cynthia  (Mclntosh)  Hood, 
who  were  pioneers  of  this  State.  A  son  and  ten 
daughters  have  been  born  of  their  union,  and  the 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken.  Luella,  the 
eldest,  is  now  the  wife  of  John  Canady,  a  merchant 
of  Mattoon,  111.;  George  C.  is  a  well-educated 
young  man  and  an  accomplished  musician;  Rosie 
M.,  Mary,  Eunice,  Edna,  Alice,  Eva,  Vida,  Frances 
and  Name  are  still  at  home. 

Mr.  Freeland  is  a  stanch  Republican,  who  warmly 
advocates  the  principles  of  his  party.  He  is  now 
serving  as  Road  Commissioner  of  his  township, 
but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  office. 
Socially,  he  belongs  to  I.  C.  Pugh  Post  No.  481, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  Dalton  City,  and  himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church. 
Mr.  Freeland  is  numbered  among  the  honored  pio- 
neers of  this  community,  where  for  more  than  half 
a  century  he  has  made  his  home.  He  has  a  very 
large  and  interesting  collection  of  old  Indian 
relics,  which  he  gathered  in  this  locality  at  an 


274 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


early  day.  lie  has  borne  all  the  experiences  of 
pioneer  life  and  has  witnessed  the  development  of 
the  county,  having  seen  its  wild  lands  transformed 
into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  and  its  hamlets 
grow  into  thriving  towns  and  villages. 


BENEDICT  YOUNG  owns  and  operates  a 
fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  section  21,  Blue  Mound  Township.  We 
glance  at  this  place  and  at  once  notice  its 
neat  appearance,  a  fact  which  attests  the  careful 
supervision  of  the  thrifty  owner.  We  also  see  a 
substantial  home,  good  barns  and  other  outbuild- 
ings, the  latest  improved  machinery  and  well- 
tilled  fields.  This  place  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  the  community,  and  its  owner  is  rec- 
ognized as  a  practical  and  progressive  agricultur- 
ist. 

Of  German  birth,  Mr.  Young  is  the  second  in  a 
family  of  seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, whose  parents  were  Vincennes  and  Catherine 
(Gasser)  Young.  The  father  engaged  in  rafting 
in  his  native  land,  and  there  spent  his  entire  life. 
After  his  death  the  mother  came  to  America  with 
six  of  her  children,  and  in  Macon  County  spent 
her  remaining  days.  She  passed  away  in  Decatur 
at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  on 
the  2d  of  March,  1828,  and  grew  to  manhood  in 
the  Fatherland,  where  he  lived  until  his  thirty- 
second  year.  As  a  means  of  livelihood  he  fol- 
lowed rafting,  but  with  a  hope  of  bettering  his  fi- 
nancial condition  he  determined  to  cross  the 
broad  Atlantic  and  seek  a  home  in  the  New  World. 
Carrying  out  this  resolution,  he  sailed  from  Ger- 
many in  1859,  and  after  a  voyage  of  thirty  days 
the  vessel  in  which  he  had  taken  passage  dropped 
anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  York.  Making  his 
way  Westward,  he  chose  Macon  County,  111.,  as 
the  scene  of  his  future  labors,  and  rented  a  farm, 
which  he  operated  some  years.  He  then  purchased 


the  land  on  which  he  now  resides  and  which  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  His  labors,  however, 
have  wrought  a  great  transformation  in  the  place, 
for  it  was  then  but  slightly  improved. 

In  1852,  ere  his  emigration  to  the  New  World, 
Mr.  Young  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ce- 
celia Kilmer,  of  Baden,  Germany,  and  unto  them 
has  been  born  a  family  of  nine  children.  In  order 
of  birth  they  are  as  follows:  Laudeline,  who  car- 
ries on  farming  in  Christian  Count}',  111.;  Launes, 
who  follows  the  same  pursuit  in  Christian  County; 
Pauline,  the  wife  of  Frank  Dayhuns,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Macon  County;  Frank,  who  is  engaged 
in  farming  in  this  county;  Caroline,  wife  of 
Charles  Gross,  a  hotel-keeper  of  Decalur;  Sophia 
and  Anna,  who  are  still  at  home;  John,  wbo  is 
serving  as  clerk  in  a  hotel  in  Decatur;  and  Charles, 
who  completes  the  family,  and  aids  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  old  home  farm. 

Mr.  Young,  his  wife  and  children  are  members 
of  the  German  Catholic  Church,  and  are  people 
widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  community. 
Our  subject  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  sup- 
port of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has  never  sought 
or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  of- 
fice. He  came  to  this  county  when  the  locality  in 
which  he  now  resides  was  very  sparsely  settled, 
and  has  aided  in  its  development  and  upbuilding 
and  has  ever  done  all  in  his  power  for  the  promo- 
tion of  the  best  interests  of  the  community.  His 
well-earned  success  comes  to  him  as  the  just  re- 
ward of  his  own  efforts. 


HINEAS  B.  PROVOST,  who  for  the  past 
ten  years  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
of  Decatur,  is  one  of  the  self-made  men  of 
Macon  County,  and  one  of  its  popular  and 
influential  citizens.  As  he  has  a  wide  circle  of 
friends  and  acquaintances,  we  feel  assured  that  this 
record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of 
our  readers.  He  is  the  eldest  child  of  James  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


275 


Louisa  (Baker)  Provost.  His  paternal  grandfather 
was  a  native  of  France;  and  his  grandmother  came 
to  this  country  from  Holland.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  born  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  and 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  The  year  after  the  ar- 
rival of  his  son  Phineas  in  Decatur,  he  came  to 
the  West  and  made  his  home  with  our  subject  un- 
til his  death,  which  occurred  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-four  years,  it  being  caused  by  an  injury 
sustained  in  tearing  down  a  building.  His  wife 
also  died  at  the  home  of  our  subject,  in  her  sev- 
enty-sixth 3*ear.  Of  their  family,  Phineas  is  the 
eldest;  Lawrence  R.  is  a  farmer  residing  in  Deca- 
tur Township;  Abraham  P.  is  a  dealer  in  sewing- 
machines  ill  St.  Louis;  Isaac  S.  is  a  carriage-maker 
of  Sturgis,  Mich.;  Catherine  I.  is  the  wife  of  Fred- 
erick Boyer,  of  Marion,  Ind.;  Phcebe  became  the 
wife  of  Harry  Zettlemeyer,  and  died  leaving  four 
children;  Mary  A.  became  the  wife  of  Jefferson 
Main,  and  at  her  death  left  two  children;  and 
James  died  at  the  age  of  a  year  and  a-half. 

Phineas  Provost  was  born  October  21,  1833,  in 
New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
was  bound  out  to  a  carriage-maker,  serving  an  ap- 
prenticeship of  five  years.  The  only  educational 
privileges  in  those  days  were  afforded  b}'  the  sub- 
scription schools.  On  attaining  his  majority,  his 
apprenticeship  was  ended,  and  the  following  year 
Mr.  Provost  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Julia  L.,  daughter  of  Stephen  Van  Valkenburg, 
who  came  from  one  of  the  early1  Dutch  families  of 
New  York.  In  the  spring  of  1859,  he  went  South 
and  established  a  carriage-making  shop  in  Suffolk, 
Va.,  where  for  a  time  he  did  a  successful  business, 
but  on  account  of  the  Abolition  principles  which 
he  held  he  had  to  return  to  New  Jersey.  Having 
seen  the  condition  of  affairs  among  the  Secession- 
ists, he  resolved  to  strike  n  blow  in  defense  of  the 
Union,  and  immediately  after  the  breaking  out  of 
the  late  war  enlisted  in  Company  A,  First  New 
Jersey  Regiment. 

Mr.  Provost  took. part  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull 
Hun,  and  served  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He 
was  three  times  wounded, — first  at  the  second  bat- 
tle of  Bull  Run,  where  he  received  a  flesh  wound 
in  the  leg,  but  he  did  not  leave  the  ranks.  Before 
Fredericksburg,  on  the  Rappahannock,  he  was 


wounded  in  the  neck;  and  the  third  wound  was 
received  at  Crampton's  Pass,  Aid.,  where  he  was 
severely  injured.  In  addition  to  the  two  engage- 
ments at  Bull  Run,  he  participated  in  the  seven 
days'  battle  before  Richmond,  and  the  battles  of 
Cold  Harbor,  Fredericksburg  and  Antietam,  to- 
gether with  many  skirmishes.  His  third  wound 
was  received  before  the  last-named  battle,  but 
nevertheless  he  entered  the  fight.  However,  his 
injuries  proved  so  serious  that  he  was  compelled 
to  resign,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in  1863. 
He  had  enlisted  as  a  private,  but  was  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  Orderly-Sergeant  of  his  company,  and 
was  made  Sergeant-Major  of  the  regiment,  later 
becoming  Second  Lieutenant. 

On  his  return  from  the  war,  Mr.  Provost  re- 
sumed work  at  his  trade  in  New  York,  and  after 
six  months  went  with  his  family  to  Tazewell 
County,  in  the  fall  of  1864.  Here  he  began  farm- 
ing, but  that  life  did  not  agree  with  his  wife,  and 
in  consequence  he  made  his  home  in  the  city  of 
Decatur,  embarking  in  the  furniture  business  in 
1867.  To  that  enterprise  he  devoted  his  energies 
until  1882,  when  he  sold  out,  and  soon  afterwards 
was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  home  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Provost  was  blessed  with  five  chil- 
dren. Frank  I).,  the  eldest,  is  now  in  the  United 
States  Mail  Service,  running  from  St.  Louis  to 
Chicago,  and  resides  in  Toledo,  Ohio.  He  married 
Frances  Stetcher,  and  they  have  a  son,  Guy.  Ste- 
phen F.,  who  married  Rya  Freeman,  is  manager  of 
the  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Tea  Company,  in  Anderson, 
Ind.  Mary  A.,  Frederick  and  William  Edward, 
the  younger  members  of  the  family,  died  in  child- 
hood. 

Mr.  Provost  is  a  member  of  Ionic  Lodge  No. 
312,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Decatur,  and  of  Dunham 
Post  No.  141,  G.  A.  R.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  first  Grand  Army  post  ever  organized,  and  has 
been  a  member  of  two  military  organizations  in 
Decatur,  and  was  First  Lieutenant  of  the  Decatur 
Light  Guards.  He  holds  membership  with  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  this  city,  to  the  build- 
ing of  which  he  contributed  liberally.  Our  sub- 
ject has  done  excellent  work  in  Decatur  in  the 
active  part  which  he  took  in  establishing  the  fire 
department.  He  had  served  in  fire  departments 


276 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  New  York  City  and  Rahway,  N.  J.,  and  he 
raised  money  for  the  equipment  of  the  first  fire 
company  of  Decatur,  of  which  lie  became  chief  on 
its  organization.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig  in 
early  life,  but  since  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  has  fought  under  its  banner.  Mr. 
Provost  is  well  known  to  the  citizens  of  Macon 
County,  where  he  has  made  his  home  for  almost 
thirty  years.  He  has  proved  a  most  efficient  and 
capable  officer,  and  during  the  ten  years  of  his 
service  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  he  has  never,  with 
one  exception,  had  his  judgments  reversed,  for  his 
rulings  have  been  fair  and  unprejudiced.  He  is  a 
generous,  whole-souled  man,  genial  and  pleasant 
in  manner,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  find  in  Deca- 
tur a  person  who  has  more  friends  than  the 
"Squire." 


ET.  WILLOUGHBY  is  the  owner  of  a  very 
valuable  farm  in  South  Macon  Township, 
comprising  one  hundred  and  seventy-two 
acres  of  rich  land  on  section  31,  and  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  on  section  16.  This  is  divided  in- 
to fields  of  convenient  size,  which  in  the  summer 
months  are  clothed  in  green,  but  in  the  fall  season 
become  fields  of  golden  grain  and  reward  the  care 
and  cultivation  of  the  owner.  Upon  the  place  are 
good  buildings,  the  latest  improved  machine!^, 
good  grades  of  slock,  and  all  the  accessories  of  a 
model  farm.  The  place  is  lacking  in  no  particular, 
and  a  glance  tells  the  passer-by  that  the  owner  is  a 
progressive  agriculturist. 

Mr.  Willoughby  was  born  in  Collinsville,  Madi- 
son County,  111.,  August  18,  1840,  and  is  the  sec- 
ond in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  four  children 
whose  parents  were  Thomas  Oliver  and  Sallie  Ann 
(Willoughby)  Willoughby.  Both  were  natives  of 
Delaware,  and  the  family  is  of  English  origin.  In 
that  State  they  were  married,  and  on  leaving  the 
East  in  1835  they  emigrated  to  Madison  County, 
111.  After  a  short  time,  however,  they  returned 


to  Delaware,  but  two  years  later  again  went  to 
Madison  County,  where  the  father  remained  until 
his  death.  The  mother  spent  her  last  days  in  St. 
Clair  County.  Of  their  children,  Hester  is  now 
the  widow  of  John  Davis,  of  Collinsville,  Madison 
County;  John  Henry  B.  is  a  harness-maker  and  sad- 
dler of  Collinsville;  and  one  child  died  in  infancy. 

Our  subject  was  only  about  six  years  of  age 
when  his  father  died,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  was 
left  an  orphan  by  the  death  of  his  mother.  He 
then  went  to  live  with  a  Mr.  Anderson  in  Madi- 
son County,  with  whom  he  remained  until  sixteen 
3rears  of  age,  when  he  became  dissatisfied  and  ran 
away,  going  to  work  for  an  uncle,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  he  had  become  a  young  man  of 
twenty-two.  His  education  was  acquired  by  at- 
tendance at  the  district  schools  during  the  winter 
season.  On  the  16th  of  August,  1862,  he  became 
a  soldier  of  the  Union  army,  enlisting  in  Com- 
pany C,  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illinois 
Infantry.  He  served  for  two  years,  and  was  never 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner.  He  entered  the  ser- 
vice as  a  private,  but  was  mustered  out  as  Ser- 
geant. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Willoughby  re- 
turned to  his  old  home  in  St.  Clair  County  and 
afterward  purchased  eight3r-six  acres  of  raw  prai- 
rie land  in  Macon  County,  upon  which  not  a  fur- 
row had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made, 
and  here  he  still  resides.  Having  erected  a  small 
house,  he  began  the  development  of  the  place,  and 
by  his  marriage  on  the  28th  of  February,  1867,  se- 
cured as  the  mistress  of  his  home  the  lady  who  in 
her  maidenhood  bore  the  name  of  Mary  M.  Og- 
lesby.  She  is  a  native  of  St.  Clair  Count3r,  and 
her  father  was  a  cousin  of  Gov.  Oglesby.  Ten 
children  were  born  of  the  union  of  our  subject 
and  his  wife,  but  three  died  in  infanc3r.  Edwin 
Oliver  is  a  farmer  of  Macon  Count3";  William  A. 
also  follows  farming  in  this  count3-;  Sallie  Ann  is 
an  accomplished  musician;  Henry  Wilson,  Emily 
Edith,  Ida  Olive  and  Chester  Earl  complete  the 
family. 

Socially,  Mr.  Willoughby  is  connected  with  the 
Grand  Arim-  post  of  Macon,  and  in  his  political 
views  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  but  would  never 
accept  any  office  save  that  of  School  Director  of 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


27!) 


his  district.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Church,  and  to  its  support  he  contributes  lib- 
erally. His  aid  is  never  withheld  from  any  enter- 
prise calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit,  and 
during  his  long  residence  in  Macon  County  he 
has  been  prominently  identified  with  its  growth 
and  enterprise. 


IIARLES  W.  DEVORE,  who  is  Chief  of 
the  Fire  Department  of  Decatur  and  a 
if!  well-known  and  popular  citizen  of  this 
community,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of 
Macon  County,  his  birth  having  occurred  within 
its  borders  on  the  llth  of  January,  1859.  His 
father,  Joseph  Devore,  was  also  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois, and  became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ma- 
con County,  where  he  followed  farming.  He  en- 
listed as  a  soldier  of  the  late  war  and  was  assigned 
to  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  in  which  he  served  for  two  years. 
His  term  having  expired,  he  returned  home  on  a 
certain  Tuesday  in  1864,  and  the  next  Tuesday 
died  of  paralysis.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Louisa  Bright,  survived  him  twenty-five 
years,  or  until  the  14th  of  August,  1890,  when  she 
met  a  violent  death,  being  struck  by  a  passenger 
train  on  the  Wabash  Railway  at  Decatur.  She  was 
sixty-seven  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Devore 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  but  in 
her  later  years  she  joined  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  This  worthy  couple  had  a  family  of 
twelve  children,  four  sons  and  eight  daughters. 
Six  daughters  are  now  living:  Hattie,  unmarried; 
Margaret,  widow  of  Charles  McCollum;  Lizzie,  wife 
of  Logan  Rice;  Nicie,  widow  of  Emmett  Richards; 
Rebecca,  unmarried;  and  Susan,  wife  of  Samuel 
Kellum. 

Charles  W.  Devore,  the  only  surviving  son  of 
the  family,  was  reared  in  the  city  which  is  still 
his  home,  and  in  its  public  schools  acquired  his 
education.  To  some  extent  he  worked  on  a  farm, 
and  was  also  employed  as  a  machine  hand  in  the 


Decatur  Furnitusp  Factory.  Having  attained  to 
man's  estate,  November  25,  1880,  he  chose  as  a 
companion  and  helpmate  Miss  Alice  Payne,  daugh- 
ter of  Clinton  and  Isabel  (Lowe)  Payne,  natives 
of  Ohio.  Three  children  have  been  born  of  their 
union,  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  Linnie,  aged 
seven;  Freddie,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  Earl, 
aged  thirteen  months.  The  family  has  a  pleasant 
home  at  No.  1019  North  Clinton  Street.  Mrs. 
Devore  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  Our  subject  holds  membership  with  Ma- 
con Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  in  politics  is 
a  supporter  of  Republican  principles. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Devore  continued  with 
the  furniture  factory  until  1884,  when  he  went  on 
the  City  Fire  Department  as  a  pipeman  with  the 
chemical  engine.  He  has  since  remained  with 
the  department  and  is  now  its  Chief,  having 
been  appointed  to  that  position  in  1890  by 
Mayor  Kanan.  The  department  has  one  steam 
engine,  one  chemical  engine,  two  hose  wagons, 
a  hook  and  ladder  truck,  one  chief's  buggy 
and  twelve  head  of  horses.  Fifteen  men  com- 
prise the  force.  Mr.  Devore  served  on  the  Vol- 
unteer Fire  Department  force  from  1878  until 
1884,  nnd  was  the  leader  of  Running  Crew  No. 
1,  known  as  the  "Rescue."  When  the  fire  depart- 
ment was  placed  on  a  paid  basis  he  continued  his 
connection  with  it,  and  for  three  years  has  now 
ably  and  acceptably  filled  the  position  of  Chief. 
Under  his  management  the  department  is  in  ex- 
cellent working  order  and  is  one  of  the  depart- 
ments of  which  the  city  may  justly  feel  proud. 


y WILLIAM  BARNES,   M.  D.,  is  one  of   the 
younger  physicians  of  Decatur,  yet  is  one 
,,   _       of  the  most  prominent,  and  his  reputation 
as  an  able  and  skillful  physician  and  surgeon   ex- 
tends far  beyond  the  confines  of  Macon   County. 
Of  more  than  average  ability,  the  endowments  of 
nature  have  been  supplemented  by  all  that  earnest 
application  and  study  could  bring  about,  and  the 


280 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


high  rank  to  which  he  has  attained  in  his  profes- 
sion is  but  the  crown  given  to  faithful  endeavor. 

The  Doctor  is  a  native  of  Decatur,  born  on  the 
3d  of  September,  1860.  His  father,  Dr.  W.  A. 
Barnes,  was  also  a  well-known  medical  practitioner, 
who  settled  in  Macon  County  at  an  early  day  and 
became  widely  known.  Our  subject  graduated 
from  the  Decatur  High  School,  after  which  he  took 
a  regular  scientific  course  in  Harvard  University, 
graduating  from  that  far-famed  institution  in  the 
Class  of  '83.  Desiring  to  follow  in  the  profes- 
sional footsteps  of  his  father,  he  then  entered 
upon  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  Harvard  Medi- 
cal School  of  Boston,  pursuing  the  regular  tliree- 
years  course  and  graduating  in  1886  with  the  first 
honors  of  his  class.  Having  completed  that  course, 
Dr.  Barnes  entered  the  Boston  City  Hospital  as 
house  surgeon,  and  there  remained  for  two  years. 
He  studied  under  Prof.  Alexander  Aggasiz,  at 
Newport,  and  under  his  direction  prepared  a  thesis 
from  original  investigation  on  the  subject  of  the 
development  of  the  spinal  cord. 

Having  performed  satisfactorily  the  duties  of 
house  surgeon  for  the  time  above  mentioned,  the 
Doctor  returned  to  Decatur,  and  in  October,  1889, 
opened  his  present  office.  Not  content,  however, 
with  the  research  he  had  already  made,  he  resolved 
to  delve  deeper  into  the  profession  which  he  is 
making  his  life  work,  and  went  to  Europe,  travel- 
ing over  that  continent  for  some  time.  He  was  in 
a  hospital  in  Vienna  for  one  year,  and  in  Munich, 
Germany,  pursued  a  four-months  course  of  study, 
taking  a  special  diploma  in  gynaecology.  He  was 
also  at  Hei  del  burg  for  about  five  months  as  assist- 
ant to  the  celebrated  surgeon,  Czerny.  Since  his 
return  to  his  native  land  he  has  engaged  in  prac- 
tice in  Decatur,  but  his  professional  duties  often 
call  him  from  the  city.  He  has  a  reputation 
throughout  the  East,  where  he  studied  and  prac- 
ticed, and  in  Chicago  as  well.  Whatever  his 
ambitious  nature  and  determined  labor  can  accom- 
plish in  the  line  of  his  work,  he  has  done.  He 
will  never  cease  to  be  a  student  of  his  profession, 
and  a  brilliant  career  seems  opening  before  this 
young  physician,  who  has  already  gained  a  patron- 
age which  might  well  be  envied  by  many  an  older 
practitioner. 


In  1891  Dr.  Barnes  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Charlotte  Gillette,  daughter  of  John  D.  Gil- 
lette, the  well-known  cattle  dealer,  sometimes 
called  "The  Cattle  King  of  Illinois."  She  is  also 
a  sister  of  Mrs.  Gov.  Oglesby.  The  Doctor  and 
his  wife  reside  at  No.  332  West  William  Street, 
where  they  have  a  very  beautiful  and  elegant 
home.  Mrs.  Barnes  presides  with  a  womanly  grace 
and  dignity  and  extends  to  their  numerous  friends 
the  warm  hospitality  which  makes  the  Barnes' 
home  one  of  the  most  popular  in  the  city. 

The  Doctor  spends  a  part  of  each  summer  in  the 
Rockies,  engaged  in  hunting  and  other  outdoor 
sports,  of  which  he  is  especially  fond.  In  social 
circles  he  is  as  favorably  known  as  in  professional 
life,  and  wherever  he  goes  he  wins  a  host  of 
friends,  who  have  for  him  the  warmest  regard. 


W.  EHRHART  is  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  George  W.  Ehrhart  & 
Co.,  wholesale  dealers  in  fruits  and  fancy 
groceries,  and  manufacturers  of  confectionery.  He 
is  recognized  as  a  leading  business  man  in  this 
community,  and  is  a  representative  citizen,  al- 
though not  yet  thirty  years  of  age.  He  was  born 
in  Decatur  on  the  8th  of  July,  1866,  and  comes  of 
an  old  family  of  Pennsylvania.  His  grandfather, 
William  Ehrhart,  was  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
State,  and  was  a  farmer  and  wagon-maker.  His 
death  occurred  when  he  was  about  eighty  years  of 
age.  The  maternal  grandfather  was  a  Virginian 
farmer,  and  in  an  early  day  emigrated  Westward 
to  Illinois,  locating  on  a  farm  near  Mechanics- 
burg,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Joseph  B.  and 
Hester  Ann  (Jacobs)  Ehrhart,  the  former  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  The 
father  came  to  this  State  in  1858,  locating  in  Ma- 
con  County,  and  is  still  living  in  Decatur,  a  well- 
known  citizen  of  the  community.  His  wife  died 
on  the  14th  of  May,  1892,  at  the  age  of  fifty  years. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


281 


which  Mr.  Ehrhsrt  also  belongs.  Their  family 
numbered  three  sons,  John  T.,  George  W.  and 
Elmer,  but  the  last-named  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
years. 

George  W.  Ehrhart  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city 
and  remained  at  home  with  his  parents  until 
almost  grown.  During  his  youth  he  learned  the 
painter's  trade,  but  subsequently  embarked  in  the 
coal  business  and  carried  on  operations  in  that 
line  for  about  two  years.  He  then  established  his 
present  business  in  company  with  Charles  A. 
Ewing,  under  the  firm  name  of  George  W.  Ehrhart 
&  Co.  They  began  on  a  small  scale,  but  their 
trade  has  steadily  increased  from  the  beginning, 
and  they  are  now  doing  a  large  and  constantly 
growing  business. 

On  the  7th  of  July,  1892,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Ehrhart  and  Miss  Mary  Mascher, 
of  Effingham.  111.,  a  daughter  of  George  D.  and 
Lucy  Mascher.  The  lady  is  a  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No. 
901  West  Macou  Street,  and  are  leading  young 
people  of  the  community,  who  have  many  warm 
friends  and  who  hold  an  enviable  position  in  the 
circles  of  society  in  which  they  move.  In  politics 
Mr.  Ehrhart  is  a  supporter  of  Democratic  princi- 
ples. His  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  this  city, 
and  he  has  grown  up  to  be  one  of  its  leading  busi- 
ness men.  Wide-awake,  enterprising  and  diligent, 
he  will  no  doubt  win  success  in  his  undertakings. 


'  DAM  DICKSON,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  2,  Milan  Township,  is  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  the  county, 
having  long  been  identified  with  its  prog- 
ress and  upbuilding.  He  was  born  July  19,  1835, 
in  Aberlady,  Scotland.  His  parents,  Archibald  and 
Inez  (Allison)  Dickson,are  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  this  work  in  connection  with  their  son  Archi- 
bald. The  family  numbered  eight  children,  of 
whom  Adam  is  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  The  days 


of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  quietly  passed  upon 
the  old  home  farm,  and  to  his  home  he  gave  the 
benefit  of  his  services  until  eighteen  years  of  age. 
He  worked  in  the  fields  in  the  summer  months, 
and  after  ten  years  of  age  he  attended  only  two 
terms  of  night  school,  and  thus  acquired  but  a 
limited  education.  In  May,  1853,  he  carried  out 
a  resolution  which  brought  him  to  America.  He 
determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  New  World, 
of  whose  advantages  and  privileges  he  had  heard 
much,  and  bidding  good-bye  to  home  and  friends 
he  sailed  from  Glasgow  to  New  York  City,  where 
he  arrived  on  the  18th  of  July,  1853. 

Mr.  Dickson  then  went  to  Canada,  and  worked 
on  the  construction  of  the  Great  Western  Railroad 
for  about  three  months,  after  which  tie  went  to 
Rock  County,  Wis.,  where  he  worked  by  the  month 
on  a  farm  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  we  find  him  in  Minnesota,  but  after  a 
short  time  spent  in  that  State  he  went  to  Arkansas, 
in  the  fall  of  1858.  Passing  the  winter  in  the 
South,  he  came  to  Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1859, 
locating  in  Macon  County,  where  he  again  earned 
his  livelihood  by  working  at  farm  labor  by  the 
month  for  two  years.  He  then  rented  land  for 
four  years,  after  which  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land  from  the  railroad, 
then  in  Mt.  /ion  Township,  but  now  in  Milan 
Township,  for  the  latter  had  not  then  been  set  off 
from  the  former.  The  land  was  in  its  primitive 
condition,  but  he  at  once  began  its  development, 
and  soon  waving  fields  of  grain  had  taken  the 
place  of  the  once  barren  prairie.  As  his  financial 
resources  were  increased,  he  extended  the  bounda- 
ries of  his  farm  until  it  now  comprises  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  rich  land,  all  under  cul- 
tivation. Upon  the  place  is  a  substantial  residence 
and  good  outbuildings,  which,  combined  with  the 
well-tilled  fields,  speak  of  the  thrift  and  enterprise 
of  the  owner  in  no  uncertain  terms. 

On  the  31st  of  December,  1868,  Mr.  Dickson 
married  Miss  Hattie  Gleason,  of  this  county.  By 
their  union  have  been  born  nine  children:  Nina 
R.,  Allie  N.,  Lulu  (who  died  at  the  age  of  five 
years),  Archie,  Louis,  George,  Bertie,  Eddie  and 
Nellie.  The  children  arc  still  with  their  parents, 
and  this  family  is  numbered  among  the  best  in 


282 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  county.  The  mother  and  two  eldest  daughters 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  al- 
though not  a  member  Mr.  Dickson  contributes  lib- 
erally to  its  support  with  the  same  generosity  that 
prompts  him  to  give  his  aid  to  all  worthy  enter- 
prises. In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  in  his  earlier  years  held  some  offices.  For 
three  terms  he  was  Assessor  of  the  township,  and 
then  served  one  term  as  Commissioner,  after  which 
he  resigned  and  has  since  steadily  refused  to  ac- 
cept other  political  preferment.  He  has  the  high 
regard  of  the  entire  community  in  which  he  has 
so  long  resided,  for  his  life  has  been  well  and  wor- 
thily passed. 


DWIN  PARK,  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Bunn  &  Park,  of  Decatur,  was  born  in 
Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  4th  of 
December,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Asahel  T.  and 
Julia  Ann  (Snyder)  Park.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  and  the  mother  of  the  Empire 
State.  They  had  two  children,  Edwin,  and  MariHa 
E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  Mr. 
Park  followed  farming  in  New  York,  and  died  in 
1852,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years.  His  wife,  who 
survived  him  some  years,  died  in  1863,  in  the  faith 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Both  were 
descended  from  old  families  of  New  England  and 
were  highly  respected  people  in  the  community  in 
which  they  made  their  home. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  the  Empire  State  and 
remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had  at- 
tained his  majority.  His  education  was  acquired 
in  the  common  schools  of  Columbia  and  Albany 
Counties,  and  he  afterward  attended  a  seminary 
in  Charlotteville,  Schoharie  County,  and  an  acad- 
emy in  Hamilton,  N.  Y.  When  he  had  attained  to 
man's  estate  he  determined  to  seek  his  home  and 
fortune  in  the  West,  and  in  1856,  bidding  good- 
bye to  friends  and  family,  he  came  to  Illinois.  He 
began  teaching  in  St. Clair  County,  making  his 
home  in  Belleville,  and  there  also  commenced  the 


study  of  law.  In  1859  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  and  in  1860  he  came  to  Macon  County,  where 
he  engaged  in  teaching  until  1863.  He  was  then 
made  County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  and  filled 
that  office  acceptably  until  1869,  after  which  he 
took  up  legal  practice  and  to  that  work  has  since 
devoted  his  energies. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1862,  Mr.  Park  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  James  and 
Hester  A.  (Coleman)  Affleck.  Three  children  were 
born  of  their  union,  but  Albert  E.,  the  second 
child,  is  the  only  one  now  living.  Ida  died  in 
infancy,  and  James  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years. 

On  taking  up  the  practice  of  law,  Mr.  Park 
practiced  alone  a  few  years  and  then  formed  a 
partnership  with  Thomas  Lee,  which  connection 
was  continued  only  a  short  time,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1876  he  formed  a  business  connection  with 
David  L.  Bunn,  which  partnership  still  continues 
under  the  firm  name  of  Bunn  &  Park.  Our  subject 
is  a  successful  practitioner,  well  versed  in  all  law 
points,  an  able  reasoner  and  a  logical  thinker.  He 
brings  to  his  profession  an  industry  and  enterprise 
which  in  return  have  brought  him  success.  He  now 
owns  forty  acres  of  land  a  mile  west  of  Decatur, 
and  there  makes  his  home.  He  also  has  a  tract  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Wayne 
County.  Mo.,  and  owns  an  interest  in  St.  Louis 
property.  In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Baptist,  and 
serves  as  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Decatur  Church. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
In  politics  he  supports  the  Republican  party. 


r~ 


ENOCH  SALISBURY,  a   leading  and  enter- 
prising farmer  of  Pleasant  View  Township, 
resides  on  section   8,  where  he  owns  and 
operates  one  hundred   and  twenty  acres  of  good 
land.     His  home  is  pleasantly  situated  within  one 
mile  of  Blue  Mound.     The  owner  of  this  desirable 
place  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his   birth,  which 
occurred  in  Jefferson  Count}'  on  the  18th  of  May, 
1840.     His  parents,  Michael  and  Mary  Ann  (War- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


283 


ner)  Salisbury,  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  of 
whom  he  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth.  On  the 
paternal  side  he  is  of  English  descent,  and  on  the 
maternal  side  is  of  German  extraction.  The  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  reared  upon  a  farm. 
Throughout  his  life  he  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits as  a  means  of  supporting  himself  and  family. 
He  died  in  Parke  County,  Ind.,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three  years.  His  wife,  who  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  passed  away  in  Christian  County, 
111.,  when  fifty-seven  years  of  age.  They  were 
both  highly  respected  people.  Of  their  eight  chil- 
dren three  are  now  deceased.  Those  still  living 
are,  Enoch,  of  this  sketch;  Isaac,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Wichita,  Kan.;  Cyrus,  who  is  also  a  resi- 
dent of  Kansas;  Warner,  who  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing near  Lincoln,  Neb.;  and  Mary  E.,  wife  of 
James  Defonbaugh,  a  resident  agriculturist  of 
Missouri. 

The  history  of  the  boyhood  days  of  any  farmer 
lad  is  similar  to  that  of  our  subject,  who,  during 
his  youth  attended  the  public  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood in  which  he  lived  through  the  winter 
season,  while  in  the  summer  months  he  worked  in 
the  fields.  He  remained  with  his  parents  on  the 
old  home  farm  in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  until 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  began  working 
at  the  carpenter's  trade.  This  he  followed  for 
about  two  years  in  connection  with  work  upon 
the  home  farm.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Christian  County, 
where  for  a  year  he  rented  a  farm.  He  then  pur- 
chased an  eighty-acre  tract  of  land  and  began  its 
further  development,  making  a  number  of  im- 
provements upon  the  place. 

On  the  llth  of  September,  1870,  Mr.  Salisbury- 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lydia  Logan,  a 
native  of  Parke  County,  Ind.  By  their  union 
have  been  born  six  children,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  namel}':  Russell  II.,  Maggie  May,  Elmer 
W.,  Cora  E.,  Chester  L.  and  Uellie  B.  The  family 
circle  yet  remains  unbroken  and  the  children  are 
still  in  the  parental  home. 

In  1876,  Mr.  Salisbury  sold  his  farm  in  Chris- 
tian County,  and,  coming  to  Macon  County,  made 
a  purchase  of  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  8 


Pleasant  View  Township.  To  this  he  has  since 
added  until  now  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
good  land  pay  tribute  to  his  care  and  cultivation. 
His  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county.  Upon 
it  are  two  good  residences,  substantial  barns  and 
outbuildings  and  other  improvements,  which,  to- 
gether with  its  desirable  location,  make  it  one  of 
the  valuable  farms  of  the  community.  The  owner 
is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  Blue 
Mound  Lodge  No.  682,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  with  which 
he  has  been  connected  for  twenty-two  years.  The 
cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  trustworthy 
friend,  and  in  its  interest  he  has  done  effective 
service  while  filling  the  position  of  School  Direc- 
tor, which  office  he  has  held  for  a  number  of 
years. 


K.  HAMSHER,  who  is  one  of  the 

publishers  and  proprietors  of  the  Decatur 
Republican,  doing  business  in  the  journal- 
istic field  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Ham- 
sher  &  Calhoun,  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Franklin  County,  on 
the  loth  of  September,  1838,  His  father,  Peter 
Hamsher,  died  when  our  subject  was  only  a  year 
old;  and  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Eliz- 
abeth Kline,  passed  away  leaving  her  boy  an  or- 
phan at  the  age  of  six  and  a-half  years.  His 
school  privileges  were  those  afforded  by  the  town 
in  which  he  lived,  but  in  the  school  of  experience 
he  has  gained  a  wide  and  varied  knowledge,  prob- 
ably more  practical,  if  not  as  classical,  as  he  could 
have  acquired  in  college. 

Mr.  Hamsher  took  up  his  life  work  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  being  employed  in  the  printing-office  of 
the  Newburg  Public  Servant.  He  came  to  Illinois 
in  1856,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  locating  in  Deca- 
tur. He  engaged  as  a  printer  on  several  of  the 
early  papers  of  Decatur,  and  worked  several  years 
on  the  Decatur  Chronicle,  edited  by  W.  J.  I'srey, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  journalism  in  this  city.  In 
1862,  in  company  with  J.  R.  Mosser,  he  leased  the 


284 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Chronicle,  its  proprietor  being  then  in  the  army. 
These  gentlemen  continued  its  publication  fora 
year,  and  after  that  time  until  1867  Mr.  Ilamsher 
was  engaged  in  other  business.  In  the  latter  year  he 
became  associated  with  J.  R.  Mosser  in  the  publi- 
cation of  the  Republican,  which  was  founded  in 
August,  1867,  by  Mr.  Mosser  and  W.  M.  Stanley. 
Mr.  Ilamsher  purchased  Mr.  Stanley's  interest 
about  a  month  after  the  establishment  of  the 
paper,  and  continued  with  Mr.  Mosser  until  Oc- 
tober, 1890,  when,  on  account  of  ill  health,  the 
latter  sold  his  interest  to  W.  F.  Calhoun,  the  pres- 
ent partner. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Ilamsher  was  married  to  Miss  Ce- 
celia A.  Elwood,  daughter  of  Daniel  II.  Elwood, 
an  earl}-  settler  of  this  city.  Five  children  have 
been  born  unto  our  subject  and  his  wife,  as  fol- 
lows: Harry  E.,  who  is  assistant  city  editor  of 
the  Republican,  and  who  married  Miss  Birdie  Wag- 
goner, of  Decatur,  daughter  of  W.  H.  Waggoner, 
who  for  several  years  was  County  Clerk  of  Macou 
County;  Frank  K.,  who  graduated  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  from  the  Decatur  High  School,  then 
worked  in  the  newspaper  office  for  about  a  year, 
and  is  now  pursuing  a  literary  course  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  from  which  he  will 
graduate  in  the  Class  of  '95;  Grace,  Dessie  and 
Lucile,  who  are  at  home.  The  parents  hold  mem- 
bership with  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
The  family  have  a  pleasant  and  beautiful  home, 
situated  at  No.  738  West  William  Street,  which 
was  built  by  Mr.  Ilamsher,  and  is  presided  over 
with  womanly  dignity  and  grace  by  his  excellent 
wife.  This  worthy  couple  and  their  children  rank 
high  in  the  social  circles  in  which  they  move,  and 
their  home  is  the  abode  of  hospitality.  It  is 
supplied  with  all  the  comforts  of  life  and  tokens 
of  education  and  culture.  It  is  perhaps  in  his 
home  that  the  true  life  of  Mr.  Ilamsher  is  shown. 
His  own  youth  was  a  homeless  one,  and,  appreciat- 
ing the  value  and  blessing  of  a  comfortable  home, 
he  does  all  in  his  power  to  provide  one  for  his 
family,  and  spares  no^  labor  or  expense  that  will 
enhance  the  happiness  and  promote  the  welfare  of 
his  wife  and  children. 

As  his  connection  witli  the  paper  indicates,  Mr. 
Harasher  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party, 


and  manifests  a  warm  interest  in  political  affairs. 
The  journal  with  which  he  is  connected  was  es- 
tablished in  1867,  and  the  daily,  which  is  the  old- 
est in  the  county,  in  1872.  The  Republican  is  a 
bright,  newsy  sheet  and  ably  advocates  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  party  for  which  it  was  named.  Our 
subject  is  its  business  manager.  The  general  ed- 
itor is  Mr.  Calhoun,  and  the  city  editor  John  J.  H. 
Young.  A  noticeable  fact  about  this  paper,  and 
one  that  reflects  great  credit  on  the  management, 
is  that  no  less  than  ten  of  the  employes  have 
been  with  the  paper  from  fifteen  to  twenty  years. 
The  paper  is  now  prospering,  and  it  well  deserves 
the  liberal  patronage  received. 


B.  MATTHEW,  M.  D.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Blue 
Mound,  111.,  was  born  on  the  2d  of  March, 


1850,  near  Palmer,  Christian  County,  111. 
His  parents,  Oscar  F.  and  Margaret  (Britton)  Mat- 
thew, are  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of 
this  State.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  came  to  Sangamon  Count}1,  111.,  with  his  par- 
ents when  a  child  of  twelve  years,  in  1834.  His 
youth  was  spent  upon  a  farm  in  that  county,  and 
after  attaining  to  man's  estate  he  there  married 
Miss  Britton,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  on  the 
26th  of  October,  1846.  After  his  marriage,  he  re- 
moved with  his  wife  to  Christian  County,  where 
he  purchased  his  first  farm.  It  was  an  unimproved 
tract  of  land,  but  he  at  once  began  placing  it  un- 
der cultivation,  and  there  made  his  home  until 
1857,  when  lie  sold  out  and  returned  to  Sangamon 
County,  locating  near  Springfield,  upon  a  farm 
which  he  purchased  and  which  he  made  his  home 
until  his  death.  In  connection  with  the  cultiva- 
tion of  his  land,  he  was  engaged  extensively  in 
breeding  fine  cattle  and  horses.  He  was  one  of 
the  honored  pioneers  of  Sangamon  County,  and 
had  a  very  large  acquaintance  through  central 
Illinois.  In  his  political  views  he  was  a  Republi- 


POETEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


285 


can  and  took  an  active  interest  in  the  growth  and 
success  of  that  party.  He  was  called  to  his  final 
rest  in  1881.  His  widow,  who  still  survives  him, 
was  born  in  Washington  County,  Ohio,  in  1821, 
and  when  a  child  of  three  years  was  taken  by  her 
parents  to  Sangamon  County,  111.,  where  she  is 
still  living  on  the  old  homestead.  Although  she 
has  reached  the  age  of  seventy-three,  her  years 
rest  lightly  upon  her  and  she  is  still  well  pre- 
served. 

The  Matthew  family  numbered  nine  children, 
five  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  three  are 
now  deceased.  Winfield  S.  Matthew,  D.  D.,  the 
eldest,  is  Vice-President  and  Dean  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.;  Rebecca  J.  is  the  widow 
of  Daniel  Poffenbarger,  of  Edinburg,  111.;  Thomas 
L.  is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Rochester,  111.; 
La  Fayette  L.  is  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising  near  Cotton  Hill,  111.;  and  Matilda  M.  is 
the  wife  of  Stephen  T.  Vigal,  an  agriculturist  of 
Cotton  Hill,  111. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  the  third  in 
the  family,  was  reared  to  manhood  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Sangamon  County,  attending  school 
through  the  winter  season  and  working  on  the 
farm  during  the  summer  months  until  twenty 
years  of  age.  At  that  time  he  left  home  and  went 
to  Taylorville,  where  he  began  the  study  of  med- 
icine under  Drs.  J.  II.  it  L.  H.  Clark.  For  three 
years  he  continued  his  reading  under  their  direc- 
tion, and  then  took  a  two-years  course  in  the 
American  Medical  College,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  from 
which  he  was  graduated,  receiving  his  diploma  on 
the  22d  of  May,  1875.  Five  days  later  he  opened 
an  office  in  Mt.  Auburn,  Christian  County,  111., 
and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  It  was 
on  the  9th  of  November,  1892,  that  he  came  to 
Blue  Mound,  where  he  now  makes  his  home. 
While  in  Mt.  Auburn,  he  also  carried  on  a  drug 
store  and  was  Postmaster  a  portion  of  the  time. 

On  the  16th  of  March,  1868,  the  Doctor  mar- 
ried Miss  Amanda  E.  Lawley,  of  Cotton  Hill.  111., 
who  was  born  in  that  place  July  9,  1849.  Her 
father,  William  B.  Lawley,  was  a  native  of  Tenne- 
ssee, and  of  German  extraction.  When  a  young 
man  he  came  to  Illinois  and  purchased  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  spent,  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He 


married  Sarah  M.  Duncan,  a  native  of  Sangamon 
County,  and  from  that  community  she  never  re- 
moved. Unto  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  were  born 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  but  three  of  the 
number  died  in  infancy:  Charles  E.  is  a  well-ed- 
ucated young  man  and  now  resides  in  Lincoln, 
III.;  William  Oscar,  a  lad  of  twelve  years,  is  at- 
tending the  home  school. 

The  Doctor  follows  in  the  political  footsteps  of 
his  father,  and  therefore  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  served  as  Postmaster  of 
Mt.  Auburn  for  a  time,  but  resigned  in  order  to 
give  the  office  to  an  old  soldier,  who  held  it  for 
twelve  years.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
in  Blue  Mound,  and  belongs  to  the  Sir  Knights  of 
the  Maccabees,  Capitol  Tent  No.  1,  in  Springfield, 
111.  His  wife  holds  membership  with  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  to  its  support  the  Doc- 
tor contributes  liberally,  although  he  holds  no 
church  relationship.  His  residence  in  Blue  Mound 
has  been  of  short  duration,  but  he  already  has  a 
good  practice,  which  is  constantly  increasing.  He 
has  been  a  close  student  in  his  profession  and  has 
therefore  gained  in  skill  and  ability,  and  he  is  now 
among  the  foremost  physicians  of  the  county.  His 
circle  of  friends  is  large,  and  he  has  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 


jURTON  BENJAMIN  TUTTLE,  a  retired 
lumber  dealer,  and  one  of  the  prominent 
and  influential  citizens  of  Decatur,  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  Nutmeg  State.  He  was  born  in 
Naugatuck,  New  Haven  County,  Conn.,  on  the 
16th  of  August,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  Zopher  and 
Nancy  (Sherman)  Tuttle,  who  were  also  natives 
of  Connecticut,  and  came  of  old  New  England 
families. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  man- 
hood upon  the  home  farm,  remaining  under  the 
parental  roof  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  in 


286 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  common  schools  acquiring  a  good  English  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  determined  to 
seek  his  home  and  fortune  in  the  West,  and,  bid- 
ding good-bye  to  friends  and  family,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1856,  he  came  to  Decatur.  In  this  city  bis 
brother,  Charles  A.  Tuttle,  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  a  civil  engineer,  serving  as  assistant  engi- 
nf>er  on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  He  was  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  Macon  County,  and  a 
record  of  his  life  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. 

After  his  arrival  in  Decatur,  Burton  Tuttle 
worked  for  his  brother,  who  owned  a  sawmill  in 
Ramsey,  111.  He  continued  as  its  manager  for 
eight  years,  and  at  the  same  time  carried  on  a 
store  at  that  place.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period,  he  returned  to  Decatur,  in  1864,  and 
entered  the  employ  of  Tuttle  &  Carter,  who  owned 
a  mill  at  this  place.  He  was  employed  by  them 
for  a  year,  after  which,  in  company  with  Joseph 
Harris,  he  bought  out  Mr.  Carter's  interest  in  the 
mill.  A  3'ear  later  they  bought  out  Charles  Tut- 
tle's  interest  and  ran  the  mill  in  partnership  for  a 
period  of  ten  years.  At  that  time  our  subject  be- 
came sole  owner  of  the  sawmill,  which  he  carried 
on  until  retiring  from  active  business  life.  He 
did  a  big  business,  his  trade  constantly  increas- 
ing from  the  beginning.  He  bought  timber  and 
sawed  his  own  lumber,  and  also  handled  a  large 
number  of  railroad  ties  and  timbers  for  bridges. 
In  September,  1892,  he  sold  out,  and  his  mind  has 
since  been  free  from  business  cares. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  1862,  Mr.  Tuttle  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  L.  Abbott, 
their  union  being  celebrated  in  Painesville,  Ohio. 
The  lady  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  her 
death  occurred  at  her  home  in  Decatur  on  the  22d 
of  August,  1872.  The  children  born  of  their  un- 
ion are:  Anna  Elizabeth,  who  graduated  from  the 
High  School,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Howard  D. 
Phelps,  a  graduate  of  Mt.  Holyoke  College,  of 
South  Hadley,  Mass.,  and  a  manufacturer  of  clocks 
in  Ansonia,  Conn.;  Alice.!.,  wife  of  Frank  Curtis,  a 
member  of  the  well-known  firm  of  Curtis  Brothers, 
jewelers  of  Decatur;  Carrie,  who  died  in  infancy; 
and  Mary  L.,  who  graduated  from  the  High  School 
of  this  city.  The  family  is  one  of  intelligence 


and  culture,  and  in  social  circles  its  members  hold 
an  enviable  position. 

Mr.  Tuttle  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  is  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  cor- 
rect judgment  and  enterprise.  With  these  quali- 
ties to  aid  him  in  the  struggle  of  life,  although  he 
had  no  capital  he  worked  his  way  upward  from  an 
humble  position  to  one  of  honor  and  high  stand- 
ing among  his  many  friends,  and  his  prosperity  has 
been  the  crown  of  his  own  efforts. 


R.  CLYDE  P.  KENNEDY,  of  Decatur, 
who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine, claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  na- 
tivity, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Green- 
ville, Darke  County,  on  the  5th  of  June,  1856. 
He  comes  of  an  old  family  of  Maryland,  but  his 
parents  Rev.  Oliver  and  Elizabeth  (Cherry)  Ken- 
nedy, were  both  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  was 
a  Methodist  minister  and  served  as  Presiding 
Elder  for  some  years.  He  was  licensed  to  preach 
in  1852,  and  through  his  ministerial  labors  became 
widely  known.  His  many  acquaintances  had  for 
him  the  highest  regard,  and  his  death  was  deeply 
mourned.  He  died  in  Bellefontaine,  Ohio,  in 
March.  1889,  at  the  age  of  fifty -six  years,  three 
months  and  seven  days.  His  wife  still  survives 
him  and  is  now  living  in  Bellefontaine.  In  their 
family  were  four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daugh- 
ter, namely:  Frances  M.,  now  the  wife  of  George 
W.  Richey,  of  Van  Wirt,  Ohio;  John,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  five  years;  Clyde,  of  this  sketch;  and 
Oliver  C. 

We  now  give  the  personal  history  of  the  Doctor, 
who  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in 
the  State  of  his  nativity  and  there  remained  until 
1888.  His  childhood  was  passed  uneventfully, 
and  he  acquired  his  education  in  various  schools, 
owing  to  the  removal  of  his  parents  from  place  to 
place,  but  he  was  graduated  from  the  High  School 
in  Van  Wirt.  Having  decided  to  enter  the  medi- 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

UKliANA 


JAMES  GEODES  . 


MARY.  U.  GEDDES 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


291 


cal  profession,  he  began  fitting  himself  for  that 
work  in  the  Ohio  Medical  College,  in  Cincinnati, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  the 
Class  of  '80.  He  at  once  began  practice  in  Belle- 
fontaine,  whore  he  remained  for  five  years,  after 
which  he  went  to  Arcanum,  Ohio.  Having  re- 
mained there  until  1888,  he  came  to  Decatur, 
where  lie  has  since  engaged  in  practice.  He  is  a 
young  man  of  enterprise  and  energy,  well  versed 
in  the  work  he  has  undertaken,  and  he  has  already 
won  a  liberal  patronage. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Dr.  Kennedy 
occurred  on  the  2d  of  October,  1878,  when  was 
celebrated  his  marriage  with  Miss  Laura  A.  Wy- 
koff,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary  J.  (Pittiuger) 
Wykoff,  of  Sidney,  Ohio.  One  child  was  born  unto 
them,  a  daughter,  Fay  Irene.  Our  subject  and 
his  wife  hold  membership  with  Grace  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  are  well  known  in  this 
community,  holding  a  high  position  in  the  circles 
of  society  in  which  they  move.  They  have  a 
pleasant  home  at  No.  852  North  Union  Street, 
which  is  the  abode  of  hospitality  and  which  is  al- 
ways open  for  the  reception  of  their  friends.  In 
his  social  relations,  the  Doctor  is  connected  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  In  his  political  views,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 


]'  I  AMES  GEDDES,  who  is  numbered  among 
the  pioneers  of  Macon  County,  resides  on 
section  12,  Decatur  Township.  He  is  one 
of  the  worthy  citizens  that  Penns3'lvania 
has  furnished  to  this  county,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Lebanon  County  of  the  Keystone  State, 
on  the  12th  of  December,  1810.  The  Geddes 
family  to  which  James  belongs  was  founded  in 
America  by  Paul  Geddes,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
who  was  born  about  1660  and  died  about  1720. 

Robert  Geddes,  the  father  of  our  subject,  lived 
and  died  in  Pennsylvania,  and  throughout  his  life 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  His  mother 

13 


bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  Bell  and  spent 
her  entire  life  in  Pennsylvania.  She  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  had  been 
twice  married.  After  the  death  of  her  first  hus- 
band, Mr.  McClure,  she  became  the  wife  of  Robert 
Geddes,  who  had  also  been  twice  married.  His 
first  union  was  with  Miss  Jane  Sawyer,  and  unto 
them  were  born  six  children.  By  the  second  mar- 
riage were  born  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  being  the  eldest  of  the  sec- 
ond family.  The  others  were  Thomas,  Agrippa 
and  Ann,  who  are  all  now  deceased. 

Our  subject  is  the  only  survivor  of  his  father's 
family.  In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed,  and 
the  greater  part  of  his  education  was  acquired  in 
the  subscription  schools,  as  there  were  no  free 
schools  in  the  neighborhood.  He  remained  upon 
the  home  farm  until  twenty  five  years  of  age, 
when, in  1835,  he  emigrated  Westward,  making  the 
journey  in  company  with  John  Sawyer.  They 
traveled  on  horseback  and  at  length  reached  their 
destination,  Decatur,  111.  There  were  not  more 
than  twenty  houses  or  cabins  in  the  city  at  that 
time,  and  the  entire  county  seemed  yet  in  the  days 
of  its  early  infancy,  progress  and  civilization  hav- 
ing scarcely  begun  iu  this  locality.  Mr.  Geddes 
settled  upon  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  enter- 
ing the  land  from  the  Government.  He  now  owns 
one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  just  outside  the 
city  limits  of  Decatur,  and  the  tract  is  a  valuable 
one,  comprising  one  of  the  best  farms  of  the  local- 
ity. When  he  became  its  possessor,  not  a  furrow 
had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made,  but  all 
was  soon  placed  under  the  plow  and  abundant 
harvest  rewarded  his  arduous  labors. 

In  1848,  Mr.  Geddes  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  J.,  daughter  of  Spottswood  and 
Mildred  (Pasley)  Burnett.  The  lady  is  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  and  when  three  years  old  was 
brought  to  Illinois  by  her  parents,  the  family  lo- 
cating southwest  of  Decatur,  on  the  Springfield 
road.  By  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife 
were  born  the  following  children:  Robert,  who 
died  in  early  life;  George,  who  married  Elizabeth 
Phillips,  and  is  a  carpenter  of  Decatur;  James  W., 
who  wedded  Lizzie  Snyder,  and  is  engaged  in 


292 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


farming  near  Macon;  John  M.,  who  wedded  Ellie 
Laughlin,  and  is  a  farmer  of  Macon;  Jane,  wife  of 
Jacob  Cox,  who  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits 
near  Decatur;  Frederick  Edwin,  of  Kankakee; 
Hattie,  wife  of  William  Bills,  of  Decatur;  Leerier, 
who  carries  on  the  home  farm;  and  Horatio  Nel- 
son, also  at  home.  The  children  were  all  born 
and  reared  on  the  old  homestead,  and  have  re- 
ceived good  school  privileges. 

Mr.  Geddes  has  been  a  voter  since  1832.  In 
that  year  he  supported  the  Whig  candidate,  and 
continued  to  affiliate  with  that  party  until  its  dis- 
solution. In  1861,  he  voted  for  Lincoln,  whom 
he  knew  personally,  and  he  has  since  been  a  stal- 
wart Republican.  Himself  and  wife  both  hold 
membership  with  Grace  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  are  highly  respected  citizens  of  the 
community.  Mr.  Geddes  has  been  a  resident  of 
this  locality  since  1835,  and  has  ever  borne  his 
part  in  public  work  and  improvement.  The 
greater  part  of  his  busy  life  has  been  passed  in 
this  neighborhood,  and  he  has  won  high  esteem  by 
an  honorable  career. 


[OSEPH  MILLS,  President  of  the  Mills  Lum- 
ber Company,  of  Decatur,  claims  New  Jer- 
sey as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Essex,  now  Union 
County,  on  the  2d  of  March,  1826.  The  Mills 
family  is  of  English  origin  and  was  founded  in 
America  during  Colonial  days.  The  grandfather, 
Samuel  Mills,  who  was  also  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey, served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  during  that  struggle  was  wounded  by  a  bayo- 
net, while  in  camp  during  a  surprise  attack.  By 
occupation  he  was  a  farmer  and  followed  that  bus- 
iness through  much  of  his  life.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  three-score  years  and  ten. 

Stewart  Mills,  one  of  the  five  children  of  Samuel 
Mills,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  became  a  farmer 
of  that  State.  He  married  Nancy  Sutton,  daugh- 
ter of  Benjamin  Sutton,  who  was  also  an  agricul- 


turist of  New  Jersey,  and  whose  father  served  in 
the  War  for  Independence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills 
became  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Mary, 
deceased;  Hannah,  widow  of  William  Williams; 
Joseph;  Phcebe,  wife  of  Jesse  Kowler;  and  Elccta, 
wife  of  Charles  Lyons.  The  father  of  this  family 
died  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  3'ears. 
His  widow  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  three.  Her 
eyesight  seems  to  have  been  renewed,  and  she  can 
now  read  without  glasses.  She  has  always  been  a 
hard  worker  and  lias  a  strong  constitution.  She  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Until  seventeen  years  of  age  Joseph  Mills  re- 
mained upon  his  father's  farm  and  then  began 
learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  serving  a  four-years 
apprenticeship  and  following  the  trade  for  many 
years.  On  the  22d  of  May,  1848,  he  wedded  Miss 
Eliza  Lansing,  whose  parents  were  Benjamin  and 
Anna  (Hill)  Lansing,  the  former  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  the  latter  of  New  Jersey.  They  became 
the  parents  of  five  children,  but  only  Anna  is  now 
living.  She  is  the  eldest,  and  is  the  wife  of  John 
B.  Shellabarger,  of  Salina,  Kan.,  by  whom  she  has 
three  children,  Edgar,  Irene  and  Edith.  Emma 
became  the  wife  of  Sigmand  Schulof  and  died  leav- 
ing a  daughter,  Pearl.  The  other  members  of  the 
family  were  Josephine,  Stella  and  Corinda. 

The  mother  of  this  family,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  died  March  2,  1886,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-nine  years.  On  the  1st  of  January, 
1888,  Mr.  Mills  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs. 
Sini  Taylor,  widow  of  Frank  Taylor,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Lars  Larson,  a  native  of  Denmark. 

In  1853,  Mr.  Mills  emigrated  Westward  from 
New  Jersey,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Decatur, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  bought 
property  on  the  corner  where  the  Syndicate  Block 
now  stands  and  embarked  in  contratingand  build- 
ing. He  soon  secured  a  liberal  trade  and  did  a 
good  business  in  that  line  until  1878,  when  he 
abandoned  that  work  and  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  in  partnership  with  W.  B.  Harry.  This 
connection  continued  until  1886,  when,  Mr.  Harry 
having  died,  Mr.  Mills  bought  his  interest  from 
the  estate.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1891,  a  stock 
company  was  organized,  known  as  the  Mills  Luin- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


her  Company,  with  Joseph  Mills  as  President,  Ja- 
cob Willis  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  Albert 
Goodman  Manager.  The  business  has  steadily  in- 
creased from  the  beginning,  and  in  1892  the  sales 
amounted  to  $100,000. 

Socially,  Mr.  Mills  is  a  member  of  Decatur  Lodge 
No.  65, 1.  O.  O.  F.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republi- 
can from  1856  until  1872,  when  he  supported  Hor- 
ace Greeley,  and  since  that  time  has  been  a  Demo- 
crat. He  served  as  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward 
for  six  years,  and  was  Assistant  Supervisor.  In 
addition  to  his  residence  he  owns  other  city  prop- 
erty, having  been  very  successful  in  his  business 
career.  He  is  a  man  of  keen  judgment,  sagacious 
and  far-sighted,  and  his  good  business  ability,  com- 
bined with  well-directed  efforts,  has  achieved  for 
him  a  handsome  competence. 


ONRAD  AMMANN,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  brick  in  Decatur,  embarked 
if)  in  this  line  of  business  in  1863,  and  has 
since  carried  on  operations  in  this  line,  building 
up  an  extensive  trade  and  thus  establishing  one 
of  the  leading  industries  of  the  city.  He  began 
on  a  small  scale,  but  has  steadily  increased  his 
facilities  and  has  enlarged  his  works  to  meet  the 
constantly  growing  demand.  The  capacity  of  the 
yard  is  now  about  twenty-five  thousand  brick  per 
day,  and  employment  is  furnished  to  some  thirty 
men. 

Mr.  Ammann  is  of  German  birth.  A  native  of 
Wittenberg,  he  was  born  October  10,  1831,  and  is 
a  son  of  Michael  and  Anna  Maria  (Couzelmann) 
Ammann,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  same  conn- 
try.  On  both  sides  he  came  from  old  German 
families,  his  grandfathers,  Michael  Ammann  and 
Johannes  Couzelmann,  being  farmers  of  that  coun- 
try. The  father  of  our  subject  also  carried  on  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  in  the  land  of  his  birth.  His 
wife  died  in  1842,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years, 
and  he  afterward  wedded  Mrs.  Anna  Couzelmann. 
His  death  occurred  in  June,  1887,  at  the  age  of 


ninety  years.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were 
both  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  They  had 
a  family  of  three  sons  and  six  daughters.  Anna 
Maria  is  the  wife  of  John  Hauck,  of  Tubingen, 
Germany;  Elizabeth  is  the  widow  of  Frederick 
Prince,  of  Ebingen,  Germany;  Johann  Jacob  re- 
sides in  the  same  place;  Conrad  lives  in  Decatur; 
John  lives  in  Deland,  111.;  Margaret  is  the  wife  of 
Ed  Goegeel,  of  Monticello;  and  Anna  is  the  wife 
of  August  Glatz,  of  Decatur. 

In  1854  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  Amer- 
ica. The  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  had 
been  passed  in  his  native  land,  but  when  a  young 
man  of  twenty-three  he  determined  to  seek  a  home 
in  the  New  World,  believing  that  better  privileges 
and  opportunities  were  here  afforded.  Crossing 
the  briny  deep,  he  landed  in  New  York,  whence 
he  went  to  Canada,  where  he  spent  about  six 
weeks.  He  then  spent  one  summer  on  Lake  Supe- 
rior, after  which  he  went  to  Missouri  and  worked 
in  the  copper  mines  near  St.  Louis.  He  next 
followed  steamboating  on  the  Mississippi  River 
for  a  while,  and  on  the  9th  of  June,  1856,  he 
came  to  Decatur  with  about  150  cash  in  his  pocket. 
Here  he  was  employed  in  a  brickyard  by  the 
month  until  1863,  and  in  1864  he  embarked  in 
the  business  which  he  has  continued  up  to  the 
present  time. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1859,  Mr.  Ammann 
wedded  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  and 
Regula  (Vogler)  Peyer,  natives  of  Switzerland. 
By  their  union  were  born  four  sons  and  two 
daughters:  John  C.;  Amelia,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Henry,  Wilhelm  G.,  Albert  and  Anna.  The  eldest 
son  married  Barbara  Prince,  and  with  his  wife  and 
three  children,  Irene,  Pearl  and  Roy,  resides  in 
Decatur.  Henry,  of  this  city,  married  Lou  Pres- 
cott,  and  they  have  three  daughters,  Lillie,  Hattie 
and  Anna.  Albert  married  Katie  Kosseck,  by 
whom  he  has  two  children,  Arthur  and  Albert. 

In  1892,  Mr.  Ammann  associated  with  him  in 
the  brick  business  his  sons,  John  C.,  Henry,  Willie 
and  Albert,  and  his  daughter  Anna,  all  of  whom 
are  now  stockholders  in  the  company.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died  February  22,  1893,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and  her  loss  was  deeply 
mourned  throughout  the  community.  She  was  a 


294 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


faithful  member  of  the  German  Methodist  Church, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  all  church  work.  Mr. 
Ammann  belongs  to  the  same  church  and  is  one  of 
its  Trustees.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  served  as  Township  Supervisor  for  many  years 
and  still  holds  that  office. 

Our  subject  need  never  regret  his  emigration  to 
America,  as  he  has  made  in  this  country  a  pleasant 
home  and  gained  a  handsome  competence.  Be- 
sides his  business  he  owns  a  good  farm  five  miles 
north  of  Decatur,  containing  one  hundred  acres  of 
land,  together  with  forty  acres  in  the  river  bottom. 
He  also  has  some  good  city  property,  including 
the  family  residence  at  No.  851  East  Cantrell 
Street,  and  is  also  interested  in  two  additions  to 
the  city. 


W.  SCHROLL,  a  retired  farmer 
now  residing  in  Forsyth,  followed  agricul- 
tural  pursuits  throughout  his  active  busi- 
ness career,  and  as  the  result  of  his  well-directed 
efforts  and  enterprise  he  acquired  a  competency 
that  in  his  declining  days  enables  him  to  live  re- 
tired and  surrounds  him  with  all  the  comforts  and 
many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  He  was  born  Au- 
gust 30,  1827,  in  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  and  is 
one  of  five  children,  whose  parents,  Jacob  and 
Ellen  (Young)  Schroll,  were  also  natives  of  the 
Keystone  State.  His  father  was  a  cooper  by  trade 
and  was  of  German  descent.  In  1842  he  left  his 
old  home  and  emigrated  to  Illinois  with  a  three- 
horse  team.  Locating  in  Hickory  Point  Town- 
ship, he  purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  land  on 
section  27,  whereon  had  been  built  a  small  log 
cabin.  Of  this  tract  only  about  twenty  acres  had 
been  broken  and  about  eighty  acres  were  covered 
with  timber.  Throughout  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  Mr.  Schroll  engaged  in  farming.  He  died  on 
the  old  homestead  in  1873,  and  his  remains  were 
interred  in  the  Boiling  Springs  Cemetery.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Church  of  God,  and  in  politics 
was  a  supporter  of  Republican  principles.  He 
served  as  School  Treasurer,  was  also  School  Trustee, 


and  helped  to  organize  the  schools  in  this  com- 
munity, lie  also  aided  in  laying  out  the  roads, 
and  was  prominently  connected  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  county  at  an  early  day.  His  wife, 
who  held  the  same  religious  belief  as  her  husband, 
died  in  1835.  All  of  their  children  grew  to  man- 
hood and  womanhood,  namely:  Mary  A.,  of  De- 
catur, widow  of  George  Goodman;  George  W.; 
Jacob,  a  ranchman  of  Oregon;  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
E.  Hayes,  of  Iowa;  and  Henry,  a  farmer  of  Hickory 
Point  Township. 

Our  subject  has  passed  almost  his  entire  life 
amid  agricultural  scenes.  lie  came  with  his  father 
to  this  county  when  in  his  fifteenth  year,  and  here 
attended  the  subscription  school,  which  was  held 
in  a  log  schoolhouse,  to  which  he  had  to  walk  a 
distance  of  two  miles.  He  was  reared  amid  the 
wild  scenes  of  frontier  life  and  experienced  all  the 
hardships  and  privations  which  fall  to  the  lot  of 
pioneer  families.  To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit 
of  his  services  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
then  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  at  $9  per 
month.  After  being  employed  in  that  capacity 
for  five  years,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  wild 
land  on  sections  15  and  16,  Hickory  Point  Town- 
ship, and  ten  acres  in  Decatur  Township,  and  in  a 
log  cabin  made  his  home  for  a  number  of  years. 
His  labors  transformed  the  raw  prairie  into  rich 
and  fertile  fields,  and  he  erected  a  substantial  resi- 
dence and  other  good  buildings,  which  add  greatly 
to  the  value  and  attractive  appearance  of  his  place. 
His  farm  comprises  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  land  and  now  yields  to  him  a  good  income. 

Mr.  Schroll  has  been  twice  married.  In  1851  he 
married  Miss  Emily  Lorash,  and  unto  them  were 
born  two  children,  but  both  died  in  infancy.  The 
mother  passed  away  in  March,  1854,  and  on  the 
15th  of  December,  1856  our  subject  was  married 
to  Miss  Letha  A.  Hornback.  Eight  children 
graced  this  union.  Amanda  E.,  the  eldest,  is  now 
deceased;  Bernard  G.  operates  the  old  home  farm; 
Ida  G.  has  been  called  to  the  home  beyond;  Will- 
iam is  a  farmer  of  this  township;  Samuel  is  now 
deceased;  James  II.  is  an  agriculturist  of  this  com- 
munity; Isabel  is  the  wife  of  William  Fornwalt,  a 
resident  farmer  of  Macon  County;  and  Emma  A. 
completes  the  family. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


295 


In  polities,  Mr.  Scliroll  is  a  warm  advocate  of 
Republican  principles  and  does  all  in  his  power  to 
insure  the  success  of  his  party.  He  has  served  his 
township  as  School  Trustee  and  is  the  present 
Road  Overseer.  He  and  his  family  are  all  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  God.  In  1892  he  laid  aside 
business  cares  and  has  since  resided  in  Forsyth. 
More  than  half  a  century  has  passed  since  he  came 
to  the  county,  which  on  his  arrival  was  in  the 
days  of  its  infancj',  and  he  well  deserves  to  be 
numbered  among  its  honored  pioneers. 


f)IRGIL  H.  PARKE  is  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  V.  H  Parke  &  Son,  dealers  in 
feed,  coal,  lime,  hair,  cement  and  everything 
found  in  a  first-class  establishment  of  that  kind, 
and  he  is  located  at  No.  621  North  Main  Street,  De- 
catur.  He  established  business  in  1886  and  is  now 
enjoying  a  good  trade,  his  patronage  having  con- 
stantly increased  from  the  beginning. 

Mr.  Parke  is  a  Canadian  by  birth.  He  was  born 
in  Cobourg,  Upper  Canada,  August  19,  1832,  and 
is  a  son  of  Elisha  and  Abiah  (Hickox)  Parke.  The 
parents  were  both  natives  of  New  York  and  were 
of  Scotch  descent.  The  grandfather,  Daniel  Parke, 
was  born  in  Scotland,  and  having  crossed  the 
ocean  located  in  Connecticut.  Soon  afterward, 
with  a  Mr.  Tattle,  he  located  in  what  is  now  Cam- 
den,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  of  which  place  they 
were  the  first  settlers.  Mr.  Parke  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  and  died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years, 
near  Camden,  N.  Y.  The  maternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  David  Heicox  (for  such  was  the  orig- 
inal spelling  of  the  name)  was  also  born  in  Scot- 
land, and  on  coining  to  America  located  in  the 
Nutmeg  State.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  and  also  in  the  War  of  1812.  Remov- 
ing to  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  he  there  made  his 
home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Springfield, 
111.,  while  he  was  on  a  visit  to  his  sons. 

Elisha  1'arke,  father  of  our  subject,  was  engaged 
in  harbor  building  on  Lake  Ontario  for  many 


years,  in  the  employ  of  the  British  Government. 
On  Christmas  Day  of  1832,  he  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  on  a  farm  twenty-seven  miles  north  of 
Springfield,  in  what  is  now  Logan  County.  He 
built  the  first  frame  house  and  the  first  frame  barn 
ever  erected  in  Logan  County,  and  was  one  of  the 
honored  pioneers  of  that  locality.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812,  having  enlisted  in  the  service 
three  times  and  being  twice  drafted.  His  death 
occurred  in  1853,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years, 
and  his  wife  died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  They  were  members  of  the  Univer- 
salist  Church. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children, 
nine  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years.  It  was  dur- 
ing his  infancy  that  his  parents  came  to  Illinois, 
and  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Logan  County  he 
was  reared  to  manhood.  His  education  was  ac- 
quired in  a  log  schoolhouse,  with  greased-paper 
windows  and  slab  seats.  As  soon  as  old  enough, 
he  began  work  on  the  farm  and  did  considerable 
duty  in  that  direction  in  1850,  when  his  father 
went  on  a  prospecting  tour  to  California,  and  also 
while  his  father  was  engaged  in  the  supervision  of 
the  construction  of  the  locks  of  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal.  For  that  service,  Mr.  Parke,  Sr.,  re- 
ceived $5  per  day,  then  considered  an  enormous 
sum.  He  was  also  a  great  bridge-builder,  and  built 
a  bridge  across  the  River  Trent  in  Canada,  which 
created  as  much  wonder  as  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  of 
to-day.  During  his  father's  absence  from  home, 
Virgil  Parke  did  much  of  the  farm  work.  After 
attaining  to  man's  estate,  he  entered  the  Illinois 
Liberal  Institute,  of  Galesburg,  now  known  as  the 
Lombard  University,  and  pursued  a  three-years 
course  of  study.  On  its  completion  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Haggard  &  Neeley,  collection  agents 
of  Chicago,  taking  charge  of  their  business  for 
central  Illinois,  and  was  located  at  Decatur  about 
1853.  After  a  short  time,  however,  he  gave  up 
this  work  and  embarked  in  the  livery  business, 
which  lie  followed  for  seven  years.  Afterward  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  A.  A.  Murray,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Parke  &  Murray.  They  dealt  in 
agricultural  implements  for  a  number  of  years, 
when  his  partner  left  the  city,  and  he  continued 
alone  in  business  until  1886.  He  then  sold  out, 


296 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and,  purchasing  the  property  where  he  is  now  lo- 
cated, began  business  as  a  dealer  in  feed,  coal,  lime, 
cement,  etc.,  handling  twelve  hundred  to  fourteen 
hundred  carloads  annually. 

Oh  the  25th  of  January,  1858,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Parke  and  Ellen  E.  James, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Lorenzo  and  Catherine  (Blythe) 
James,  of  Atlanta,  111.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  five  children:  Cora,  Clare  V.,  Jessie,  Guy  J. 
and  Grace,  but  only  Guy  is  living.  He  is  now 
associated  in  business  with  his  father,  having  been 
admitted  to  partnership  in  1887. 

During  the  late  war,  in  company  with  Theodore 
Smith,  then  a  dealer  in  jewelry,  Mr.  Parke  raised 
a  company  in  Decatur,  but  as  the  quota  was  al- 
ready filled  his  troops  were  not  accepted.  How- 
ever, he  was  later  with  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
for  nine  months,  acting  in  the  capacity  of  nurse. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  fra- 
ternity, and  of  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  Mr. 
Parke  was  one  of  the  original  promoters  of  the 
Decator  electric  street  railway,  and  is  still  a  stock- 
holder in  the  present  company.  He  has  twice 
served  as  Alderman  of  Decatur  from  the  Second 
Ward,  the  prompt  and  efficient  manner  in  which 
he  discharged  his  duties  leading  to  his  re-election. 
In  politics,  he  was  formerly  a  Republican,  but  is 
now  a  Prohibitionist.  He  is  a  man  of  firm  con- 
victions and  unwavering  in  support  of  what  he 
believes  to  be  right.  He  resides  at  No.  307  West 
William  Street,  where  he  has  lived  for  twenty- 
seven  years. 


ENRY  F.  MAY  is  one  of  the  leading  and 
influential  citizens  of  Decatur,  is  one  of  its 
most  prominent  business  men,  and  is  the 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of 
Macon  County.  He  is  the  senior  partner  in  the 
firm  of  H.  F.  May  &  Brother,  well-known  grocers 
of  this  city,  doing  business  at  No.  134  South  Main 
Street,  and  is  also  one  of  the  owners  of  the  May 
Brothers  &  Travers  Addition  to  Decatur.  Although 


one  of  the  youngest  business  men  in  this  city,  he 
is  one  of  its  moving  factors,  and  is  also  prominent 
in  political  circles.  Since  1851  he  has  lived  in 
the  county,  and  since  1872  has  been  connected 
with  the  commercial  interests  of  the  county  seat. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Samuel 
May,  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  was  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  York  County,  Pa.,  where 
Henry  and  Mary  (Fisher)  May,  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject, were  born,  reared  and  married.  The  former, 
who  was  a  carpenter  and  builder,  came  with  his 
family  to  Illinois  in  1851,  locating  on  a  farm  three 
miles  south  of  Decatur,  where  he  followed  carpen- 
tering, while  his  sons  operated  the  land.  He  died 
December  15,  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
years;  and  the  death  of  his  wife  occurred  August 
4,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine.  They  had 
nine  children:  Rebecca,  wife  of  George  McCoy, 
of  Lougmont,  Bowlder  County,  Colo.;  Matilda, 
wife  of  Henry  Kayler,  a  farmer  of  this  county; 
Marion,  who  enlisted  for  the  war  as  a  member  of 
Company  I,  Seventh  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  was  dis- 
abled by  his  prison  experience  in  Andersonville; 
Sarah,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Cornthwait, 
of  Decatur,  and  died  leaving  two  children:  Frank, 
a  farmer  of  Macon  County,  and  Isaac,  a  real-estate 
dealer  of  Spokane  Falls,  Wash.;  Henry  F.,  of  this 
sketch;  Mary  Ellen,  wife  of  Isaac  Cornthwait,  a 
well-to-do  farmer  of  Macon  County;  Elizabeth, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years;  Abigail,  wife  of 
John  A.  Bohrer,  a  ranchman  of  Sherman,  Tex.; 
and  Samuel  D.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness with  our  subject. 

Henry  F.  May  was  born  in  York  County,  Pa., 
May  5,  1845,  and  was  in  his  seventh  year  when  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois.  He  walked 
nearly  all  the  way,  for  the  two  wagons  were  very 
heavily  loaded.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
and  began  working  on  a  farm,  driving  cattle  and 
breaking  prairie,  when  twelve  yeais  old.  He  en- 
listed for  the  late  war  in  Decatur,  August  13, 
1862,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  was  assigned  to 
Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois 
Infantry,  under  Capt.  White.  After  three  years' 
service  lie  was  mustered  out  at  St.  Louis,  from  the 
hospital  at  that  place.  He  served  in  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg  and  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post,  and, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


297 


being  seriously  injured  and  disabled  for  field  duty, 
was  placed  in  the  hospital  and  became  steward  on 
the  river  steamers. 

After  the  war,  Mr.  May  returned  to  the  farm, 
which  he  operated  until  1872,  when  he  went  into 
partnership  with  his  father  in  the  grocery  business 
on  East  Main  Street.  They  sold  out  in  1874,  and 
the  following  year  he  formed  his  present  partner- 
ship. The  firm  of  H.  F.  Ma}-  <fe  Brother  is  one  of 
the  oldest  and  best  known  in  the  city.  In  1876, 
Mr.  May  and  C.  A.  Conklin,  with  a  number  of 
other  young  men,  formed  a  company  to  go  to  the 
Black  Hills.  They  journeyed  by  rail  to  Chey- 
enne, and  thence  overland.  After  about  six 
months  our  subject  returned  and  resumed  thegro- 
cery  business.  In  1879,  he  went  to  Ford  County, 
Kan.,  and  in  partnership  with  J.  M.  Raney,  of 
Decatur,  built  the  first  flouring-mill  at  Dodge  City. 
After  operating  it  successfully  for  four  years,  he 
sold  out  and  once  more  came  to  Decatur. 

Mr.  May  was  married  in  Ft.  Dodge,  Kan.,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  demons,  of  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  daugh- 
ter of  George  Clemons,  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren, Charles  I.  and  Walter  H.  They  have  a 
pleasant  residence  at  No.  465  West  Macon  Street, 
which  was  erected  by  our  subject.  Socially,  he  is 
connected  with  Ionic  Lodge  No.  112,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.;  Macon  Chapter  No.  11,R.  A.  M.;  and  Beau- 
manoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T.  He  is  a  charter 
member  of  the  first  Grand  Army  post  organized 
in  America,  now  known  as  Dunham  Post  No.  141, 
G.  A.  II.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican  and  twice 
served  as  Alderman  of  the  Third  Ward.  He  was 
three  times  elected  as  Assistant  Supervisor,  in 
1887,  1888  and  1889,  and  was  elected  Supervisor 
for  one  year  in  1890,  then  for  a  two-years  term  in 
1891,  and  again  for  a  two-years  term  in  1893,  so 
that  he  is  now  filling  the  office.  He  was  made 
Chairman  of  the  Board  in  April,  1892,  serving  as 
such  one  year,  and  made  an  able  presiding  officer. 
He  has  been  very  prominent  in  securing  the  new 
court  house  for  Macon  County,  and  was  made 
chairman  of  the  building  committee.  Through 
his  efforts  and  those  of  the  other 'members  of  the 
committee  who  have  so  faithfully  and  efficiently 
served  Macon  County,  it  has  now  one  of  the  finest 
court  houses  in  the  country. 


In  his  business  career  Mr.  May  has  been  success- 
ful, and  in  the  grocery  trade  the  firm  of  which  he 
is  the  senior  member  is  enjoying  a  liberal  patron- 
age. Though  yet  a  young  man,  Mr.  May  has  had 
a  varied  history.  He  has  served  as  a  soldier,  has 
shared  the  experiences  of  frontier  life  in  the  West, 
has  aided  in  the  arduous  labors  of  developing  a 
new  farm,  has  carried  on  successful  business  ven- 
tures, and  is  now  at  the  head  of  one  of  the  leading 
firms  of  Decatur,  and  is  also  honored  with  one  of 
the  foremost  offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people 
of  Macon  County. 


EDWARD  HARPSTRITE  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  Decatur,  enjoying  a  rest  well 
earned  by  his  labors  in  former  years.  He 
makes  his  home  at  No.  545  West  Main  Street,  where 
he  has  a  beautiful  and  comfortable  residence.  He 
was  born  in  Ettenheim,  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of 
Baden,  Germany,  February  18,  1827,  and  in  1833 
came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents,  John 
B.  and  Siphia  M.  (Ramer)  Harpstrite.  They 
landed  in  New  York  and  later  made  a  location  in 
Trenton,  N.  J.  The  father  was  a  plain  man,  but 
was  well  educated.  He  removed  to  Reading,  Pa., 
where  he  secured  a  position  as  teacher  in  a  Ger- 
man school.  Two  years  later  he  went  to  Dayton, 
Ohio,  and  from  there  to  Delphi,  Ind.,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  for  one  year.  During  the 
succeeding  six  years  of  his  life  he  engaged  in 
farming  near  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  and  in  1844  re- 
moved to  Clinton  County,  111.,  where  he  devel- 
oped a  new  farm.  He  and  his  wife  both  died  in 
that  county.  They  had  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  brothers  are  now  living,  and 
three  of  that  number,  Augustus,  Charles  and  Ed- 
ward, reside  in  Decatur.  Antony  is  still  living  in 
Clinton  County. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  lad  of  only  six 
summers  when  with  his  parents  he  crossed  the 
briny  deep.  He  was  reared  under  the  parental 
roof,  and  in  the  spring  of  1853  came  with  his  two 


298 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


brothers  to  Macon  County.  For  five  years  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  at  Wlieatland,  six  miles  east  of 
Decatur.  In  1860,  he  purchased  the  Decatur 
Brewery,  which  then  had  a  capacity  of  about  six 
barrels  daily,  and  for  which  he  paid  about  $3,600. 
Two  years  later  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Henry  Shlaudeman,  under  the  firm  name  of  Harp- 
strite  &  Shlaudeman,  and  for-  twenty-five  years 
that  connection  was  continued.  As  the  business 
increased  the  facilities  were  enlarged,  until  it  be- 
came one  of  the  important  industries  of  the  city. 
In  1884,  our  subject  retired  from  the  business, 
which  is  now  carried  on  under  the  name  of  the 
Decatur  Brewing  Company. 

In  an  early  day  Mr.  Harpstrite  purchased  two 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land,  the  greater  part 
of  which  is  comprised  within  the  corporate  limits 
of  Decatur,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  city. 
He  has  erected  three  business  houses  and  has  other- 
wise aided  in  the  upbuilding  and  growth  of  Macon 
County.  A  public-spirited  and  progressive  man, 
he  has  ever  manifested  an  active  interest  in  those 
enterprises  calculated  to  prove  of  benefit  to  the 
community.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and 
formerly  took  quite  an  active  part  in  political 
affairs.  He  served  for  one  term  as  a  member  of 
the  City  Council. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  1852,  Mr.  Harpstrite 
married  Miss  Dorothy  Rubsamen,  of  Clinton 
County.  She  was  born  in  Gimmeldingen,  Bavaria, 
August  15,  1835,  and  died  October  19,  1876.  The 
children  born  of  that  union  were  as  follows: 
Catherine,  now  the  wife  of  Peter  Ullrich,  of  Cedar 
Rapids,  Iowa;  Mary  and  Sophia,  both  at  home; 
Charles,  a  farmer  of  Sedgwick  County,  Kan.;  Ed- 
ward, a  jeweler  of  Decatur;  John,  who  follows 
farming  in  Sedgwick  County,  Kan.;  Bertha,  a 
graduate  of  the  Decatur  Business  College;  and 
Emma,  who  was  educated  in  the  Normal  School, 
and  is  now  a  teacher  in  the  Marietta  School  of  this 
city. 

IH  1851,  Mr.  Harpstrite  returned  to  his  native 
land  to  see  again  the  friends  and  companions  of 
his  youth  and  his  old  home,  and  while  abroad  he 
visited  the  Crystal  Palace  of  London,  the  first 
World's  Fair  ever  held.  In  1876,  he  visited  the 
Centennial  in  Philadelphia,  and  has  recently  at- 


tended the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago,  in  company 
with  his  elder  brother.  Since  selling  out  his  bus- 
iness in  1884,  he  has  lived  a  retired  life,  having 
acquired  a  comfortable  competency,  which  in  his 
declining  years  surrounds  him  with  all  the  com- 
forts and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 


EORGE  S.  LYON  is  the  senior  member  of 
the  firm  of  Lyon  <fe  Armstrong,  owners  of 
tne  planing-raill  and  lumber-yard  at  the 
corner  of  Cerro  Gordo  and  Broadway  Streets,  De- 
catur. He  claims  New  Jersej'  as  the  State  of  his 
nativity,  the  place  of  his  birth  being  in  Orange, 
and  the  date  the  7th  of  May,  1832.  He  is  one  of 
a  family  of  eleven  children,  five  sons  and  six 
daughters,  born  untoHinman  and  Ann  (Campbell) 
Lyon.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  as  were  his  grandparents.  The  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and 
followed  farming  at  Rockaway  Neck,  where  his 
old  home  is  still  standing.  Hinman  Lyon  fol- 
lowed the  trade  of  a  stone  mason.  He  died  in  the 
State  of  his  nativity  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-two years.  His  wife  had  passed  away  only  a 
few  hours  before  and  it  is  thought  his  grief  and 
despondency  caused  his  death.  Both  were  mem- 
,bers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Of  their  chil- 
dren the  following  are  living:  George  S.;  Cath- 
erine, who  became  the  wife  of  Nathaniel  Syron, 
and  after  his  death  married  a  Mr.  Ball,  who  is  now 
deceased;  Miranda,  who  has  been  twice  married, 
being  now  Mrs.  Steinbach;  Harriet,  wife  of  Stephen 
A.  Davis;  Emma,  wife  of  A.  F.  Horst,  and  Lewis. 
In  the  common  schools  of  his  native  town, 
George  Lyon  acquired  his  education,  and  under 
the  parental  roof  he  remained  until  sixteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  left  home  to  make  his  own  liveli- 
hood. At  the  age  of  eighteen  lie  began  learning 
the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  four 
years.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  came  to  the 
West,  and  traveled  quite  extensively  during  the 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URDANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


301 


two  succeeding  years.  In  1856  be  came  to  De- 
catur,  and  the  site  upon  which  he  located  at  that 
day  has  since  been  his  place  of  residence. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1857,  Mr.  Lyon  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Susan  Scott,  daughter  of 
William  and  Elizabeth  Scott,  of  the  Empire  State. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  a  family  of  eight 
children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  but  one 
child  died  in  infancy;  Libbie  and  Harry  are  both 
now  deceased;  Fred  C.  married  Miss  Jenks,  by 
whom  he  has  three  children,  and  resides  in  Topeka, 
Kan.;  Clyde  is  married  and  resides  in  Chicago; 
Myrtle,  Florence  and  Bert  complete  the  family  and 
are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyon  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No. 
748  West  Edwards  Street.  They  are  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Universalist  Church  and  he  is  one  of 
the  church  Trustees.  In  politics  he  is  a  supporter 
of  Republican  principles,  and  socially  is  a  member 
of  Celestial  Lodge  No.  186,  I.  O.  O.  F.  After 
coming  to  Decatur,  Mr.  Lyon  worked  at  the  car- 
penter's trade  for  about  four  years  and  then  did 
contract  work.  From  that  he  drifted  into  the 
planing-mill  business,  which  he  still  continues.  In 
the  mill  are  now  employed  thirty  hands,  and  the 
firm  is  doing  a  good  business.  They  have  a  high 
standing  in  business  circles  and  are  ranked  among 
the  prominent  and  influential  men  of  the  city. 
Since  a  youth  of  sixteen  summers  our  subject  has 
made  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and  therefore  for 
his  success  in  life  deserves  great  credit. 


ON.  DAVID  C.  MOFFITT,  the  present  Mayor 
of  Decatur,  occupies  the  highest  position 
within  the  gift  of  his  fellow-townsmen, 
and  the  efficient  manner  in  which  he  dis- 
charges his  duties  has  won  for  him  the  com- 
mendation of  all  the  best  citizens.  The  promi- 
nent part  which  he  has  taken  in  political,  business, 
public  and  social  interests  of  the  city  has  insepa- 
rably connected  him  with  its  history  and  made 
him  well  worthy  a  place  in  this  volume.  He  was 


born  in  Brownsville,  Pa.,  on  the  20th  of  April, 
1831,  and  is  a  son  of  James  W.  and  Mary  Jane 
(Patterson)  Moffltt.  The  latter's  father,  Col.  Rob- 
ert Patterson,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
State,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  par- 
ticipated in  the  War  of  1812,  and  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Tippecanoe  under  Gen.  William  Henry 
Harrison.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  and  in  1842  emigrated  with  his 
family  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Coshocton.  His  death 
occurred  in  Circleville  in  1850,  at  the  age  of  fifty 
3'ears.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  has  now 
attained  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  lad  of  eleven 
summers  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  the 
Buckeye  State.  In  his  youtli  he  learned  the  brick- 
layer's trade,  and  began  to  do  contract  work  be- 
fore he  had  attained  his  majority,  a  fact  which  in- 
dicates his  excellent  workmanship  and  his  prompt 
execution  of  duty.  It  was  in  the  year  1855  that 
he  first  located  in  Illinois,  taking  up  his  residence 
in  Piatt  County,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
the  4th  of  March,  1856,  when  he  located  in  Deca- 
tur. Here  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  brick,  and  in  brick-building  contract 
work.  He  hae  erected  several  of  the  public  school- 
houses  of  this  city,  and  also  built  many  business 
houses  and  private  residences.  He  began  in  a 
small  way,  but  his  patronage  has  constantly  in- 
creased and  he  now  enjoys  a  liberal  trade.  His 
contracts  are  so  numerous  that  he  furnishes  em- 
ployment to  from  forty  to  sixty  men. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1862,  in  Circleville,  Ohio 
Mr.  Moffitt  wedded  Miss  Catherine  Wilson,  a  na- 
tive of  the  Buckeye  State.  Four  children  were 
born  of  this  union:  Charles,  who  is  now  engaged 
in  business  with  his  father;  Annie,  at  home;  Clara, 
wife  of  Andrew  Dempsey;  and  Ida,  a  successful 
teacher,  who  became  the  wife  of  II.  F.  May,  and 
died  a  short  time  after  her  marriage. 

For  thirty-five  years  Mr.  Moffltt  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  and  has  served  as 
Past  Noble  Grand  and  Deputy  in  the  Grand  Lodge. 
About  1881  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Alder- 
man from  the  Third  -Ward,  and  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Council  for  three  years  under  Mayor 
King  and  Maj'or  Wagner.  At  the  recent  election 


302 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


he  was  the  popular  candidate  of  the  Democratic 
party  and  won  the  race  over  Capt.  Kauan  with 
eighty-seven  majority,  although  the  city  is  con- 
sidered to  have  a  Republican  majority  of  three 
hundred.  This  fact  indicates  his  personal  popu- 
larity and  the  trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow- 
townsmen.  He  is  proving  an  excellent  presiding 
officer  and  one  well  fitted  for  his  position.  He 
has  been  prominent  in  business  circles  and  in  the 
work  of  public  advancement  he  has  ever  borne  his 
part.  The  citizens  of  Macon  County  all  know  D. 
C.  Moffltt,  and  know  him  to  respect  him. 


ICHAEL  EICHENGER,  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  Decatur,  who  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  at  his  beautiful  home  on  West 
Marietta  Street,  well  deserves  representa- 
tion in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county.  His 
birth  occurred  in  York  County,  Pa.,  on  the  30th 
of  October,  1823,  and  he  is  descended  from  an  old 
German  family  which  was  founded  in  America  by 
two  brothers  of  German  birth  in  early  Colonial 
days.  The  father  of  our  subject,  John  Eichenger, 
was  born  in  York  County  in  1779,  and  there 
spent  his  entire  life.  He  was  a  cooper  by  trade, 
which  business  he  followed  through  the  winter 
season,  while  in  the  summer  he  carried  on  a  farm. 
In  1831  he  also  operated  a  distillery.  He  was 
married  April  12,  1807,  to  Susanna  Welch,  who 
was  born  in  York  County  February  7,  1788.  The 
father  of  our  subject  died  May  5,  1845,  in  the 
Keystone  State,  and  the  mother  died  while  living 
in  Decatur,  in  August  1861,  having  made  her 
home  here  since  1854.  Their  family  numbered  four 
sons  and  six  daughters.  . 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  eighth  in  order 
of  birth.  His  educational  privileges  were  quite 
limited,  for  as  soon  as  old  enough  to  work  he  had 
to  aid  in  supporting  the  family.  After  his  father's 
death,  he  operated  the  old  farm  for  one  year,  and 
then  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  in  Pennsylvania, 
after  which  he  conducted  a  farm  of  his  own  from 


1847  till  1854.  In  1854,  accompanied  by  his 
mother,  he  came  to  the  West,  reaching  Decatur  on 
the  8th  of  April.  The  succeeding  four  years  of 
his  life  were  spent  as  a  carpenter,  and  for  three 
months  he  carried  on  a  butcher  shop,  but  that  ven- 
ture proved  unsuccessful.  On  his  arrival  he  had 
purchased  city  property,  which  in  June,  1858,  he 
traded  for  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  20, 
Long  Creek  Township,  which  was  partially  im- 
proved. In  connection  with  farming  he  exten- 
sively engaged  in  stock-raising,  and  had  upon  his 
farm  some  of  the  finest  horses  and  cattle  to  be 
found  in  the  county.  The  boundaries  of  his  farm 
he  extended  from  time  to  time,  until  his  landed 
possessions  now  aggregate  six  hundred  and  eiglity- 
five  acres,  divided  into  three  farms  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty,  two  hundred,  and  one  hundred 
and  sixty-five  acres,  respectively. 

On  the  29th  of  Jirly,  1866,  Mr.  Eichenger  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  Ellen  Huff,  who 
was  born  May  28,  1842,  in  Coshocton  County, 
Ohio,  and  came  to  Oakley  Township,  Macon  Coun- 
ty, in  1864  with  her  parents,  Eleven  and  Eliza 
Huff.  Her  father  was  born  in  Virginia,  November 
10,  1807,  and  her  mother's  birth  occurred  in  the 
Old  Dominion,  December  12,  1812.  Both  died  in 
the  spring  of  1875.  In  1876,  our  subject  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  4th  of  October. 
Unto  them  were  born  four  children:  Ira,  who  died 
August  10,  1871,  in  his  fourth  year;  John,  born 
February  14,  1870,  who  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  the  Class  of  '93,  after  having  graduated 
from  Eureka  College;  Martha  Belle,  who  died  Jan- 
uary 27,  1874,  at  the  age  of  two  years;  and  Will- 
iam Robert,  born  June  25,  1875. 

Mr.  Eichenger  was  married  a  second  time,  July 
12,  1881,  this  time  to  Mary  Elizabeth  Logan,  who 
was  born  February  5,  1848,  in  Garrard  County,  Ky., 
and  is  a  daughter  of  David  Logan,  who  settled  in 
Wheatland  Township  in  1853,  and  who  died  in 
Long  Creek,  where  her  mother  still  resides.  One 
child  blesses  the  union,  Olive  Pansy,  born  Febru- 
ary 24,  1883. 

In  polities,  Mr.  Eichenger  has  been  a  stanch  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  that  party. 
Previous  to  that  he  was  an  old-line  Whig,  and  his 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


303 


first  vote  was  cast  for  William  Henry  Harrison. 
He  holds  membership  with  the  Christian  Church, 
to  which  his  wife  also  belongs.  During  the  war 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  and  the 
Soldiers'  Aid  Society,  organized  for  the  enforce- 
ment of  Union  principles  and  the  vigorous  prose- 
cution of  the  war.  He  was  also  instrumental  in 
organizing  the  Decatur  Mutual  County  Fire  Insur- 
ance Company  in  June,  1880.  He  has  long  been 
an  active  worker  in  the  temperance  cause  and  has 
three  times  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  State  Chris- 
tian Temperance  Union.  On  starting  out  in  life 
for  himself,  he  lost  nearly  everything  he  had 
through  the  treachery  of  a  friend,  so  that  all  that 
he  now  possesses  has  been  gained  through  his  own 
efforts,  his  perseverance,  enterprise  and  good  man- 
agement gaining  him  a  handsome  competence. 
His  life  has  been  one  of  the  strictest  honor  and  he 
has  therefore  won  universal  confidence.  The  home 
in  which  he  now  resides  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful residences  in  the  city.  Mr.  Eichenger  is  a 
pleasant,  genial  gentleman  and  his  friends  are 
many. 


RS.  SARAH  R.  SWARTZ  is  the  owner  of 
a  fine  farm  on  section  8,  Decatur  Town- 
ship, where  her  entire  life  has  been  passed. 
She  was  born  on  this  place,  not  more  than 
twenty-five  feet  from  her  present  home.  Her  father, 
Fielding  House,  came  to  this  county  in  October, 
1835.  Her  great-grandfather,  John  House,  spent 
his  entire  life  upon  a  farm  in  Massachusetts,  but 
his  son  William  emigrated  to  Kentucky  in  an  early 
day,  and  settled  on  Licking  River,  in  Bath  County. 
He  became  an  extensive  farmer,  miller  and  store- 
keeper and  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  that  locality. 
The  father  of  Mrs.  Swartz  was  born  on  the  farm 
in  Bath  County,  May  26,  1807,  and  in  his  youth 
acquired  a  good  education.  On  the  27th  of  De- 
cember, 1827,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Jane  Todd,  who  was  boru  in  Kentucky  in  1811. 
He  was  a  millwright  by  trade  and  managed  his 
father's  mill  until  1835,  when,  accompanied  by  his 


family,  he  emigrated  to  Illinois.  There  were  no 
railroads  in  those  days  and  he  made  the  journey 
by  team,  locating  on  section  8,  Decatur  Township, 
Macon  County.  Here  he  entered  a  squatter's 
claim  of  forty  acres,  and  entered  and  purchased 
more  land  until  lie  owned  eight  hundred  acres  in 
this  neighborhood.  His  land  was  at  first  raw  prai- 
rie, not  even  fenced,  but  he  at  once  began  its  de- 
velopment and  transformed  it  into  a  rich  and  fertile 
tract,  which  yielded  to  him  a  fine  income.  He  was 
extensively  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising, 
and  at  intervals  worked  as  a  millwright  and  car- 
penter, becoming  quite  wealthy.  His  wife  died 
December  19,  1836,  leaving  three  children:  Mrs. 
Margaret  A.  Kincaid,  of  Decatur;  William  T.,  whose 
home  is  in  Douglas  County,  111.;  and  Mrs.  Nancy 
J.  Bills,  of  Decatur.  In  1838,  in  Moultrie  County, 
Mr.  House  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Jane  Scott,  a  native  of  Bourbon 
County,  Ky.  Her  father,  Arthur  Scott,  was  born 
in  1777,  and  was  a  pioneer  and  extensive  farmer 
of  Bourbon  County.  Mis.  House  died  January  16, 
1849,  on  the  old  home,  and  was  buried  in  the  family 
cemetery.  She  became  the  mother  of  the  following 
children:  Arthur,  who  died  in  childhood;  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Smclsley,  who  resides  upon  a  part  of  the 
estate;  Mrs.  Sarah  Swartz;  and  Susan  C.,  deceased. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  House  were  members  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church  and  were  among  its 
faithful  workers  and  liberal  supporters.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows 'Societies 
and  also  of  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  For  several 
years  he  served  as  County  Surveyor  and  also  held 
other  local  ottices.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Whig  and 
a  leader  in  political  circles  in  this  locality.  He 
began  life  for  himself  in  limited  circumstances,  but 
his  good  management  and  industrious  career  won 
him  signal  success.  He  passed  away  August  30, 
1864,  mourned  by  many  friends.  He  had  been 
three  times  married,  his  third  union  being  with 
Miss  Nancy  Todd.  She  died  November  21,  1866, 
leaving  two  children:  James  M.,  a.  farmer  of  Deca- 
tur Township;  and  Mrs.  Lydia  J.  Riding,  wife  of 
Dr.  Riding,  of  Buford,  Ohio. 

Mrs.  Swartz  has  spent  her  entire  life  upon  the 
farm  which  is  still  her  home,  her  girlhood  days  be- 
ing quietly  passed  under  the  parental  roof.  She 


304 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


attended  subscription  schools  and  in  her  later  girl- 
hood was  a  student  in  the  Grammar  and  High 
Schools  of  Decatur.  Having  become  well  informed, 
she  began  teaching,  and  was  thus  employed  for 
seven  years  in  Macon  and  Piatt  Counties. 

On  the  16th  of  January,  1873,  our  subject  be- 
came the  wife  of  John  Swartz,  who  was  born  in 
Luxemburg,  Germany,  March  7,  1841,  and  when 
sixteen  years  of  age  came  with  his  family  to  Amer- 
ica, locating  in  this  county.  He  worked  on  a  farm 
until  his  marriage,  and  since  that  time  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Swartz  have  resided  upon  a  part  of  the  old 
House  estate.  They  have  a  nice  home,  well  fur- 
nished and  tastefully  kept,  which  shows  the  care 
and  supervision  of  Mrs.  Swartz  by  its  neat  appear- 
ance. The  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  and  a-half  acres  of  rich  land,  which  is  now 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved, being  supplied  with  all  modern  improve- 
ments and  equipments.  This  property  came  to 
Mrs.  Swartz  from  her  father's  estate,  and  in  its 
management  she  shows  both  business  and  executive 
ability.  In  politics,  Mr.  Swartz  is  a  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party. 


DWARD  WADE,  who  resides  on  a  farm  on 
section  3,  Decatur  Township,  claims  Eng- 
land as  the  land  of  his  birth,  which  occurred 
on  a  farm  in  Somersetshire  on  the  16th  of  August, 
1831,  his  ancestors  having  for  generations  lived 
upon  the  same  farm.  His  father,  Abraham  Wade, 
was  an  agriculturist  in  comfortable  circumstances, 
and  was  also  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  He  heard  John  Wesley  preach,  and 
in  the  early  history  of  the  church  became  one 
of  its  members.  He  was  active  in  establishing 
churches  and  did  ail  in  his  power  to  promote  the 
cause  of  Christianity  in  his  neighborhood.  He  also 
held  a  number  of  local  offices  in  his  native  land. 
In  1867,  he  came  to  America  with  his  son  and 
thenceforth  lived  a  retired  life.  He  died  in  De 
Witt  County,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three,  and  his 


wife  passed  away  in  the  same  county  January  1, 
1869.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  Har- 
ding, and  was  born  and  reared  in  the  parish  ad- 
joining that  in  which  her  husband  lived. 

In  the  Wade  family  were  twelve  children,  nine 
of  whom  grew  to  mature  years,  while  three  sons 
and  two  daughters  came  to  America.  Abram  died 
in  England;  Samuel  is  living  near  Clinton,  DeWitt 
County;  Josiah  was  accidentally  killed  in  the  Old 
Country;  Mrs.  Martha  Havcrfleld  is  living  in  De 
Witt;  Edward  is  the  next  younger;  Francis  is  a 
farmer  of  De  Witt  County;  and  Thomas  II.,  now 
deceased,  followed  farming  in  Austin  Township, 
and  was  the  youngest  son  of  the  family. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  in 
the  public  schools  acquired  a  good  education.  At 
an  early  age  he  learned  to  use  the  plow  and  spade, 
and  in  his  youth  was  trained  as  a  nurseryman,  be- 
ing employed  by  one  of  the  largest  nursery  com- 
panies in  the  countiy.  Reading  the  pamphletsent 
out  by  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  con- 
cerning the  almost  fabulous  productions  of  Illi- 
nois, and  hearing  of  other  opportunities  afforded 
young  men  in  the  New  World,  he  determined  to 
test  the  truth  of  these  reports  by  trying  his  for- 
tune in  the  United  States,  and  in  1854  sailed  from 
Liverpool  to  New  Orleans.  After  a  voyage  of  six 
weeks  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi. 
Mr.  Wade  went  up  the  river  to  St.  Louis,  andtht-n 
made  a  short  visit  in  Greenville,  Bond  County, 
111.,  where  he  lived  for  two  years.  The  succeed- 
ing two  years  were  passed  in  Michigan,  and  in  1857 
he  reached  Decatur,  since  which  time  he  has  made 
his  home  in  Macon  County.  In  1862.  lie  made  his 
first  purchase  of  land,  comprising  sixty-five  acres, 
and  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  since  has 
been  engaged  in  the  nursery  business. 

In  1859  Mr.  Wade  was  married  to  Miss  Susanna 
Dement,  who  was  born  in  DeWitt  County,  and 
died  February  3,  1869,  leaving  three  children: 
Martha  F.,  now  deceased;  Eva  Laura,  wife  of 
-Frank  Hamlin,  of  DeWitt  County;  and  Francis 
Ellsworth,  manager  of  the  telephone  exchange  of 
Danville,  III.  For  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Wade 
chose  Miss  Anna  M.  Granger,  who  had  formerly 
been  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Decatur. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


305 


She  died  at  the  birth  of  her  twin  boys.  In  1875, 
in  Union  County,  Ohio,  our  subject  married  Miss 
Louisa  Gill,  a  native  of  Union  County,  and  a 
daughter  of  Mason  and  Harriet  (Granger)  Gill. 
Her  father  died  in  1864.  but  her  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing, the  only  other  member  of  her  family  now  liv- 
ing being  Hon.  John  S.  Gill,  Judge  of  the  Com- 
mon Pleas  Court  at  Delaware,  Ohio.  Four  chil- 
dren have  been  born  unto  our  subject  and  his 
wife:  Jesse  M.,  Albert  Edward,  Harry  Gill  and 
John  Ralph. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade  hold  membership  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  have  been  prom- 
inent in  churca  work  in  thisxiominunity.  Ail 
that  he  possesses,  Mr.  Wade  has  made  since  coining 
to  America,  and  his  success  is  the  result  of  his  own 
enterprise,  good  management  and  industry. 


\fp^l  DMISTON  McCLELLAN,  of  Decatur,  one 
IN  °^  ^!ieon  County's  most  efficient  officers, 
/i*—^  having  served  as  Circuit  Clerk  since  1868, 
came  to  the  county  in  1835,  and  has  here  resided 
continuously  since.  As  one  of  the  honored  pio- 
neers and  a  citizen  widely  and  favorably  known,  we 
present  him  to  our  readers.  His  parents  were  An- 
drew and  Jane  (Thompson)  McClellan,  both  na- 
tives of  Scotland,  who,  having  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic, were  married  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.  The 
father  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  but  followed  farm- 
ing through  part  of  his  life.  His  death  occurred 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years.  Mrs. 
McClellan  had  been  married  previous  to  her  un- 
ion with  the  father  of  our  subject.  By  her  first 
husband,  Arthur  Shields,  she  had  four  children: 
Alexander,  John,  Mary  and  Eliza.  By  her  second 
marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  five  children: 
Andrew,  Euphemia,  Malvina,  Edmiston  and  Jane. 
Kdmiston  McClellan,  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord, was  born  in  the  Keystone  State  in  October, 
1818.  He  accompanied  his  parents  in  their  var- 
ious removals,  and  at  length  came  with  them  to 
Illinois,  in  1835,  locating  in  the  town  of  Decatur, 


Macon  County,  which  at  that  time  also  comprised 
portions  of  Piatt,  De  Witt  and  Moultrie  Counties. 

Our  subject  was  then  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
two  years,  and  was  strong  and  robust,  being  six 
feet  in  height  and  weighing  two  hundred  pounds. 
He  engaged  in  breaking  prairie  and  bore  all  the 
I  experiences  of  pioneer  life.  He  especially  enjoyed 
hunting,  and  had  ample  opportunity  to  indulge, 
his  taste  for  that  sport,  for  squirrels,  quail,  turkeys 
and  prairie  chickens  were  plentiful.  His  pleasure 
in  that  sport  has  never  left  him,  and  each  fall  he 
goes  with  a  company  of  friends  to  Missouri  or 
elsewhere  to  hunt  and  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  camp 
life. 

In  1839,  Mr.  McClellan  purchased  town  lots  in 
Decatur,  which  he  still  owns,  and  also  bought 
sixty-two  and  two-thirds  acres  in  the  outskirts  of 
the  city.  Of  this  he  has  sold  eighteen  acres  as  an 
addition,  called  Oaklawn  Addition,  but  still  owns 
forty-two  and  two-thirds  acres,  where  he  now  lives. 
He  has  a  fine  suburban  residence,  which  is  sur- 
rounded by  elegant  lawns,  and  has  good  barns  and 
all  modern  conveniences  and  improvements.  He  was 
married  in  1842  to  Miss  Judith,  daughter  of  Henry 
Snyder,  who  came  with  his  family  to  Macon  Coun- 
ty in  1833,  locating  near  where  Lovington  now 
stands,  in  Moultrie  County.  After  the  death  of 
his  wife  he  removed  to  Decatur. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClellan  were  born  ten 
children:  Richard,  who  died  in  infancy;  Henry, 
who  is  Deputy  Circuit  Clerk,  is  married,  and  has 
a  son,  Harry;  Jane,  at  home;  Ella,  wife  of  Orvillc 
B.  Gorin,  who  is  connected  with  the  firm  of  Milli- 
ken  >fe  Co.,  bankers;  Charles,  who  died  in  infancy; 
William,  who  is  in  a  wholesale  carpet  house  nnd 
resides  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  with  his  wife  and 
four  children:  Mabel,  Edmiston.  Joseph  and  Flor- 
ence; Edmiston,  Jr.,  the  next  younger,  who  is  at 
home;  Joseph,  who  is  serving  as  Deputy  United 
States  Revenue  Collector;  Isabella,  the  wife  of  Al- 
bert Merriweather,  of  Decatur,  by  whom  she  has 
one  daughter,  Jessie;  and  Annie,  wife  of-  Lee  B. 
Elkin,  of  Springfield,  111. 

For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  Mr.  Mc- 
Clellan has  been  officially  connected  with  Macon 
County.  In  1868  he  was  made  Circuit  Clerk  and 
Recorder  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  has  filled 


306 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


that  position  continuously  since,  being  re-elected 
six  times.  He  has  served  as  Constable  and  Coun- 
ty Surveyor,  was  for  two  years  Sheriff,  and  served 
as  Deputy  United  States  Marshal  from  the  time  of 
the  war  until  his  election  as  Circuit  Clerk.  He 
was  also  City  Marshal  during  the  war.  He  was 
personally  acquainted  witli  Abraham  Lincoln,  a 
warm  friendship  existing  between  them,  and  he 
heard  the  martyred  President  while  debating  with 
Stephen  A.  Douglas. 

Mr.  McClellan  lived  in  Macon  Count}'  at  a  time 
when  the  population  was  so  limited  that  he  knew 
every  man  within  its  borders.  Decatur  then  con- 
tained seventy-five  inhabitants.  On  reaching  this 
city  he  had  only  fifty  cents,  and  that  he  paid  for 
his  lodging  and  breakfast,  so  empty  handed  he 
started  out.  His  enterprise,  however,  has  always 
provided  him  with  the  necessities  and  many  of 
the  luxuries  of  life  and  he  is  well-to-do.  In  the 
early  days  he  was  an  old-line  Whig,  and  since  the 
organization  of  that  party  has  been  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, believing  in  protection  for  home  indus- 
tries and  that  America  is  for  Americans.  No  man 
in  Macon  County  has  more  friends  than  this  hon- 
ored pioneer,  of  whom  every  one  speaks  in  the 
highest  terms. 


BRAM  KRAMER  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  men  of  Decatur.  being  the 
proprietor  of  an  extensive  manufactory 
located  at  Nos.  258  and  260  East  Main 
Street,  where  are  manufactured  carriages,  buggies, 
phaetons,  road  carts,  spring  and  lumber  wagons, 
platform  trucks,  etc.  Mr.  Kramer  now  has  a  large 
trade,  extending  over  a  wide  range  of  territory. 
He  has  one  of  the  largest  factories  in  Decatur,  and 
a  fine  business,  which  is  the  result  of  his  own  un- 
tiring efforts  and  good  management. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  our  subject  was  born  near 
Canal  Winchester,  in  Franklin  County,  January  8, 
1833.  His  parents  were  George  and  Catherine 
(Harmon)  Kramer,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 


vania, and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  The  grandfather, 
Lewis  Kramer,  was  born  in  the  Keystone  State, 
and  was  a  German  preacher  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren Church.  lie  followed  the  ministry  in  connec- 
tion with  farming,  and  he  also  operated  a  saw  and 
grist  mill.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  died  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-two.  Frederick  Harmon,  the  maternal 
grandfather,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  a  hero 
of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  a  farmer  and  dis- 
tiller. He  held  membership  with  the  United  Breth- 
ren Church,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-two. 

When  only  three  years  old,  George  Kramer  was 
taken  by  his  parents  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared 
on  a  farm.  He  belonged  to  the  muster-roll  in  the 
regular  militia,  and  held  several  local  offices  of 
honor  and  trust.  He  was  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  and  was  a  leader  in  all  church 
work,  and  for  many  years  was  Sunday-school  Su- 
perintendent. He  possessed  a  fine  voice,  and  his 
services  as  a  musician  were  constantly  in  demand 
throughout  the  neighborhood.  He  died  in  1867, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  His  widow  is  still 
living,  and  makes  her  home  with  her  son  Abram, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  She  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  In  the  family 
were  ten  children),  but  Susan,  Mary,  Jacob,  Elias, 
Amanda,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah  are  all  now  de- 
ceased. Isaac  is  living  in  Decatur,  and  George 
makes  his  home  in  Champaign,  111. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject 
spent  his  boyhood,  but,  determining  to  follow  some 
other  pursuit  than  that  of  agriculture,  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  he  began  to  learn  the  carriage  and 
wagon  making  and  blacksmith's  trade,  serving  a 
three-years  apprenticeship.  During  that  time,  he 
received  no  wages,  and  had  to  board  and  clothe 
himself,  and  often  had  to  work  from  five  o'clock 
in  the  morning  until  nine  o'clock  at  night,  but  he 
thoroughly  learned  the  business.  For  about  ten 
years  Mr.  Kramer  then  worked  as  a  journeyman, 
after  which  he  bought  an  interest  in  the  shop  of 
S.  B.  McClelland,  of  Decatur,  the  firm  becoming 
McClelland  &  Kramer.  In  the  early  days  the}r 
would  manufacture  one  hundred  and  twenty  lum- 
ber wagons  per  year  by  hand,  besides  spring  wag- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


307 


ons  and  buggies,  in  addition  to  doing  an  extensive 
repairing  business.  Mr.  Kramer  used  only  the 
best  material,  and  his  workmanship  was  of  the 
finest.  Since  the  retirement  of  his  partner  some 
twelve  years  ago,  he  has  been  alone  in  busi- 
ness and  has  turned  his  attention  to  the  finer  work 
of  carriage-building.  He  shipped  one  job  lot  to 
Japan  to  the  old  Tycoon.  A  proof  of  his  excel- 
lent workmanship  is  given  in  the  fact  that  some  of 
his  wagons  have  been  used  for  over  twenty-five 
years,  and  one  for  over  thirty-two  years.  He  has 
shipped  many  wagons  and  buggies  to  Massachu- 
setts, California,  Texas,  Florida,  and  nearly  every 
State  in  the  Union.  From  the  beginning,  his  trade 
has  constantly  increased,  and  his  fine  workmanship 
has  brought  him  an  enviable  reputation. 

On  the  16th  of  November,  1855,  Mr.  Kramer 
wedded  Miss  Louisa,  daughter  of  Ludwig  and  Lou- 
isa Borchers,  of  Lockville,  Fairfield  County,  Ohio. 
They  had  four  children:  George  H.,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years;  Anna  A.,  wife  of  George  W. 
Handy,  of  West  Bay  City,  Mich.,  by  whom  she  has 
four  children:  George  F.,  Fred  W.,  Florence  G. 
and  Gilbert;  Benjamin  F.,  of  Decatur,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  Briser,  by  whom  he  has  one  daugh- 
ter, Edna  May;  and  William.  The  mother  died 
January  13,  1880.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church,  and  a  great  worker  in 
the  Sunday-school.  At  one  time  the  roll  of  schol- 
ars whom  she  had  instructed  numbered  nine  hun- 
dred. Her  life  redounded  with  deeds  of  kindness 
and  generosity,  and  the  poor  and  needy  found  in 
her  a  special  friend.  At  one  time,  she  took  a  des- 
titute little  girl  from  a  drunken  father,  clothed 
her,  and  saw  her  adopted  into  a  good  family,  where 
she  was  well  reared,  and  has  since  become  the  wife 
of  a  wealthy  man. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1881,  Mr.  Kramer  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Martha 
J.  Lockett,  daughter  of  James  W.  and  Nancy 
(Walston)  Lockett.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  hold 
membership  with  the  United  Brethren  Church,  in 
which  lie  has  held  office  for  twenty-five  years.  He 
has  long  been  Trustee,  and  he  served  as  a  lay  dele- 
gate in  the  annual  conference  for  ten  years.  In 
politics,  he  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  for  many 
years  he  has  been  a  Republican.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


Kramer  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  612  North 
Main  Street,  which  is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  its 
doors  always  being  open  for  the  reception  of  their 
many  friends. 


BRADLEY,  who  owns  and  oper- 
ates two  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section 
22,  South  Macon  Township,  is  one  of  the 
honored  pioneers  of  the  county,  and  has  witnessed 
its  growth  from  the  days  of  its  early  infancy.  He 
is  of  English  birth,  his  parents,  John  and  Ellen 
(Ogen)  Bradle}',  being  also  natives  of  England. 
The  father  followed  farming  in  that  country,  and 
there  spent  his  life  up  to  the  age  of  fifty-one.  His 
wife  passed  away  when  forty-three  years  of  age. 
In  their  family  were  nine  children,  but  six  of  the 
number  are  now  deceased.  John,  twin  brother  of 
our  subject,  is  now  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Au- 
burn, Neb.;  and  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  San- 
doin,  a  carpenter  residing  in  Macon. 

William  Bradley  was  born  in  Lancashire,  De- 
cember 8,  1822,  and  in  order  of  birth  was  the  third 
of  the  family.  The  first  fourteen  years  of  his  life 
he  spentrupon  a  farm.  His  father  died  when  he 
was  eight  years  of  age,  and  he  then  went  to  live 
with  a  farmer  in  the  neighborhood,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  some  time.  When  a  youth  of  four- 
teen, he  began  serving  a  seven-years  apprentice- 
ship at  the  wheelwright's  trade,  which  he  followed 
for  four  years  after  his  term  had  expired,  at  the 
docks  in  Liverpool.  Determining  to  seek  a  home 
and  fortune  in  the  New  World,  Mr.  Bradley  made 
preparations  to  leave  England,  and  in  1848  bade 
adieu  to  the  land  of  his  birth. 

In  1843,  our  subject  had  been  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  Sachary,  of  Cheshire,  Eng- 
land, who  with  her  child  accompanied  her  husband 
across  the  Atlantic.  Making  their  way  Westward, 
they  located  in  Monroe  County,  111.,  where  our 
subject  worked  at  his  trade  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  1859.  That  year  witnessed  his  arrival 


308 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  Macon  County.  Here  he  purchased  forty  acres 
of  wild  land  from  the  railroad,  a  wet  and  unim- 
proved tract,  seemingly  hardly  fit  for  cultivation, 
hut  hy  draining  and  improving  he  has  made  this 
one  of  the  fine  farms  of  the  township,  and  now 
two  hundred  acres  of  rich  land  yield  to  him  a 
golden  tribute.  The  famih'  circle  has  here  been 
increased  by  the  birth  of  two  children.  John,  the 
eldest,  is  a  prosperous  farmer  of  this  county; 
William  operates  the  home  farm;  and  Ellen  is  the 
wife  of  Thomas  W.  Tomlinson,  a  farmer  of  Sher- 
man County,  Kan. 

Mr.  Bradley  and  his  family  are  faithful  members 
of  the  Catholic  Church.  He  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  Democratic  party  and 
is  a  stanch  advocate  of  its  principles,  but  has  never 
been  an  aspirant  for  office.  He  has  probably  re- 
sided in  South  Macon  Township  longer  than  any 
of  its  citizens,  and  has  been  proinmentty  identified 
with  its  advancement  and  upbuilding.  His  love 
of  progress  has  made  him  deeply  interested  in 
its  welfare,  and  in  all  possible  ways  he  has  aided 
in  the  promotion  of  its  best  interests. 


ATHAN  A.  CARR,  one  of  the  representa- 
tive  farmers  and  stock-dealers  of  Pleasant 
/a  View  Township,  residing  on  section  36, 
was  born  in  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  on  the  29th  of 
March,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and 
Terssie  C.  (Garner)  Carr.  The  father,  who  was  of 
German  extraction,  was  also  a  native  of  St.  Clair 
County,  born  in  1814,  and  was  a  representative  of 
one  of  its  pioneer  families,  his  father  having  come 
from  Virginia  to  Illinois  with  an  ox-team  in  1793. 
George  Carr  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity  and  there  resided  until  1865,  when 
he  came  to  Macon  County  and  purchased  the  farm 
on  which  our  subject  now  resides.  His  death  oc- 
curred three  years  later,  in  1868,  and  he  lies  bur- 
ied in  Macon  Cemetery.  His  wife,  who  was  of  Ir- 
ish descent,  was  born  in  Arkansas,  and  aied  in  St. 
Clair  County,  111.,  in  1884.  The  subject  of  this 


sketch  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family 
of  nine  children,  numbering  five  sons  and  four 
daughters,  but  only  four  sons  are  now  living. 
Matthew  is  a  practicing  physician  residing  in  East 
St.  Louis.  111.;  James  G.  is  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising in  East  St.  Louis;  Henry  A.  is  a  surveyor 
and  real-estate  dealer  in  Washington,  and  has 
served  as  Government  Surveyor  for  a  number  of 
years. 

Until  the  age  of  twenty  years  Nathan  Carr  re- 
mained upon  the  home  farm  with  his  parents,  giv- 
ing his  father  the  benefit  of  his  services.  He  then 
left  the  parental  roof  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world,  and,  starting  out  in  life  for  himself,  he  be- 
gan work  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month.  He  came 
to  Macon  County  when  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
and  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
railroad  land,  and  as  he  had  little  capital  he  made 
tho  purchase  on  time.  He  then  began  farming  for 
himself  and  has  since  followed  that  occupation. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  1860,  Mr.  Carr  wedded 
Miss  Melissa  J.  Rittinhouse,  of  St.  Clair  County, 
and  by  their  union  were  born  ten  children,  seven 
sons  and  three  daughters,  as  follows:  Alfred  N., 
the  eldest,  a  practicing  physician  in  Jiraulco,  Mex- 
ico, who  is  assistant  surgeon  for  the  Mexican  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company;  William  G.,  who  follows 
farming  in  this  county;  Charles  Eugene,  also  an 
agriculturist  of  this  county;  Clara  M.,  at  home; 
Isaac  J.,  who  is  engaged  in  teaching  school  in 
Texas;  Seth  A.;  Dollie  M.;  Walter  A.;  Luella  L., 
the  baby;  and  Matthew  S.,  the  third  son  of  the 
family,  who  died  in  infancy.  The  children  were 
all  provided  with  good  educational  privileges, 
fitting  them  for  the  practical  duties  of  life. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Carr  is  a  Democrat 
and  a  stanch  advocate  of  the  principles  of  that 
party,  but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  entire  time  and  attention  to 
his  business  interests.  Socially,  lie  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  lodge  of  Macon,  to  which  he  has  be- 
longed for  twenty  years.  Mr.  Carr  now  owns 
seven  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  the  finest  land 
in  Macon  County.  Of  this  four  hundred  are  com- 
prised within  the  home  farm,  which  is  one  of  the 
best-improved  places  in  central  Illinois.  It  is 
well  tiled;  upon  it  is  a  pleasant  residence,  substan- 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
UR6ANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


311 


tial  barns  and  cattle  sheds,  a  good  orchard  and  all 
the  accessories  of  a  model  farm.  Mr.  Carr  is  now 
one  of  the  wealthy  farmers  of  Macon  County,  a 
position  to  which  he  has  attained  by  his  own  en- 
ergy and  labor,  as  he  started  out  in  life  empty- 
handed. 


JOHN  R.  DOUGHERTY,  who  is  now  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  general  merehandis- 
,  ing  at  No.  1160  East  Eldorado  Street,  De- 
_  catur,  is  a  self-made  man,  whose  success 
has  been  acquired  entirely  through  his  own  ef- 
forts, and  whose  life  record  should  serve  to  en- 
courage those  who  have  to  start  out  for  them- 
selves empty-hauded.  He  was  born  in  Drykmyer, 
Ayrshire,  Scotland,  March  7.  1855.  His  father 
was  killed  in  the  mines  the  day  before  the  birth 
of  our  subject,  and  his  mother  died  when  John 
was  a  lad  of  five  years.  Being  thus  left  an  orphan 
and  thrown  upon  his  resources,  he  early  began 
working  in  a  coal  mine.  Later  he  worked  in  iron 
mines  from  six  hundred  to  two  thousand  feet 
below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  at  first  receiving 
only  from  twenty-four  to  thirtj-  cents  per  day.  He 
was  thus  emplyed  between  the  ages  of  eight  and 
twenty-nine  years. 

At  length  Mr.  Dougherty  determined  to  seek  a 
home  in  the  United  States,  and,  crossing  the  At- 
lantic, became  a  resident  of  Tioga  County,  Pa., 
in  1879.  He  had  previously  been  married,  as  on 
the  25th  of  January,  1876,  at  Sorn,  in  Ayrshire, 
Scotland,  Miss  Isabella  Callander,  a  native  of 
that  place,  and  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Mc- 
Kenzie)  Callander,  had  become  his  wife.  They  have 
now  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  viz.:  Mary,  John 
and  James,  all  at  home  with  their  parents.  After 
two  months'  stay  in  Pennsylvania,  he  went  to 
Brazil,  Ind.,  but  after  six  months  returned  to  the 
coal  regions  of  Pennsylvania.  He  lived  altogether 
in  about  fifteen  different  counties  of  the  Keystone 
State,  as  he  wished  to  become  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  American 
peopK  In  July,  1881,  he  came  to  central  Illi- 

14 


nois,  but,  in  order  to  further  study  the  people,  he 
removed  to  St.  Louis, and,  securing  a  pack,  started 
out  on  the  road  as  a  peddler,  traveling  from  Mis- 
souri to  New  York.  During  this  trip  he  made 
considerable  money.  On  the  3d  of  July,  1882, 
he  came  to  Decatur,  where  he  soon  engaged  in 
coal-mining.  In  November,  of  the  same  year,  he 
returned  to  Scotland,  expecting  to  bring  his  fam- 
ily to  this  city,  but  on  reaching  America  he  made 
a  location  in  Pennsylvania,  and  it  was  not  until 
November,  1884,  that  he  once  more  arrived  in 
Decalur.  His  brother  James  was  here  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business,  and  John  soon  invested  his 
capital,  $600,  but  after  six  months  found  that  he 
had  lost  it  all. 

The  coal  mines  would  not  be  in  operation  for 
some  months  to  come,  and  Mr.  Dougherty  had  to 
find  some  kind  of  work  to  support  his  family. 
An  old  friend,  whom  he  had  known  in  his  native 
home,  took  him  to  a  well-known  man  of  means, 
A.  T.  Risley,  who  listened  to  our  subject's  story 
and  asked  him  to  call  again.  This  he  did,  and 
when  affairs  had  been  more  fully  explained,  Mr. 
Risley  said:  "Young  man,  I  feel  an  interest  in 
you,  and  believe  you  have  the  right  stuff  in  you. 
If  you  will  agree  to  pay  me  $10  per  month,  I  will 
buy  a  lot,  erect  a  suitable  building,  and  you  and 
your  wife  can  see  what  you  can  do  to  build  up  a 
trade."  The  proposition  was  accepted.  Mr.  Ris- 
ley purchased  the  lot  and  built  a  one-story  house, 
18x30  feet  in  dimensions,  in  the  east  end  of  De- 
catur. Mrs.  Dougherty  had  saved  $25,  and  with 
this  small  capital  they  secured  a  stock  of  confec- 
tionery and  cigars.  Mr.  Dougherty,  his  wife  and 
two  boys  lived  in  the  back  part  of  the  building, 
and  many  a  day  they  ate  nothing  but  bread  and 
water  in  order  to  meet  the  payment  of  $10  per 
month.  When  work  in  the  coal  mines  re-opened, 
Mr.  Dougherty  secured  a  position,  and  his  wife 
remained  in  charge  of  the  store.  He  was  thus 
employed  for  two  winters,  during  which  time 
the}'  paid  off  almost  their  entire  indebtedness  to 
Mr.  Risley,  and  also  largely  increased  their  stock. 

Hardships  and  difficulties  untold  were  at  first 
encountered,  but  our  subject  and  his  wife  pressed 
on,  laboring  early  and  late.  As  their  trade  in- 
creased, they  enlarged  their  facilities.  During 


312 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


all  this  time  Mr.  Risley  has  stood  by  them,  and  in 
1892  he  erected  a  fine  double-front  four-story 
brick  block,  containing  thirty-four  rooms,  at  a 
cost  of  $20,000.  Mr.  Dougherty  now  occupies  the 
fine  double  storeroom  on  the  ground  floor  in  that 
building  and  carries  an  excellent  line  of  gen- 
eral merchandise  in  one  room,  while  the  other  is 
used  as  a  sample-room.  By  constant  attention  to 
business  and  a  careful  oversight  of  all  its  details, 
he  has  won  success,  and  his  trade  amounts  to 
more  than  $25,000  annually.  He  found  in  Mr. 
Risley  a  friend  in  need,  and  feels  that  he  owes 
to  him  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  which  can  never 
be  repaid  for  his  timely  assistance  in  the  days  of 
his  adversity,  but  more  than  all  he  is  indebted  to 
his  noble  wife,  who  has  indeed  proved  a  faithful 
companion  and  helpmate. 


E  MANUEL  GOOD,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  19,  Decatur  Township,  is  one  of  the 
:B  -t)  honored  veterans  of  the  late  war.  As  a 
faithful  soldier  he  wore  the  blue,  and  aided  in  the 
defense  and  preservation  of  the  Union,  and  his 
name  deserves  to  be  enrolled  among  the  deliverers 
of  his  country.  He'was  born  in  York  County, Pa., 
and  is  of  German  and  Scotch-Irish  descent.  His 
paternal  great-grandfather  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many and  the  founder  of  the  family  in  America. 
Christian  Good,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  York  County,  Pa.,  in  1808,  and  spent  his 
entire  life  in  the  Keystone  State,  where,  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  good  business  abilit_y,  he  became  a  well- 
to-do  man.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Dunkard 
Church,  and  took  a  very  active  part  in  church 
work.  lie  wedded  Miss  Mary  Zorger,  a  native  of 
the  same  locality,  who  died  in  1847,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-seven  years,  in  the  faith  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  with  which  she  held  membership. 
The  father  passed  away  in  1858.  He  was  again 
married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Polly 
Home.  By  his  first  marriage  he  had  six  children, 
who  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood.  George 


became  a  pioneer  of  California,  and  was  the  first 
Sheriff  in  Oregon.  He  was  Captain  of  the  first 
regiment  of  California  volunteers  organized  for 
protection  against  the  red  men,  and  was  killed  by 
the  Blackfeet  Indians  in  the  year  1851.  Mrs.  Eliza 
Copenhafer  is  living  in  Michigan.  Emanuel  is  the 
next  younger.  Mrs.  Mary  Leader  makes  her  home 
in  Pennsylvania.  Ephraim  is  a  dealer  in  lime  in 
Lancaster  Count3',  Pa.  Christian,  who  enlisted 
in  the  Fifty-fourth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  was 
killed  at  Antietam  in  the  first  charge  of  the  first 
and  only  battle  in  which  lie  served.  John,  who 
served  throughout  the  war  as  a  member  of  the 
Fifty-fourth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  is  now  living 
in  Wisconsin. 

Phnanuel  Good  was  mostly  educated  in  the  sub- 
scription schools,  for  during  his  early  boyhood 
there  was  much  opposition  to  free  schools,  and 
people  would  take  possession  of  them  by  the  aid 
of  muskets.  Mr.  Good,  however,  has  read  consid- 
erably, and  by  observation  and  experience  has 
also  gained  a  good  deal  of  information.  His  train- 
ing in  farm  labor  was  not  limited,  being  early  in- 
ured to  the  arduous  labor  of  developing  land,  and 
he  soon  learned  to  swing  the  axe  and  cradle  and 
became  an  expert  in  that  line.  In  1858,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two  J'ears.  he  came  to  Decatur,  and 
in  Macon  County  began  work  as  a  farm  hand.  He 
had  only  received  $6  per  month  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  his  wages  of  $12  and  $15  in  this  county  seemed 
very  good  indeed.  Here  he  married  Miss  Anna 
Mary  Good,  a  daughter  of  John  Good,  who  has 
been  to  him  a  true  companion  and  helpmate.  She 
was  born  in  Macon  County,  and  their  marriage 
was  celebrated  February  7,  1860. 

On  the  6th  of  August,  1861,  Mr.  Good  bade 
adieu  to  his  wife,  and  in  Decatur  enlisted  for  the 
late  war  as  a  member  of  Company  B,  Forty-first 
Illinois  Infantry,  under  Capt.  A.  B.  Lee  and  Col. 
I.  C.  Pugh.  After  being  drilled  at  Camp  Macon, 
the  troops  were  ordered  to  St.  Louis  to  protect  the 
arsenal.  Mr.  Good  served  under  Fremont  at  Marine 
Hospital,  later  was  at  Bird's  Point,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Ft.  Henry  and  Ft.  Donelson, 
in  which  the  regiment  lost  heavilj1.  Our  subject 
lay  on  the  freezing  ground  for  four  nights,  and 
eighty  men  died  from  exposure.  The  regiment 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


313 


lost  heavily  in  the  two  days'  battle  of  Pittsburgh 
Landing  and  again  suffered  greatly  from  exposure. 
The  hardships  of  army  life  undermined  the  health 
of  our  subject,  and  in  1862  he  was  discharged.  He 
weighed  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  pounds  when 
he  entered  the  service  and  ninety-five  on  leaving 
it,  and  for  almost  a  year  afterward  he  was  unable 
to  do  any  work.  He  then  bought  one  hundred 
acres  of  land,  which  with  the  aid  of  his  sons  he 
has  made  into  a  valuable  farm.  He  also  has  a 
town  lot  in  Decatur. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Good  have  been  born  the 
following  children:  Charlie,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; Sarah,  wife  of  Robert  Welch,  a  wealthy 
citizen  of  Decatur;  Maggie,  wife  of  Thomas  Mor- 
ris, of  this  county;  Laura,  wife  of  Amos  Westha- 
fer,  an  extensive  farmer  living  in  Decatur  Town- 
ship; James,  who  operates  the  home  farm;  Rose, 
of  Streator,  111.;  John,  of  Iowa;  Lillie,  at  home; 
Ida,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  and  Earl, 
who  completes  the  family.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Salem  Baptist  Church,  and  Mr.  Good  is 
connected  with  the  Macon  County  Veteran  Asso- 
ciation. He  voted  for  Douglas  in  1860,  but 
since  that  time  has  been  a  stalwart  Republican. 
However,  he  has  never  sought  or  desired  public 
office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  interests. 


HILTON  CASSELL  is  a  wide-awake  and 
prominent  young  farmer  of  Macon  County, 
resi(linS  on  section  li  Decatur  Township. 
He  comes  of  one  of  the  worthy  pioneer 
families  of  the  community,  and  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  this  locality.  He  is  a  popular  citi- 
zen, having  many  friends,  and  by  his  well-spent 
life  he  has  gained  the  high  regard  of  all.  He  was 
born  in  the  county  seat  on  the  20th  of  March, 
1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Berry  H.  Cassell,  a  sketch  of 
whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed  in  the  city 
Of  his  birth,  and  his  early  education,  acquired  in 


the  public  schools,  was  supplemented  by  a  course 
of  study  in  the  Normal  School,  of  Bloomington, 
111.,  from  which  he  was  graduated  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Cassell 
occurred  on  the  18th  of  March,  1872,  when  was 
celebrated  his  marriage  with  Miss  Fannie  W.  Har- 
rison, the  wedding  ceremony  being  performed  in 
Clinton.  The  lady  is  a  native  of  Ross  County, 
Ohio,  and  is  a  distant  relative  of  President  Har- 
rison's family.  Her  parents  were  Matthew  and 
Lydia  A.  Harrison.  The  father  died  some  thirty 
years  ago,  but  the  mother  is  still  living  and  makes 
her  home  in  Decatur.  Her  maiden  name  was 
Lydia  A.  Plummer,  and  she  too  was  born  in  Ross 
County,  Ohio.  In  the  Harrison  family  the  fol- 
lowing children  grew  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, namely:  Mrs.  Lize  E.  Baugher,  of  Decatur; 
Mrs.  Sarah  Wilt,  of  Warrensburg,  111.;  Matthew  M., 
who  resides  in  Hickory  Point  Township;  Joseph 
II.,  a  resident  farmer  of  Missouri;  Mary  J.,  wife  of 
William  K.  Lintner,  of  Missouri;  James  and  Will- 
iam, both  of  whom  enlisted  for  the  late  war  as 
members  of  an  Ohio  regiment  and  died  in  Libby 
Prison;  and  Fannie  W.,  the  wife  of  our  subject. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cassell  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  the  farm  where  they  still  reside,  and  their 
home  has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  three 
children:  Lewis  B.,  born  February  24,  1873;  Fred 
R.,  born  September  29,  1876;  and  Otto  D.,  born 
July  27,  1881.  They  also  have  an  adopted  daugh- 
ter, Pearl  Ada,  who  has  now  been  with  them  for 
three  years,  and  on  March  20,  1893,  celebrated  her 
fifth  birthday. 

Mr.  Cassell  owns  and  operates  two  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land,  including  some  of  the  fin- 
est farming  land  in  the  county.  He  has  a  well- 
developed  and  improved  place,  and  the  fertile 
fields  yield  to  him  an  excellent  income.  His  land 
is  valued  at  from  $200  to  $250  per  acre,  and  this, 
together  with  his  valuable  stock  and  houses  and 
lots  in  Decatur,  places  him  among  the  leading  fi- 
nancial men  in  this  county.  Though  comparatively 
a  young  man,  he  has  made  the  most  of  his  advan- 
tages, and  his  wealth  is  rated  at  about  $50,000.  He 
is  giving  his  children  excellent  educational  ad- 
vantages, and  having  himself  entered  into  the 


314 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


joys  of  literary  lore  be  desires  his  children  to 
have  those  delights  in  a  tar  greater  degree,  if  pos- 
sible. In  politics,  he  has  been  a  stalwart  Republi- 
can since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln.  Socially,  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  .  His  wife  belongs  to  the 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Cassell 
manifested  his  loyalty  to  the  Government  during 
the  late  war  by  enlisting  for  the  one  hundred 
days'  service,  but  on  account  of  his  youth  his 
father  would  not  let  him  serve.  He  has  ever  been 
a  faithful  citizen,  is  true  to  every  public  and 
private  trust,  and  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrit}'. 


ATTHIAS  ECKERT,  who  resides  on  his 
farm  on  section  9,  Decatur  Township,  is 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Ma- 
con  County,  having  for  many  years  been 
identified  with  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  community.  He  has  witnessed  the  upbuilding 
of  Decatur  from  a  hamlet  with  a  few  cabins  to  a 
thriving  city  that  ranks  among  the  foremost  in 
the  State.  He  has  seen  the  wild  lands  transformed 
into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  churches  and 
schools  built,  and  the  work  of  progress  and  de- 
velopment carried  forward,  until  the  county  of  to- 
day bears  little  resemblance  to  the  Macon  County 
in  which  he  first  located. 

Mr.  Eckert  was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  March 
21,  1822.  His  father,  Michael  Eckert,  spent  his 
entire  life  in  that  country  and  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming.  He  married  Barbara  Kumerer, 
who  also  died  in  German y.  They  were  members 
of  the  Evangelical  Protestant  Church,  and  were 
the  parents  of  five  sons  and  five  daughters.  John, 
who  served  three  years  in  the  Twenty-first  Illinois 
Infantry,  died  in  this  country,  and  Jacob  died  in 
Mattoon,  111. 

Our  subject  is  the  only  son  now  living.  He 
grew  up  in  the  village  of  Hach,  and  was  educated 


in  subscription  schools,  which  he  attended  between 
the  ages  of  six  and  fourteen  years.  He  became 
foreman  of  the  estate  of  the  Governor  of  Baden, 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  entered  the  army,  be- 
coming one  of  the  body-guard  of  the  Governor, 
and  remaining  in  the  service  for  nine  years.  He 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution  of  1848. 
After  his  discharge  he  stayed  on  the  King's  estate 
for  four  years,  and  in  1854  came  to  America,  sail- 
ing from  Havre  to  New  York.  They  were  fifty-six 
days  on  the  water,  the  passage  being  a  very  stormy 
one,  and  lightning  once  striking  the  ship.  During 
the  voyage  our  subject  had  an  attack  of  small-pox. 
He  and  his  wife  and  his  brother  secured  service  in 
the  homes  of  Mr.  Hahn  and  Mr.  Ingersoll,  rich 
business  men  of  New  York,  who  lived  near  that 
city.  On  coming  West,  our  subject  spent  two 
years  in  a  foundry  at  Springfield,  and  later  went 
to  Peoria,  111.,  where  he  spent  one  year.  In  the 
former  place  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  Barbara  Rieflen,  of  New  York  City,  a  cul- 
tured lady,  who  was  educated  in  German  and 
Latin  and  had  educated  herself  in  the  English 
tongue.  The  ceremony  took  place  May  26,  1855. 

After  leaving  Peoria,  our  subject  came  to  De- 
catur, at  which  time  he  had  only  $80  in  money. 
Steadily  he  increased  his  possessions  until  his  farm 
property  is  now  worth  $20,000.  His  first  home 
was  a  log  cabin,  situated  on  a  poorly-improved 
tract  of  land,  but  he  at  once  began  its  develop- 
ment and  placed  under  cultivation  over  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres.  Part  of  this  he  has  since 
sold,  but  he  still  owns  sixty  acres.  In  connection 
with  general  farming,  he  has  engaged  in  raising 
fruit  and  vegetables.  In  all  his  labors  he  has 
found  a  faithful  companion  and  helpmate  in  his 
worthy  wife,  who  has  even  shared  in  the  labors  of 
the  field,  doing  all  she  could  to  promote  her  hus- 
band's prosperity. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eckert  were  born  five  chil- 
dren: William,  who  was  born  October  26,  1858; 
Mary,  wife  of  John  Hiser,  by  whom  she  has  two 
children,  Anna  B.  and  Francis  Henry;  Francis 
Henry,  a  conductor  on  the  Wabash  Railroad; 
Charlie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years,  and  one 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  parents  are  both  peo- 
ple of  sterling  worth,  and  are  highly  respected 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


315 


throughout  the  community  in  which  they  have 
made  their  home  for  so  many  years.  The  lady  is 
a  member  of  the  German  Methodist  Church.  Mr. 
Kckert  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  in  1856, sup- 
porting the  Republican  party,  with  which  he  affili- 
ated for  some  time.  He  is  now,  however,  inde- 
pendent in  politics.  He  has  been  honored  with 
several  local  oflices,  the  duties  of  which  he  has 
discharged  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  Since 
coming  to  this  country,  he  has  won  success  in  his 
business  undertakings  and  has  so  ably  managed 
his  affairs  that  he  is  now  in  possession  of  a  com- 
fortable competence,  which  is  richly  merited. 


I  DWARD  A.  JONES,  who  for  many  years  has 
been  numbered  among  the  leading  agricul- 
turists of  Macon  County,  now  resides  on 
section  3,  Decatur  Township.  He  claims  Ohio  as 
the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Madison  County,  February  20, 1818.  He  comes 
of  an  old  family  of  Maryland,  his  parents,  Thomas 
and  Mary  Dale  (Truitt)  Jones,  both  being  natives 
of  that  State.  In  1816  they  emigrated  to  Ohio, 
where  the  father  opened  up  a  farm.  Mr.  Jones 
served  as  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  for  a  number 
of  years  and  was  a  prominent  and  influential  cit- 
izen. The  family  numbered  eight  children,  of 
whom  three  are  now  living  in  Illinois.  Dr.  Toland 
Jones  has  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  the  medical  profession  in  London.  Ohio.  Ad- 
dison  is  a  farmer  of  that  place.  Mrs.  Eliza  Smith 
is  living  in  San  Jose,  Cal.  James,  who  came  to 
Illinois  at  an  early  day  and  was  associated  with 
our  subject  in  raising  cattle,  went  to  California  in 
1876,  and  died  at  his  home  in  San  Jose  in  July, 
1890,  leaving  two  sons,  who  now  reside  in  that 
State.  John  E.  came  to  Illinois  in  1855  and,  enter- 
ing land  from  the  Government,  developed  a  farm. 
He  served  throughout  the  war  as  Quartermaster  of 
the  Twenty-first  Illinois  Int'antiy,  and  his  death 
has  since  occurred  in  Macon  County.  Dr.  Jones, 


of  Ohio,  was  also  a  soldier  and  served  as  Colonel 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Ohio  Infantry. 

During  the  boyhood  of  our  subject,  he  acquired 
his  education  in  a  log  schoolhouse,  or  rather  re- 
ceived some  instruction  in  the  common  branches, 
for  his  real  education  has  been  mainly  acquired 
through  experience  and  observation.  Possessing 
an  observing  eye  and  retentive  memory,  he  has 
become  well  informed.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
entered  a  store  as  a  clerk,  and  has  since  made  his 
own  way  in  the  world.  He  spent  about  seven 
years  as  a  salesman,  and  then  began  driving  cattle 
to  market  in  the  East.  He  first  visited  Illinois  in 
1887,  and  usually  came  each  year  from  that  time 
on  until  1854,  when  he  made  a  permanent  settle- 
ment in  Macon  County.  He  secured  land  from 
the  Government  and  by  his  arduous  labors  placed 
it  under  the  plow,  and  it  has  since  been  made 
to  yield  him  abundant  harvests.  He  made  many 
improvements  upon  his  farm,  but  has  disposed 
of  much  of  his  land  and  is  now  living  retired. 
His  home,  a  commodious  and  pleasant  residence,  is 
one  of  the  many  excellent  improvements  he  has 
made  upon  his  place. 

In  July,  1852,  in  Springfield,  111.,  Mr.  Jones  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margery  F.  Elkin,  a 
native  of  the  capital  city  and  a  daughter  of  Col. 
William  F.  Elkin,  who  won  his  title  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War.  Her  father  removed  from  Kentucky 
to  Illinois  in  1825,  and  became  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Sangamon  County.  He  was  born  in 
Clark  County,  Ky..  in  1792,  and  died  in  1881,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  He  had  served  as 
Sheriff  of  the  county,  and  as  a  member  of  the  Illi- 
nois Legislature,  during  which  time  he  was  one  of 
the  famous  ''Long  Nine."  In  the  Black  Hawk 
War  he  was  in  the  same  regiment  with  Abraham 
Lincoln.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Elizabeth  Constant,  was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky. 
Two  of  their  sons,  Thomas  and  Garrett,  are  retired 
business  men  of  Springfield.  Mrs.  Jones  was  born 
on  the  homestead  farm  on  Fancy  Creek,  eight 
miles  north  of  Springfield. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  have  been  born  three 
daughters:  Luella,  wife  of  Charles  Reynolds,  of 
Denver,  Colo.;  Ida  T.,  at  home;  and  Hathaway, 
wife  of  Theron  A.  Powers,  of  Decatur.  They  were 


316 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


educated  in  the  High  School  of  that  city,  and  in 
Lake  Forest  and  Highland  Park,  111.  The  family 
is  one  of  culture  and  refinement  and  in  social  cir- 
cles its  members  hold  high  rank.  Mr.  Jones  cast 
his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen.  Harrison,  or 
rather  attempted  to  while  driving  cattle  through 
Indiana.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Whig  and  since 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  has  been 
one  of  its  stanch  supporters.  He  may  truly  be 
called  a  self-made  man,  for  since  his  thirteenth 
year  he  has  fought  the  battle  of  life  unaided,  and 
whatever  success  he  has  achieved  is  due  entirely 
to  his  own  efforts.  His  career  has  been  a  busy 
and  useful  one,  and  step  by  step  he  has  worked  his 
way  upward,  overcoming  the  difficulties  and  ob- 
stacles in  his  path,  until  he  has  reached  a  position 
of  wealth  and  affluence  and  is  now  living  a  retired 
life. 


ENRY  SHLAUDEMAN  is  numbered  among 
'  the  early  settlers  of  Decatur,  having  long 
made  his  home  in  this  community,  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  its  leading  business 
men,  having  been  a  promoter  of  many  of  the 
most  important  industries  of  Macon  County.  He 
is  now  President  of  the  Decatur  Brewing  Company 
and  a  stockholder  in  many  enterprises.  He  was 
born  in  Oldenburg,  Germany,  January  13,  1834, 
and  when  a  youth  of  twelve  summers  came  to  the 
United  States,  in  1846.  He  was  brought  by  his 
parents,  John  and  Elizabeth  Shlaudeman,  who  on 
reaching  the  New  World  took  up  their  residence 
in  Cincinnati.  Thece  Henry  learned  the  trade  of 
a  tinner  and  coppersmith,  serving  an  apprentice- 
ship of  three  years,  after  which  he  worked  at  the 
business  for  five  years  in  Cincinnati,  Hamilton 
and  Logansport,  Ind.  He  then  engaged  in  the 
tobacco  business  in  the  last-named  place,  after 
which  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  one  year  in 
Terre  Haute.  It  was  in  1858  that  he  came  to  De- 
catur an'd  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Joseph 
Michel  &  Co.  He  here  engaged  in  the  cigar  and 


tobacco  trade  from  1858  until  1862.  On  coming 
to  Decatur  he  had  but  a  very  limited  capital,  but 
had  done  well  in  the  tobacco  business,  and  in  1862 
was  enabled  to  purchase  a  half-interest  in  the 
brewery  business  owned  by  Edward  Harpstrite. 
The  firm  of  Harpstrite  &  Shlaudeman  was  formed 
and  the  connection  was  continued  until  the  re- 
tirement of  Mr.  Harpstrite  on  the  1st  of  October, 
1884.  Our  subject  then  continued  alone  in  the 
business  until  1888,  when  the  company  was  incor- 
porated as  the  Decatur  Brewing  Companj',  and  he 
became  its  President.  The  business  has  been 
greatly  increased,  and,  owing  to  the  good  manage- 
ment of  our  subject,  has  yielded  an  excellent 
income. 

Other  business  enterprises  have  engrossed  the 
attention  of  Mr.  Shlaudeman,  who,  as  before  stated, 
has  been  prominent  in  business  circles.  In  1888, 
he  established  an  ice  factory.  He  is  a  large  stock- 
holder in  the  Decatur  Coal  Company  and  one  of 
its  Directors,  is  a  Director  of  the  Niantic  Coal 
Company,  also  of  the  Hatfield  Milling  Company, 
and  of  the  Decatur  Gas  Light  and  Coal  Company. 
In  the  National  Bank  he  holds  some  stock  and  is 
also  one  of  its  Directors.  He  has  extensive  real- 
estate  interests  in  the  city,  and  in  1892  erected  a 
business  block,  a  three-story  brick  on  North  Water 
Street. 

The  lady  who  bears  the  title  of  Mrs.  Shlaudeman 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Caroline  Weisman. 
She  was  born  in  Germany  but  was  reared  to  woman- 
hood in  the  United  States.  Their  marriage  was 
celebrated  in  Logansport,  Ind.,  January  25,  1855, 
and  her  death  occurred  March  31,  1883.  Unto 
them  were  born  four  children:  Frank,  who  is 
Vice-President  and  manager  of  the  Decatur  Brew- 
ing Company;  Harry,  who  is  Secretary  and 
Treasurer;  Lillie,  wife  of  Alex  McGorry,  Superin- 
tendent of  the  ice  works;  and  Maud,  at  home.  Mr. 
Shlaudeman  was  married  a  second  time,  November 
11,  1890,  this  union  being  with  Mrs.  Catherine 
Snyder,  widow  of  Frederick  Snyder,  a  well-known 
man  of  Decatur.  Her  maiden  name  was  Goby  and 
she  was  born  in  Lothringen,  Germany. 

Socially,  Mr.  Shlaudeman  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  he  has  held  all  the  offices 
in  the  Blue  Lodge.  He  has  been  an  active  member 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


317 


of  the  Turnverein.  In  politics,  he  was  formerly  a 
Republican  and  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont,  the 
first  Presidential  candidate  of  that  party,  but 
since  1872  he  has  alh'liated  with  no  political  organ- 
ization. He  has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  entire  attention  to  his 
business  interests,  in  which  he  lias  met  with  excel- 
lent success. 


F.  HOPKINS,  a  well-known  business  man 
of  Maeon  County,  is  now  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandising  in  Elwin,  and  is  a 
dealer  in  groceries,  glass  and  queensware, 
notions,  stationery,  school  supplies,  candy,  cigars, 
tobacco,  patent  medicines,  hardware,  grain  and 
coal.  He  always  keeps  on  hand  a  good  stock,  and 
is  now  doing  a  thriving  business,  enjoying  a  lib- 
eral patronage,  which  he  well  deserves.  He  has 
been  engaged  in  this  line  since  1866,  and  has  met 
success  as  the  result  of  his  well-directed  efforts,  his 
industry  and  enterprise. 

The  life  record  of  Mr.  Hopkins  is  as  follows: 
He  was  born  near  Circleville,  Ohio,  January  8, 
1841,  and  comes  of  an  old  family  of  New  Jersey, 
where  his  grandfather  was  born.  The  latter, 
David  Hopkins,  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Ohio, 
and  married  Catherine  Raub,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. In  1851,  they  came  to  Illinois,  locating 
four  miles  soutli  of  Decatur,  on  the  Martin  Farm. 
They  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in  this 
Community,  where  the  father  was  a  successful 
agriculturist  and  stock-raiser.  He  died  in  1870, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four,  and  his  wife  died  at  the 
same  age  in  1874.  Mr.  Hopkins  held  some  local 
olHces  and  was  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Whig  and  afterwards  a  Re- 
publican. The  cause  of  temperance  found  in  him 
a  warm  friend,  and  he  was  an  untiring  worker  in 
the  interests  of  the  Sunday-school.  He  was  a 
charter  member  and  faithful  worker  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  Decatur,  and  was  President  of 
the  Bible  Society  of  his  township.  One  of  na- 


ture's noblemen,  his  death  was  widely  mourned. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hopkins  were  the  parents  of  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Lydia,  wife  of  H.  H.  McKee,  of 
Joplin,  Mo.;  A.  F.,  of  this  sketch;  Mrs.  Kate  Bea- 
dles, of  Lake  City,  111.,  President  of  the  Third  Dis- 
trict Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  and  a 
prominent  worker  in  that  organization;  and  Sam- 
uel, who  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  and  is  a 
prominent  worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  Sunday-school.  They  also  adopted  a 
daughter,  Nancy  Eager,  who  became  the  wife  of 
C.  E.  Conrad,  and  is  now  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  lad  of  eleven 
years  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  traveling  by  boat, 
rail  and  team.  He  attended  the  primitive  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  but  completed  his  education 
in  Mt.  Zion  Academy,  when  twenty  years  of  age. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  teaching,  which 
profession  he  followed  for  some  time.  On  the  9th 
of  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  at  Mt.  Zion  in  Com- 
pany C,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. The  regiment  was  assembled  at  Camp 
Macon,  and  on  the  25th  of  October  went  to  Cairo 
and  from  there  to  Memphis,  Tenn.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  first  attack  on  Vicksburg,  and  then 
went  to  Helena,  Ark.,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Arkansas  Post,  where  seven  thousand  pris- 
oners were  captured.  Returning  to  Vicksburg,  he 
helped  to  build  the  Grant  Canal  across  Young's 
Point.  For  forty  days  he  aided  in  besieging 
Vicksburg,  and  saw  the  surrender  of  twenty-seven 
thousand  prisoners.  He  participated  in  the  battle 
of  Jackson,  where  he  was  serving  as  Quarter- 
master-Sergeant. He  was  under  fire  at  Chatta- 
nooga, Mission  Ridge  and  in  the  battles  of  the  At- 
lanta campaign  and  Resaca,  and  took  part  in  the 
engagements  at  Atlanta,  Big  Shanty  and  Kenesaw 
Mountain.  After  the  fall  of  Atlanta  he  came 
home  on  a  furlough,  but  later  rejoined  Sherman  at 
Goldsboro,  N.  C.  When  the  war  was  over  he  par- 
ticipated in  the  Grand  Review  at  Washington,  and 
was  discharged  in  the  Capitol  City  in  June,  1865, 
after  three  years  of  faithful  and  honorable  serv- 
ice. 

Mr.  Hopkins  at  once  returned  to  his  home,  and 
on  the  1st  of  November,  1865,  wedded  Miss  Mol- 
lie  E.  Price,  who  came  to  Illinois  from  Butler 


318 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


County,  Ohio,  in  1858.  Their  wedding  tour  con- 
sisted in  visiting  their  old  homes  in  the  Buckeye 
State,  and  after  their  return  they  located  in  El- 
win,  where,  in  1866,  Mr.  Hopkins  built  a  store 
and  opened  a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  Their 
home  was  blessed  with  four  children,  two  of 
whom  are  living:  Lula  J.,  who  was  educated  in 
Westfield  College,  and  is  the  wife  of  B.  L.  Rose- 
braugh,  of  Decatur;  and  Orion  D.,  who  assists  his 
father  in  his  business.  He  was  also  a  student  in 
Westflcld  College  for  a  year. 

Mr.  Hopkins'  business  career  has  been  one  of 
prosperity  and  he  is  truly  a  self-made  man.  Him- 
self and  family  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church,  and  are  highly  respected  people,  widely 
and  favorably  known.  He  is  now  serving  as  Vice- 
President  of  the  Macon  County  Sunday-school 
Association,  was  its  President  two  years,  and  has 
been  Trustee  of  Westfield  College  for  about  twelve 
years.  After  serving  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
eight  years,  he  resigned  the  office.  In  1864,  he 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Lincoln,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  was  a  Republican,  but  is  now  a 
stanch  Prohibitionist  and  a  most  ardent  supporter 
of  the  cause  of  temperance.  His  wife  and  daugh- 
ter are  both  workers  in  the  Woman's  Christian 
Temperance  Union.  Mr.  Hopkins  is  a  pleasant, 
genial  gentleman  and  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity.  He  is  alike  true  to  every  public 
and  private  trust,  and  discharges  his  duties  of 
citizenship  with  the  same  fidelity  that  led  him  to 
serve  for  three  years  with  the  boys  of  blue,  aiding 
in  the  defense  of  his  country  and  faithfully  fol- 
lowing the  Old  Flag  which  now  floats  so  proudly 
over  the  united  nation. 


PRANK  H.  GOLEM  AN,  who  now  owns  and 
operates  two  hundred  and  eight  acres  of 
valuable  land  on  section  35,  Blue   Mound 
Township,  was  born  on  the  9th  of  January,  1830, 
in    Cumberland    County,    Ky.,   and  is  descended 
from  one  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes,  his  Grand- 


father Cliff  having  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War 
for  Independence.  His  wife's  grandfather,  Mr.  Park, 
was  also  a  valiant  defender  of  his  country,  having 
served  as  a  Captain  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  par- 
ents of  our  subject  were  James  M.  and  Mary  (Cliff) 
Coleman.  The  family  is  of  English  extraction  and 
was  founded  in  America  by  James  Coleman,  the 
paternal  grandfather,  who  was  a  native  of  England. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Culpeper 
County,  Va.,  in  March,  1782,  and  throughout  his 
life  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  When  a 
young  man  he  went  to  Kentucky,  and  there  spent 
his,  remaining  days,  dying  in  September,  1858. 
His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Maryland,  January  16, 
1790,  long  survived  him  and  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  in  1880.  Their  family  numbered  fifteen  chil- 
dren, but  only  three  are  now  living:  L.  B.,  a  farmer 
of  Kenton  County,  Ky.;  Rebecca,  wife  of  Samuel 
Banister, an  agriculturist  of  Kentucky;  and  Frank, 
of  this  sketch. 

Our  subject  was  the  youngest  of  the  famity.  He 
remained  upon  the  home  farm  until  thirty-three 
years  of  age,  but  in  the  mean  time  acquired  a  good 
education  and  engaged  in  teaching  school  for  two 
terms.  On  leaving  the  State  of  his  nativity,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Randolph  Count3r, 
where  he  taught  school  for  six  months.  He  then 
sought  a  home  in  Macon  County,  where  he  has 
since  been  engaged  in  farming.  As  a  companion 
and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Cath- 
erine Park,  their  union  being  celebrated  October 
11,  1863.  The  lady  was  born  in  Virginia,  on  the 
8th  of  December,  1836,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  Park,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Virginia,  the  former  being  of  English  descent  and 
the  latter  of  German  extraction.  The  year  1846 
witnessed  their  arrival  in  Macon  County,  where 
Mr.  Park  purchased  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  which  he  transformed  into  a  good  farm. 
His  death  occurred  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
six  years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1852,  when 
sixty  years  of  age. 

Five  children  have  been  born  of  the  union  of 
our  subjectand  his  wife,  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, but  two  died  in  infancy.  The  eldest,  Robert 
H.,  is  an  electrician  living  in  Chicago.  Edgar  Park 
is  a  highly  educated  young  man,  a  graduate  of 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


321 


Stanford  University.  Mabel  is  still  attending  the 
public  schools.  Mr.  Coleman  received  but  limited 
educational  advantages,  as  he  lived  in  a  new  com- 
munity, where  the  schools  were  not  well  organized, 
and  he  determined  that  his  children  should  receive 
good  privileges  in  that  direction,  and  thus  become 
fitted  for  the  practical  duties  of  life. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Coleman  is  a  stanch 
Democrat,  and  has  been  called  upon  to  fill  a  num- 
ber of  public  offices.  He  served  as  Clerk  of  his 
township  for  a  number  of  years,  was  Supervisor 
for  three  terms,  and  has  been  School  Director  for 
twenty-six  years.  Fidelity  and  promptness  in  the 
discharge  of  duty  have  characterized  his  official  life 
and  he  has  therefore  won  the  commendation  of  all 
concerned.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  Ionic 
Lodge  No.  364,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Decatur.  Mr. 
Coleman  is  regarded  as  a  man  of  strict  integrity, 
upright  and  honorable  in  all  things,  and  is  classed 
among  the  enterprising  and  progressive  agricul- 
turists of  this  community. 


J"~|  AMES  DONNELL  WHEELER,  M.  D.,  who 
I    has  been  engaged   in   the  practice  of  the 
I    medical  profession  in  Decatur  for  the  past 
_^      thirteen  years,  during  which   time  he  has 
built  up  a  good   business,  was  born  in   Bellefon- 
taine,  Ohio,  June  1,  1836.     His  parents  were  John 
and  Margaret  (Donnell)  Wheeler.     The  paternal 
grandfather  died  in  England,  his  native  land,  at  a 
very  old  age.     The  maternal  grandfather,  William 
Donnell,  reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-nine 
years  and  became  quite  well-to-do.     He  was  a  pop- 
ular and   prominent  citizen  and  for  many  years 
served  as  Postmaster  of  a  town  in  Hardin  County, 
Ohio. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  England, 
and  when  a  young  man  crossed  the  briny  deep. 
At  the  time  of  his  emigration  there  was  an  em- 
bargo in  his  native  land  against  coming  to  this 
country,  but  he  made  his  way  to  Havre.  France, 
whence  with  a  party  of  sixty  he  set  sail.  In  mid- 


ocean  they  met  a  vessel  to  which  all  of  their  ef- 
fects were  transferred  and  carried  to  the  United 
States.  Thus  they  evaded  the  officers.  For  a  time 
Mr.  Wheeler  engaged  in  merchandising  in  the 
East,  and  then  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  contin- 
ued the  same  business.  In  the  Buckeye  State  he 
married  Margaret  Donnell,  who  was  there  born 
and  reared.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters.  The 
three  eldest  sons,  William  D.,  James  D.  and  Mat- 
thew S.,  all  became  physicians;  Margaret  J.  is  the 
wife  of  M.  D.  Jones;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Samuel 
Lewis;  Anna  is  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Drennan; 
and  Samuel  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  The 
parents  of  this  family  were  both  faithful  members 
of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  the  father  was  in- 
timately acquainted  with  John  Wesley,  who  often 
held  services  at  his  father's,  whose  home  was  the 
scene  of  the  famous  story,  "The  Dairyman's 
Daughter."  His  death  occurred  at  Greenville, 
111.,  about  1848,  and  his  wife,  having  survived 
him  twenty-five  years,  died  in  Ohio  in  1872. 

Dr.  Wheeler  whose  name  heads  this  record  re- 
mained in  the  State  of  his  nativity  until  eighteen 
years  of  age,  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  Greenville,  Bond  County.  His 
literary  education  was  acquired  in  Ohio,  and  he  be- 
gan studying  medicine  in  Green  ville,  entering  upon 
the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  in  December, 
1858,  and  choosing  as  the  scene  of  his  labors  Ray- 
mond, 111.,  where  he  continued  in  practice  until 
1880.  In  the  mean  time  he  took  a  course  of  study 
and  was  graduated  from  the  Eclectic  Medical  In- 
stitute, of  Cincinnati,  in  1870.  He  built  up  an 
extensive  practice  in  Raymond  and  won  a  high  rep- 
utation as  a  successful  physician.  In  1880,  he 
came  to  Decatur,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home. 

In  1860,  the  Doctor  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Martha  J.  Harris,  and  unto  them  were 
bom  two  children,  a  son  and  daughter:  Ida  and 
John.  The  latter  died  in  infancy.  The  former  is 
the  wife  of  Darius  Vigus,  manager  of  the  Colum- 
bia Manufacturing  Company,  of  Decatur.  Mrs. 
Wheeler  died  in  1872,  and  in  September,  1874, 
Dr.  Wheeler  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Georgia  Vigus,  of  Litchfield,  111., 


322 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


daughter  of  James  and  Eliza  (Barrett)  Vigus,  and 
sister  of  Dr.  Wheeler's  son-in-law. 

Our  subject  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, belonging  to  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Eclectic 
State  Medical  Association,  and  was  honored  by 
twice  being  elected  President  of  that  body.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles. 
His  liberal  patronage  is  well  merited  and  he  holds 
an  enviable  position  among  his  professional  breth- 
ren. In  the  community  where  he  now  makes  his 
home  he  is  widely  known  and  is  held  in  high  re- 
gard. 


1  OSEPH  LESLIE,  M.  D.,  who  for  twenty-five 
years  has  made  his  home  in  Elwin,  where  he 
has  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  is  a  native  of  the  Hoosier 
State,  born  in  Tippecanoe  County  in  September, 
1838.  His  father,  John  Leslie,  emigrated  to  Cerro 
Gordo,  Piatt  County,  and  died  there  about  five 
years  ago,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  He 
was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  and  removed 
to  Ohio  in  an  early  day.  The  journey  between 
the  two  places  was  made  on  foot,  and  all  of  his 
worldly  possessions  he  carried  in  a  handkerchief. 
In  1864,  he  came  to  Illinois,  where  he  lived  a  re- 
tired life  until  called  to  the  home  beyond.  In  In- 
diana he  had  married  Catherine  Mikesell,  a  lady 
of  German  descent,  who  died  in  the  winter  of  1866. 
Both  were  members  of  the  Dunkard  Church,  and 
took  an  active  part  in  its  work.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Leslie  was  a  lifelong  Democrat.  He  always  loved 
and  kept  good  horses  on  hand,  and  was  a  success- 
ful business  man,  who  acquired  a  considerable  for- 
tune. The  members  of  the  family,  including  seven 
sons  and  six  daughters,  were  Mrs.  Swenk,  ot  Cerro 
Gordo,  111.;  Andrew,  a  retired  farmer  living  in 
Cerro  Gordo;  William,  who  died  in  Indiana;  John 
and  Levi,  who  died  in  childhood;  Mrs.  Susanna 
Peck,  of  Cerro  Gordo;  Isaac,  a  farmer  of  that  place; 


Philip,  who  follows  farming  near  Frankfort.  Car- 
rol County,  Ind.;  the  Doctor;  Barbara,  deceased; 
Catherine,  of  Hot  Springs,  Ark.;  and  Lavina  and 
Sarah,  both  deceased. 

The  home  in  which  our  subject  was  reared  was 
a  primitive  log  cabin,  with  a  huge  fireplace,  and  a 
chimney  built  on  the  outside.  His  educational 
privileges  were  quite  limited  and  were  acquired  in 
a  log  schoolhouse.  with  slab  seats  and  plank  writ- 
ing-desks arranged  around  the  walls  on  pegs.  His 
training  at  farm  labor,  however,  was  not  limited, 
for  at  a  very  early  day  he  began  to  swing  the  axe 
and  cradle,  and  during  his  youth  he  made  thou- 
sands of  rails.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  began  life 
for  himself,  his  only  capital  being  a  horse,  saddle 
and  bridle,  which  were  given  him  by  his  father. 
He  never  wore  a  pair  of  boots  until  he  began  earn- 
ing his  own  money,  and  then  bought  a  pair  for 
himself.  Not  wishing  to  follow  the  life  of  an  ag- 
riculturist, he  determined  to  enter  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  in  1862  began  reading  in  the  office  of 
Dr.  M.  Brandom,  of  Transitville,  Ind.,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  three  years.  He  also  took  a  course 
of  lectures  in  the  Cincinnati  Medical  College,  and 
since  that  time  has  engaged  in  practice,  with  the 
exception  of  the  time  he  spent  in  the  army. 

The  Doctor  enlisted  in  1864  in  the  Twelfth  In- 
diana Artillery,  and  was  on  detached  service  at 
Nashville.  He  participated  in  the  battle  at  that 
place,  and  during  part  of  his  service  he  engaged 
in  medical  practice.  He  was  honorably  discharged 
at  Indianapolis  in  July,  1865,  and  then  went  to 
Cerro  Gordo,  where  he  engaged  in  practice  for  a 
year.  On  the  12th  of  September,  1866,  he  located 
in  Elwin,  where  he  has  since  remained.  During 
all  this  time  he  has  enjoyed  a  good  practice,  which 
has  steadily  increased  from  the  beginning.  His 
skill  and  ability  have  won  him  a  prominent  place 
in  the  medical  profession  of  Macon  County. 

The  Doctor  has  a  handsome  residence  and  eighty 
acres  of  land.  He  was  married  in  Indiana  to  Miss 
'Lydia  Edmonds,  a  native  of  Butler  County,  Ohio, 
their  union  being  celebrated  in  1858.  She  died  in 
December,  1882,  leaving  six  children:  Ida  Ann, 
wife  of  C.  A.  Sine,  of  Wheatland  Township;  Ed- 
ward, at  home;  Jessie,  wife  of  L.  M.  Sear,  of  Wheat- 
land  Township;  Vade  Mecum,  wife  of  Charles 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


323 


Lord,  of  Decatur;  Phidella  May,  wife  of  F.  Brurn- 
ley,  of  Macon  Township;  and  Flossie,  at  home. 
The  Doctor  was  again  married,  this  union  being 
with  Miss  Mary  C.  Rowland,  and  they  have  three 
children,  Merna  Flo,  Alma  Fay  and  Trenna. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  Decatur  Post  No. 
141,  G.  A.  R.,  and  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church.  He  cast  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  has  since 
been  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  is  a  great  lover 
of  fine  horses,  and  has  owned  and  trained  some 
very  fine  animals.  Upon  his  farm  he  has  a  track, 
and  he  hires  a  professional  trainer.  The  Doctor  is 
widely  known  in  this  community,  and  in  both  pro- 
fessional and  social  circles  ranks  high. 


WILLIAM   F.   BROOKSHIER,   one    of    the 

representative  farmers  and  an  honored  pi- 
oneer of  Macon  County,  resides  on  section 
12,  Pleasant  View  Township.  He  has  here  made 
his  home  for  more  than  thirty-five  years,  and  has 
therefore  been  an  eye-witness  of  much  of  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  county.  He  has 
also  aided  in  its  upbuilding,  and  has  ever  borne 
his  part  in  the  work  of  progress.  As  a  prominent 
citizen  of  the  community  he  well  deserves  repre- 
sentation in  this  volume. 

Mr.  Brookshier  was  born  on  the  23d  of  January, 
1833,  near  Winchester,  Clark  County,  Ky.,  and 
was  the  second  child  born  unto  Martin  and 
Amanda  (Cummings)  Brookshier.  Of  their  chil- 
dren those  now  living  are:  William,  of  this  sketch; 
Martin,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Kentucky;  Elias  H., 
a  Baptist  minister,  now  living  in  Glasgow,  Ky.; 
Overton  H.,  owner  of  a  feed  stable  in  Springfield, 
111.;  Wy ley,  a  resident  farmer  of  Kentucky;  John 
N.,  who  is  engaged  'in  farming  and  stock-raising 
in  Kentucky;  Achilles,  an  agriculturist  of  the  same 
State;  James  and  Washington  S.,  both  of  whom 
follow  the  same  pursuit  in  Kentucky;  Lucy  E. ; 
and  Amanda,  wife  of  William  Everman,  a  farmer 


and  blacksmith  of  Kentucky.  Martin  Brookshier, 
Sr.,  the  father,  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  there 
spent  his  entire  life.  By  occupation  he  was  a 
farmer,  and  for  many  years  followed  that  pursuit. 
His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  His 
wife,  who  was  born  and  lived  in  the  same  State 
and  was  of  English  extraction,  was  called  to  her 
final  rest  when  seventy-four  years  of  age. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  left  home  to 
earn  his  own  livelihood.  Hiring  out  as  a  farm 
hand  for  two  years,  he  received  $70  per  year  as  a 
compensation  for  his  services.  He  then  worked 
for  three  years  in  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  only  re- 
ceived $100  for  his  first  two  years'  work.  Leav- 
ing Ohio,  he  removed  to  Indiana,  where  he  worked 
by  the  month  on  a  farm  until  1857.  That  year 
witnessed  his  arrival  in  Decatur,  Macon  County. 
After  paying  his  board  he  had  only  fifty-seven 
cents  remaining,  so  in  order  to  provide  for  his 
support  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  1857,  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Hurst,  of 
Christian  County,  111.,  and  upon  a  rented  farm 
they  began  their  domestic  life.  Mr.  Brookshier 
continued  to  operate  rented  land  until  1861,  when 
he  purchased  forty  acres  of  prairie  land  in  Pleas- 
ant View  Township.  This  tract  was  located  on  a 
high  strip  of  land  called  Pleasant  View,  and  when 
the  township  was  set  off  our  subject  gave  to  it  the 
name  that  it  now  bears.  He  has  since  engaged  in 
farming  here,  and  his  well-directed  efforts  have 
brought  him  success.  In  1868,  he  was  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died, 
leaving  four  children.  The  eldest,  Lola  May,  is 
now  the  wife  of  James  Chapman,  a  farmer  of  Ma- 
con County;  Benedict  M.  is  engaged  in  the  real- 
estate  business  in  Decatur;  Barbara  is  the  wife  of 
William  Gordon,  of  Christian  County;  and  Ellen 
died  in  infancy.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife, 
Mr.  Brookshier  was  again  married,  his  second 
union,  celebrated  in  1869,  being  with  Mrs.  Mary 
J.  (Logan)  Boyd,  of  Parke  County,  Ind.  They 
also  have  four  children:  John  W.,  who  is  now  at- 
tending the  business  college  of  Decatur;  Joseph 
E.,  Edwin  S.  and  Mabel,  who  are  still  under  the 
parental  roof. 


824 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


In  politics,  Mr.  Brookshier  is  a  supporter  of  the 
People's  party.  The  cause  of  education  finds  in 
him  a  warm  friend,  and  for  twelve  years  lie  has 
ably  served  as  School  Director.  He  was  also 
School  Trustee  for  several  years,  and  in  his  offi- 
cial capacity  he  has  done  much  in  advancing  edu- 
cational interests  in  this  community.  For  thirty- 
one  3rears  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  his  life  has  been  an  honorable,  up- 
right one,  well  worthy  of  emulation.  From  a  fi- 
nancial point  of  view  he  is  a  self-made  man.  He 
had  only  fifty-seven  cents  on  his  arrival  in  De- 
catur,  but  by  his  industry  and  enterprise  he  has 
become  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres,  well  improved  and  highly 
cultivated,  which  is  the  just  reward  of  his  efforts. 


J/  ACOB  WILLIS,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of 
the  Mills  Lumber  Company,  of  Decatur, 
has  been  connected  with  this  business  since 
October,  1884.  He  first  served  as  book- 
keeper for  the  firm  of  Mills  &  Harry,  and  on  the 
organization  of  the  company  he  was  elected  to 
serve  as  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  His  life  record 
is  as  follows:  He  was  born  in  Hebron,  Oxford 
County,  Me.,  March  12,  1831,  and  can  trace  his 
ancestry  back  to  the  earliest  days  of  the  history 
of  Massachusetts.  Deacon  John  Willis  and  his 
wife  are  recorded  as  having  been  in  Duxbury  in 
1637.  The  former  was  one  of  the  original  pro- 
prietors, first  settlers,  and  the  first  Deacon  of 
Bridgewater,  Mass.  He  held  many  town  offices  in 
both  places  and  represented  Bridgewater  in  the 
Old  Colony  Court  for  twenty-five  years.  He  mar- 
ried Elizabeth,  widow  of  William  Palmer.  His 
will  was  made  in  1692.  His  son  fe'omfort  was  a 
town  trooper.  Joshua,  son  of  Comfort,  married 
Experience  Barber  in  1707,  and  was  a  town  officer 
in  1739.  Joab,  the  next  in  direct  descent,  was 
born  in  1715,  and  married  Martha  Bolton  in  1745. 
Their  son  Jacob,  born  in  1768,  was  the  grandfather 


of  our  subject.  He  married  Parnel  Morse,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Sallie  M.,  Fearing  and  Lucia  F.  The  father  was  a 
farmer,  and  in  1810  removed  to  Maine,  where  he 
died  at  the  age  of  fifty-two. 

Fearing  Willis,  father  of  our  subject,  married 
Joanna,  daughter  of  James  Horlow,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts.  Her.  father  served  as  Major  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  was  a  man  of  prominence.  He 
became  a  farmer  of  Maine,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six  years.  Mr.  Willis  was  a  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  Maine,  and  served  as  Assessor  and 
Overseer  of  the  Poor  for  many  years.  From  the 
Pine  Tree  State  he  came  to  Macon  Count}'  in 
1859.  and  farmed  near  Decatur  for  two  years.  He 
then  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
near  Arcola,  Douglas  County,  but  after  a  few  years 
sold  out  and  removed  to  the  city.  He  died  in 
1889,  at  about  the  age  of  eighty-five,  and  his  wife 
died  in  1876.  They  were  members  of  the  Univer- 
salist  Church.  Their  family  numbered  ten  chil- 
dren: Henry,  who  is  living  in  Auburn,  Me.;  Jacob, 
of  this  sketch;  Susan  H.,  wife  of  Dr.  S.  A.  Bennett, 
of  New  Portland,  Me.;  Merritt,  of  Altoona,  Fla.; 
Harriet  II.,  wife  of  C.  C.  Jacobs,  of  Arcola,  111.; 
Asa  F.,  deceased;  Ellery,  of  San  Francisco,  Cal.; 
Byron,  who  lives  in  Chicago;  Ellen,  deceased; 
and  Frank  D.,  of  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Maine  and  in  the  Hebron  Academy.  When  his 
education  was  completed  he  worked  at  various  em- 
ployments and  then  learned  the  machinist's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  some  years.  In  1851  he 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Carelin  P.  Jacobs, 
daughter  of  James  Jacobs,  and  unto  them  were  born 
six  children:  Fred,  of  Decatur,  who  married  Eu- 
genie Risley,  by  whom  he  has  two  children,  Nellie 
and  Charles  W.;  Elmer  P.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
two  years  and  seven  months;  Harriet  M.,  wife  of 
Robert  W.  Stevens,  of  Chicago;  Herbert  S.,  of  De- 
catur, who  married  Miss  Ann  Schoeule,  by  whom 
he  has  two  sons,  Edgar  and  Arthur;  Jacob  E.;  and 
Maud,  wife  of  James  Langdale,  of  Decatur,  by 
whom  she  has  one  son,  AVillis. 

In  1857  Mr.  Willis  determined  to  try  his  for- 
tune in  the  West,  and  emigrated  from  Maine  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


325 


Illinois,  landing  in  Chicago  on  the  6th  of  March. 
He  lived  in  Belvidere  and  Cherry  Valley  for  two 
years,  farming  for  a  year  and  keeping  books  for 
the  remainder  of  the  time.  He  then  returned  to 
the  East,  and  after  disposing  of  his  property  came 
to  Decatur.  This  was  in  1860.  Two  years  later 
he  removed  to  Douglas  County,  111.,  where  he  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1864,  when  we 
again  find  him  in  this  cit3r.  He  secured  a  position 
as  freight  agent  on  the  Wabash  Railroad  and 
served  thus  for  three  years.  He  then  again  went 
to  Douglas  County,  where  he  engaged  in  the  gro- 
cery business  for  six  years.  During  that  period 
he  also  aided  in  building  the  Paris  &  Decatur 
Railroad.  After  his  return  to  Decatur,  in  June, 
1873,  he  was  for  a  number  of  years  with  Dr.  Wals- 
ton  in  his  surgical  institute.  Later  he  was  assist- 
ant book-keeper  for  two  years  in  the  wholesale 
grocery  house  of  John  Urich  &  Co.,  and  in  Octo- 
ber, 1884,  began  keeping  books  for  the  lumber 
firm  of  Mills  &  Harry. 

In  his  political  faith  Mr.  Willis  is  a  Democrat. 
Besides  his  business  he  owns  a  neat  and  substantial 
residence  at  the  corner  of  Green  and  Pine  Streets. 
He  is  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen  and 
a  man  of  good  business  ability,  who  by  his  own 
unaided  efforts  has  worked  his  way  upward  until 
he  is  now  ranked  among  the  substantial  citizens  of 
Decatur. 


-;ILLIAM  AND  DAVID  McKINNEY  are 
numbered  among  the  most  prominent 
farmers  of  Pleasant  View  Township.  They 
own  a  valuable  and  highly  improved  tract  of  land 
on  section  31,  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  and  just  across  the  line  in  Christian 
County  they  have  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
acres  of  land.  William  McKinney  was  born  on 
the  6th  of  June,  1832,  and  David  on  the  25th  of 
April,  1834.  Their  parents  are  John  and  Eliza 
(Knox)  McKinney.  The  father,  a  native  Of  Ire- 
land, was  born  February  17,  1808.  His  youth  was 


spent  on  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  in  1827,  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
Americ'i.  He  did  not  remain  long  in  this  country, 
however,  but  returned  to  his  native  land  and  there 
followed  farming  until  1847.  In  the  mean  time 
he  had  married,  and  with  his  family  he  again 
crossed  the  briny  deep,  taking  up  his  residence  in 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he  remained  for  two  years. 
He  then  went  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  where  the  suc- 
ceeding eight  years  of  his  life  were  passed,  and  on 
the  expiration  of  that  period,  accompanied  by  his 
family,  he  made  the  journey  westward  to  Illinois, 
location  being  made  in  Madison  County  in  1855. 
There  he  purchased  a  farm  and  devoted  his  ener- 
gies to  its  cultivation  for  a  period  of  twelve  years, 
when,  in  1867,  he  removed  to  Christian  County, 
where  he  again  purchased  land.  He  is  now  mak- 
ing his  home  with  his  sons,  having  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years.  His  wife,  who 
was  born  on  the  Emerald  Isle  in  1810,  is  also  still 
living  with  her  sons,  and  is  now  in  the  eighty- 
third  year  of  her  age.  John  McKinney,  a  brother 
of  William  and  David,  enlisted  in  the  Union  serv- 
ice during  the  late  war,  and  laid  down  his  life  on 
the  altar  of  his  country,  being  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Ft.  Donelson. 

The  early  years  of  the  gentlemen  whose  names 
head  this  record  were  spent  in  the  land  of  their 
birth,  and  when  fifteen  and  thirteen  years  old 
respectively  they  accompanied  their  parents  on 
the  voyage  to  the  New  World.  They  then  lived 
for  some  time  in  the  Keystone  State,  and  at  length 
came  to  Illinois,  in  1855.  The  public  schools 
afforded  them  their  educational  privileges,  and 
both  are  well-informed  men  on  the  general  sub- 
jects of  the  day. 

The  McKinney  brothers  devote  their  entire  time 
and  attention  to  their  extensive  farming  opera- 
tions. They  together  own  four  hundred  and 
eighty-five  acres  of  land,  which,  as  before  stated, 
is  divided  into  two  farms,  the  Christian  County 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  twent3'-five  acres,  and 
the  home  farm  in  Macon  County  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres.  Their  land  is  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  and  is  well  improved  with  good 
buildings  and  all  the  accessories  of  a  model  farm. 
Everything  about  the  place  is  kept  in  good  repair, 


326 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  the  neat  appearance  of  the  farm  indicates  that 
the  owners  are  men  of  enterprise  and  progress. 
Both  are  supporters  of  the  Republican  party  and 
neither  of  them  has  ever  been  an  office-seeker, 
preferring  to  devote  their  attention  to  business 
interests,  in  which  they  have  met  with  excellent 
success.  They  hold  membership  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church. 


"&.- 


PRANK  L.  HAYS,  who  has  been  connected 
with  the  mercantile  interests  of  Decatur, 
but  is  now  living  a  retired  life,  came  to 
this  city  from  Ohio,  his  native  State.  He  was 
born  in  Delaware  on  the  23d  of  February,  1836, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Abbie  (Johns)  Hays, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  Buckeye  State.  He 
is  now  the  only  one  living,  his  sisters,  Nannie  and 
Mildred,  having  passed  away.  The  parents  make 
their  home  near  their  son  in  Decatur.  The  father 
followed  farming  and  stock-dealing  in  Ohio,  but 
after  coming  to  the  West,  in  1857,  carried  on  a 
dry-goods  store  in  this  city  for  some  time. 

Frank  L.  Hays  was  icared  and  educated  in  his 
native  city  in  the  public  schools  and  in  the  Ohio 
Wesleyan  University.  Receiving  thorough  in- 
struction in  practical  studies,  he  was  well  fitted 
for  life  and  its  duties.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
he  began  clerking  in  a  hardware  store  and  after- 
wards was  employed  in  the  same  capacity  in  a  dry- 
goods  store.  He  was  a  young  man  of  nineteen 
years  when  he  came  to  Decatur,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  For  two  years  he  was  employed 
as  a  salesman  in  a  dry-goods  house,  and  in  1857, 
in  connection  with  his  father,  he  embarked  in  busi- 
ness for  himself.  The  firm  of  Hays  <fc  Son  carried 
on  operations  successfully  for  many  years.  Their 
store  was  always  well  filled  with  the  goods  de- 
manded by  the  public,  and  they  received  a  liberal 
share  of  the  public  patronage.  After  thirty-four 
years,  during  which  the  firm  had  established  a  rep- 
utation for  carryingon  one  of  the  leading  houses  of 
the  city,  they  sold  out,  retiring  from  business. 


In  1862,  Mr.  Hays  raised  a  company  and  went  to 
the  South  as  Captain  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred 
and  Fifteenth  Illinois  I  nf  an  try,  and  served  as  such 
until  1864,  when  he  was  made  Paymaster,  resign- 
ing in  February,  1865.  He  participated  at  the 
head  of  his  company  in  some  of  the  important  en- 
gagements of  the  war,  including  the  battles  of 
Chickamauga,  Chattanooga,  Resaca  and  Franklin. 
He  has  always  been  faithful  to  every  duty  devolv- 
ing upon  him,  and  the  country  found  in  him  a 
valued  defender  of  the  Old  Flag. 

On  the  18th  of  September,  1861,  Mr.  Hays  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Harriet  L.  White,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Platter)  White,  the 
former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the  latter  of  Ohio. 
Four  sons  and  two  daughters  were  born  of  their 
union,  but  two  died  in  infancy.  Those  still  liv- 
ing are  Harry  T.,  Robert  R.,  Frank  L.  and  Madge. 
Their  home  is  a  beautiful  residence  at  No.  532 
East  Eldorado  Street,  and  is  the  abode  of  hospi- 
tality. 

Mr.  Hays  also  owns  other  city  property  and 
about  eighteen  hundred  acres  of  excellent  farm- 
ing land  in  Kansas.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first 
Grand  Army  post  ever  organized  and  now  holds 
membership  with  Dunham  Post  No.  141,  G.  A.  R. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party,  but  has  never  sought  the  honors  of  emolu- 
ments of  public  office.  He  is  quiet  and  assuming  in 
manner,  but  his  worth  and  ability  are  recognized 
and  he  is  numbered  among  Decatur's  prominent 
and  highly  respected  citizens. 


AVID  MARTIN,  deceased,  lately  one  of  De- 
catur's pioneer  business  men,  came  to  Macon 
County  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  and 
in  the  long  years  of  his  residence  in  this  locality 
bore  a  prominent  and  active  part  in  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  community.  This  work  would  be  in- 
complete without  a  record  of  his  life;  for  his  name 
was  inseparably  connected  with  both  the  business 
and  social  interests  of  the  county  scat,  A  native 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


327 


of  Kentucky,  he  was  born  in  Bourbon  Count}' 
April  1,  1820,  and  was  descended  from  one  of  the 
Revolutionary  heroes,  his  grandfather,  Aaron  Mar- 
tin, having  served  in  the  War  for  Independence. 
His  father,  James  Martin,  was  born  in  Virginia, 
near  the  James  River,  and  was  a  descendant  of 
the  Martin  family  which  came  originally  from 
England  and  figured  so  conspicuously  in  the  early 
history  of  the  Old  Dominion.  In  Bourbon  County, 
Ky.,  he  married  Catherine  Layton,  a  native  of 
Delaware,  who  was  also  of  P^nglish  lineage.  Her 
death  occurred  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years,  after 
which  her  husband  was  again  married.  His  death 
occurred  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  Of  the  seven 
children  born  of  the  first  union,  only  one  is  now 
living,  Dr.  Martin,  of  Atchison,  Kan.,  who  has  now 
reached  the  age  of  three-score  years  and  ten. 
There  was  one  child  born  of  the  second  union. 

The  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  spent  in 
Kentucky.  His  eyesight  was  poor  from  an  early 
age,  so  he  could  not  secure  a  collegiate  .or  even  a 
common-school  education;  but  through  many  years 
of  business  experience,  in  which  he  met  with  some 
of  the  master  minds  of  the  country,  including 
Lincoln,  Trumbull  and  Douglas, he  became  a  very 
well-informed  man.  When  he  was  a  lad  of  nine 
years  his  parents  left  Kentucky  because  they  were 
opposed  to  slavery,  and  settled  in  Clark  County, 
Ind.  In  1835,  they  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Sangamon  County.  Our  subject  drove  five  yoke 
of  oxen  to  a  breaking-plow  and  performed  the 
arduous  task  of  developing  a  new  farm. 

One  day,  while  a  young  man  in  his  twentieth 
year,  a  little  incident  occurred  to  our  subject  which 
affected  his  whole  life.  He  had  walked  across  the 
country  and  had  come  to  a  place  where  there  was 
a  fine  orchard  with  ripe  apples.  Knocking  at  the 
door  of  the  house,  he  asked  the  lady  if  he  might 
have  some  of  the  fruit.  She  only  laughed,  so 
after  helping  himself  he  offered  to  pay  for  the 
apples,  but  she  would  not  take  his  money.  This 
was  Mrs.  J.  Peddecord,  whose  husband  was  a  lime- 
burner.  Some  time  afterwards,  Mr.  Peddecord 
told  his  wife  that  he  needed  n  boy  to  assist  him  in 
his  business,  whereupon  the  lady  said  "Get  Daye 
Martin.  You'll  want  an  honest  boy,  and  I  know 
Pave  to  be  honest,"  She  then  related  the  story  of 


the  apples  in  proof  of  her  statement,  and  as  the 
result  of  his  simple  act  of  honesty  when  a  young 
man  Mr.  Martin  secured  the  position  and  learned 
the  business  which  furnished  him  a  life  work.  He 
was  in  the  employ  of  others  for  about  a  year  and 
a-ha'lf,  and  in  1842  went  into  business  for  himself 
on  the  line  of  Christian  and  Sangamon  Counties. 
He  made  his  own  kiln  and  began  operations  in  the 
old-fashioned  way,  with  a  very  limited  capital.  It 
was  in  that  year  that  he  first  came  to  Decatur,  then 
a  village  of  only  four  hundred  population.  He 
did  business  successfully  as  a  lime-burner  for  a 
time  in  Sangamon  County,  and  when  the  railroads 
were  built  to  Alton  went  there  and  put  up  the  first 
patent  kiln  constructed  in  the  State.  He  there 
began  extensive  operations,  and  became  the  lead- 
ing lime  manufacturer  in  central  Illinois.  In 
1865,  he  sold  his  kilns,  and  from  that  time  until 
his  death  dealt  in  lime  in  Decatur. 

On  the  1st  of  April,  1858,  Mr.  Martin  was  joined 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Sophronia,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Granger,  of  Massachusetts.  She  was  born 
in  the  Bay  State,  and  was  educated  in  the  female 
college  in  Granville,  Ohio.  She  became  the  mother 
of  four  children:  Louisa,  widow  of  Ernest  Stra- 
der,  who  has  a  little  daughter,  Edna,  and  makes 
..her  home  in  Decatur;  Edward,  who  is  engaged  in 
business  in  this  city;  Lucy,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
four  years;  and  Anna,  who  is  at  home.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died  May  17, 1891,  mourned 
by  many  friends,  and  June  12,  1893,  the  family 
again  suffered  a  heavy  loss  in  the  death  of  Mr. 
Martin,  who  passed  away  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him,  his  death  proving  a  loss  which  will  long 
be  felt  throughout  the  entire  community. 

Mr.  Martin  was  a  member  of  Grace  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  In  early  life  he  was  an  old- 
line  Whig,  and  from  the  days  of  Fremont  was  a 
Republican.  In  his  business  career,  although  lie 
met  with  difficulties  and  disadvantages,  he  gained 
success  and  became  a  well-to-do  citizen.  He  was 
highly  respected  for  his  straightforwardness,  in- 
tegrity and  business  sagacity,  no  less  than  for  his 
thorough  information  in  regard  to  American  poli- 
tics, particularly  in  regard  to  slavery  and  seces- 
sion. His  memory  was  very  retentive,  and  the 
history  of  Illinois,  which  was  familiar  to  him  for 


328 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


more  than  half  a  century,  was  almost  as  fresh  in 
his  mind  at  the  day  of  his  death  as  when  the  dif- 
ferent events  occurred.  It  is  with  pleasure  that 
we  present  to  our  readers  this  record  of  a  man 
who  was  so  prominently  connected  with  Macon 
County's  interests. 


ARTIN  MILLER,  who  owns  and  operates 
the  Blue  Mound  Nursery,  of  Blue  Mound, 
111.,  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  na- 
tivity, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Logan 
County  on  the  30th  of  March,  1849.  His  parents 
were  Henry  C.  and  Elizabeth  (Botkin)  Miller. 
The  father  is  also  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State, 
and  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  married  Miss 
Botkin,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  of  Scotch 
extraction.  Mr.  Miller  was  a  machinist  by  trade, 
and  followed  that  business  during  his  residence  in 
his  native  State.  In  1851,  he  came  witli  his  family 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  Mt.  Auburn,  where  he  re- 
mained for  several  years.  After  the  breaking  out 
Of  the  late  war,  he  responded  to  the  country's 
call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  the  Union  service  as  a 
member  of  Company  I,  Forty-first  Illinois  In- 
fantry, faithfully  defending  the  Old  Flag  for  three 
years.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  honorably 
discharged,  having  been  very  fortunate,  in  that  he 
was  never  wounded.  He  is  still  living  and  now 
makes  his  home  in  Leavenworth,  Kan.  His  wife 
died  at  the  home  of  our  subject  in  1884. 

In  the  Miller  family  were  nine  children,  five 
sons  and  four  daughters,  the  eldest  of  whom  is 
Martin  of  this  sketch.  He  came  with  his  parents 
to  Illinois  when  only  two  years  of  age,  and 
remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  His  education  was  acquired 
in  the  common  schools,  and  when  a  young  man 
he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  business 
lie  followed  with  good  success  until  1874.  In 
that  year,  having  acquired  some  capital  as  the 
result  of  his  industry  and  perseverance,  lie  pur- 
chased the  farm  which  he  still  owns  and  upon 


which  he  is  engaged  in  the  nursery  business.  To 
that  enterprise  he  has  devoted  his  energies  for 
almost  twenty  years,  during  which  time  he  lias 
enjoyed  a  good  trade. 

On  the  21st  of  October,  1875,  Mr.  Miller  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Holtz,  a 
native  of  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  born  January  1, 
1854.  Her  parents,  David  and  Elizabeth  (Hoover) 
Holtz,  were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who, 
having  removed  to  Ohio,  came  from  there  to  Illi- 
nois in  1865,  locating  upon  a  farm  in  Vermilion 
County,  111.,  where  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holtz  spent 
their  remaining  days.  They  were  of  German  ex- 
traction, and  died  some  years  ago.  In  the  family 
of  our  subject  and  his  wife  are  three  sons,  Carl  D., 
Earl  M.  and  Arthur  G.,  all  of  whom  are  still  at 
home. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Miller  is  a  Repub- 
lican, but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  steadily 
refusing  political  positions.  He  and  his  wife  hold 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  are  people  of  sterling  worth,  widely  and 
favorably  known  in  this  community.  In  his  busi- 
ness career,  Mr.  Miller  has  met  with  good  success 
and  now  owns  a  beautiful  home  and  a  nursery  of 
thirty  acres  adjoining  the  corporation  limits  of 
Blue  Mound. 


OBERT  TOBEY,  the  senior  member  of  the 
«  medical  firm  of  Tobey  &  Harvey,  of  De- 
^\  catur,  is  County  Physician  of  Macon 
I  County,  and  a  prominent  citizen,  who  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century  has  lived  within  its  borders. 
The  firm  with  which  he  is  connected  is  doing  a 
good  business  and  occupies  an  office  at  No.  136 
South  Water  Street.  The  Doctor  was  born  in 
Maryland  February  20,  1828,  and  when  a  lad  of 
eleven  years  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Ohio,  the  family  locating  near  Dayton, 
Montgomery  County.  He  attended  the  common 
schools,  and  pursued  some  of  the  higher  branches 
of  learning  under  the  instruction  of  a  private 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


t^txC^         &t 

^5 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


333 


tutor.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  Buck- 
eye State,  and  aided  in  the  arduous  task  of  clear- 
ing and  developing  a  farm,  but  his  tastes  lay  in 
another  direction,  and  he  abandoned  agricultural 
pursuits  to  take  up  the  study  of  medicine  under 
Dr.  Krause.  lie  attended  lectures  in  the  Western 
Reserve  College,  was  later  graduated  from  the 
Medical  College  of  Cincinnati,  and  about  ten  years 
later  took  a  further  degree  in  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege. He  began  practice  in  West  Baltimore,  and 
for  eleven  years  there  followed  his  profession. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  removed  to 
La  Gro,  Ind.,  where  he  engaged  in  practice  for 
five  years.  It  was  in  March,  1869,  that  he  came 
to  Macon  County,  where  he  has  made  his  home 
continuously  since.  He  first  opened  an  office  and 
engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his  profession  in 
Blue  Mound,  and  while  there  formed  the  present 
partnership  with  Dr.  J.  G.  Harvey.  After  the 
connection  was  established  he  came  to  Decatur  on 
the  1st  of  October,  1892. 

In  1850,  Dr.  Tobey  was  united  in  marriage  with 
B.  A.  Potter,  and  unto  them  were  born  five  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  C.  F.,  a  minister  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  of  Barry,  111.;  W.  W.  and  R. 
E.,  who,  under  the  name  of  Tobey  Brothers,  are 
engaged  in  dentistry  in  Danville,  111.;  Belle  F. 
and  Jane  M.,  both  of  whom  are  married.  The 
mother  of  this  family  was  called  to  her  final  rest, 
and  tke  Doctor  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Kate  Curnutt,  of  Indiana. 
They  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Letta. 

The  Doctor  owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy-four  acres  in  Shelby  County,  111.,  and 
has  just  completed  a  comfortable  residence  in  this 
city.  H/e  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Grace 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Socially,  he  is  a 
Master  Mason,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  He 
was  Chairman  of  the  Central  Republican  Commit- 
tee of  Pleasant  View  Township,  and  was  appointed 
County  Physician  of  Macon  County  in  1892,  by 
the  Board  of  Supervisors,  receiving  fifteen  of  the 
twenty  votes  cast.  While  living  in  West  Balti- 
more, Ohio,  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  that 
place  by  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  Doctor  is  a  char- 
ter member  and  was  the  first  president  of  the  De- 
catur Medical  Society.  Throughout  his  profes- 

15 


sional  career  he  has  enjoyed  a  good  practice  and 
is  recognized  as  a  competent  and  successful  physi- 
cian. He  is  widely  known  throughout  Macon 
County,  and  in  his  new  home  is  making  many 
friends. 


?ILLIAM  BOWERS,  who  for  many  years 
was  actively  connected  with  extensive 
milling  interests  in  Decatur  and  elsewhere, 
but  is  now  practically  living  retired,  comes  from 
Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  where  his  birth  occurred 
on  the  20th  of  October,  1827.  The  family  is  of 
German  origin.  Sebastian  Bowers,  his  grandfather, 
was  born  in  Germany,  and  during  his  infancy  his 
parents  started  for  the  New  World,  but  during  the 
ocean  voyage  they  died  and  were  buried  in  the 
Atlantic.  He  and  his  brother,  also  an  infant,  were 
sold  on  reaching  this  country,  and  no  news  has 
ever  been  received  concerning  the  latter.  Sebastian 
Bowers  was  married  and  had  two  sons,  David  and 
Samuel.  The  former,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
house  as  our  subject,  wedded  Mary  Shellabarger, 
sister  of  Isaac  Shellabarger,  of  Decatur,  and  leaving 
Pennsylvania  removed  to  Richland  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  spent  their  remaining  days. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  began  learning  the  milling  trade  near  New- 
ville,  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  with  his  uncle, 
Isaac  Shellabarger,  but  after  a  year  went  with  his 
parents  to  Ohio,  where  he  finished  his  apprentice- 
ship. The  first  year  he  received  only  $3  a  mouth 
and  his  board.  After  learning  his  trade  he  was 
asked  to  take  charge  of  a  mill  which  the  miller  had 
left.  He  knew  nothing  of  its  arrangement,  but 
studied  it  out,  and  in  a  few  days  the  owner  pro- 
posed that  he  run  the  mill  on  shares,  which  he  did 
for  six  months.  His  father  then  purchased  the 
mill,  which  Mr.  Bowers  operated  for  fourteen 
years  on  shares,  but  as  the  water  power  was  ex- 
hausted that  venture  did  not  prove  financially 
successful. 

At  the  age  of 'twenty-two  Mr.  Bowers  had  mar- 
ried, the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Emily  A, 


334 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Van  Dovn,  a  native  of  Rich  land  County,  Ohio. 
Unto  them  were  born  three  children:  Mary  Ann 
Amelia,  who  was  married  and  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight,  leaving  a  son,  Willie  McBride, 
who  is  now  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  has  lived 
with  his  grandparents  since  a  baby  of  two  years; 
Janet,  wife  of  Harry  Crea,  an  attorney-at-law  of 
Monticello,  111.;  and  Hadessa,  wife  of  George 
Bowers,  a  shoe-dealer  of  Dccatur. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Bowers  enlisted  for  the 
late  war  as  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sec- 
ond Ohio  Infantry,  under  Capt.  Lobach,  but  as  his 
milling  business  had  kept  him  closely  confined 
within  doors  he  could  not  stand  the  outdoor  life, 
and  being  taken  sick  was  honorably  discharged. 
In  January,  1863,  he  came  to  Decatur,  and  pur- 
chasing a  lot  has  since  made  his  home  on  the  same 
site.  He  entered  the  employ  of  Isaac  and  D.  S. 
Shellabarger,  and  for  two  years  was  Superintendent 
of  their  mill,  which  he  managed  very  successfully. 
The  mill  had  been  run  down,  but  it  was  soon 
placed  on  a  firm  financial  basis,  and  after  two 
years  he  became  a  partner.  The  capacity  of  the 
old  mill  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  barrels 
daily,  which  was  increased  to  eight  hundred  barrels. 
Taking  out  all  of  the  old  machinery,  he  put  in  the 
roller  process,  his  being  one  of  the  first  mills  to 
use  this  system  in  the  United  States,  and  mill  men 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  visited  Decatur 
to  see  the  system  in  operation.  Mr.  Bowers  con- 
tinued to  superintend  the  mechanical  part  of  the 
mill  until  selling  out  his  interest  in  1889,  after 
twenty-six  years'  connection  with  it.  He  had  in- 
vested about  $8,000, and  sold  for  140,000.  The  firm 
of  Shellabarger  <fe  Bowers  also  built  a  mill  in  Dan- 
ville for  his  brother,  but  it  was  burned,  causing  a 
great  loss.  They  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  $28,000,  but  its 
management  was  bad,  and  altogether  through 
that  venture  they  lost  $51,000.  In  company  with 
D.  S.  Shellabarger,  Mr.  Bowers  built  a  mill  in 
Wichita,  Kan.,  which  they  afterward  sold  to  Isaac 
Shellabarger.  Together  they  built  four  mills,  and 
in  addition  our  subject  built  one  alone.  He  is  now 
a  stockholder  in  the  fine  large  mill  at  Salina,  Kan. 
After  selling  his  interest  in  the  Shellabarger  Mill, 
he  was  sought  by  the  Directors  of  the  Hatfield 
Milling  Company,  who  gave  him  $3,000  lo  take 


charge  of  their  mill,  in  which  he  spent  eleven 
months,  during  which  time  he  increased  its  capacity 
fifty  barrels  per  day.  Under  his  supervision  it 
was  supplied  with  new  machinery  and  so  arranged 
that  there  has  since  been  no  waste  in  bran  or  shorts. 
Before  this,  great  quantities  of  flour  had  been  re- 
turned to  the  mill  not  accepted,  but  all  this  has 
been  remedied  and  not  a  barrel  of  flour  is  now  re- 
turned. He  still  retains  his  stock  in  this  mill,  and 
is  a  Director  in  the  Decatur  National  Bank,  with 
which  he  has  been  connected  since  its  organization. 
Mr.  Bowers,  after  severing  his  active  connections 
with  the  mill  on  account  of  rheumatism,  went  to 
Hot  Springs,  Ark.,  for  his  health.  Himself  and 
wife  are  both  members  of  the  Grace  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  has  been  a  Trustee 
for  twenty-six  years.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Honor  and  of  the  Order  of  Mutual 
Aid.  His  name  is  inseparably  connected  with  the 
history  of  Decatur  and  with  its  upbuilding  and 
advancement.  He  started  out  for  himself  empty- 
handed  and  therefore  deserves  great  credit  for  his 
success,  whicli  has  come  to  him  through  his  own 
well-directed  efforts.  He  has  met  with  reverses, 
but  the  obstacles  in  his  path  he  overcame  by  de- 
termined industry,  and  thus  gaining  strength  for 
future  difficulties  he  worked  his  way  upward  to  a 
position  of  wealth  and  affluence.  His  honorable, 
upright  career  has  made  his  life  well  worthy  of 
emulation. 


HARLES  P.  THATCHER,  who  is  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life  in  Decatur,  is  a  native  of 
the  Keystone  State,  the  place  of  his  birth 
being  in  Chester  County,  and  the  date  January 
16,  1841.  His  father,  William  P.  Thatcher,  was 
also  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  became  a  merchant 
in  St.  Clair.  In  1840  he  married  Sarah  Mattson, 
who  was  born  in  Delaware  Count}',  in  the  same 
State.  In  tlie  spring  of  1861  the  parents  emi- 
grated Westward  with  their  family  and  took  up 
their  residence  in  Deeatiir,  The  father  purchased 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


335 


a  large  tract  of  land,  comprising  six  hundred  acres, 
six  miles  north  of  the  city,  and  though  he  made 
his  home  in  Dccatur  he  devoted  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  stock-raising.  He  purchased  twenty- 
five  hundred  sheep,  which  was  the  beginning  of 
wool-growing  in  this  county,  and  continued  that 
business  for  eight  years  with  good  success.  He 
also  engaged  in  breeding  Merino  sheep  for  a  period 
of  five  years.  Later  he  abandoned  stock-raising 
and  devoted  his  energies  exclusively  to  the  im- 
provement and  development  of  his  land  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  May,  1867,  at  the  age  of 
fifty  years.  His  wife  survived  him  for  about  four- 
teen years.  Mr.  Thatcher  was  a  self-made  man, 
who  began  life  in  a  moderate  way  and  steadily 
worked  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence.  In  the 
family  were  three  children,  only  two  of  whom 
lived  to  grow  up.  The  daughter,  Mary,  is  now 
the  wife  of  Dr.  J.  N.  Randall,  a  practicing  physi- 
cian of  Decatur. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity  until  twelve  years  of  age,  when  he 
removed  with  the  family  to  Schuylkill  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  His  educa- 
tion was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  and 
in  Aaron's  Academy,  at  Norristown,  Pa.,  where 
he  spent  two  years.  He  then  served  as  salesman 
in  his  father's  store  for  three  years  in  St.  Clair, 
Pa.,  and  with  the  family  came  to  this  county 
at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  He  worked  with  his 
father  and  continued  to  engage  in  farming  for 
some  time,  residing  upon  the  home  farm  from 
1867  until  1871,  when  he  abandoned  agricultural 
pursuits  and  came  to  Decatur.  In  1872  he  em- 
barked in  the  lumber  trade,  which  business  he  car- 
ried on  for  fifteen  years.  He  began  with  only  a 
small  capital  but  soon  built  up  a  good  trade,  and 
in  the  course  of  time  had  a  liberal  patronage.  He 
was  alone  in  business  for  a  while  and  then  formed 
a  partnership  with  F.  M.  Gaddis,  their  connection 
continuing  for  six  years.  In  1886,  Mr.  Thatcher 
disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  lumber  trade  and 
has  since  practically  lived  a  retired  life. 

On  the  18th  of  January,  1865,  our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  J.  N.  Robinson,  a  Lady  whom  he  had 
known  in  Ins  youth  and  who  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  Four  children  have  been  born 


unto  them,  of  whom  two  are  now  living:  Irene  R., 
wife  of  William  L.  Shellabarger;  and  Alice  Neta, 
a  girl  of  fourteen  summers.  Mrs.  Thatcher  is  a 
member  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Woman's  Club,  being  connected  with  the 
erection  of  the  fine  Woman's  Club  building  at 
Decatur. 

Other  business  interests  besides  those  previously 
mentioned  have  engrossed  the  attention  of  Mr. 
Thatcher,  who  is  one  of  the  stockholders  and  also 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  Decatur  National  Bank. 
He  owns  considerable  city  property  and  has  erected 
a  number  of  business  houses  and  residences  in  this 
place.  His  own  home  in  Decatur  is  a  beautiful 
and  comfortable  residence.  In  politics,  Mr.  Thatcher 
is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and  its  prin- 
ciples. He  has  lived  a  quiet,  unassuming  life,  yet 
through  the  legitimate  channels  of  business  a  fine 
property  has  come  to  him,  which  now  enables  him 
to  live  retired. 


AVID  L.  BUNN,  one  of  Decatur's  most 
prominent  attorneys,  is  the  senior  mem- 
ber of  the  well-known  law  firm  of  Bunn 
&  Park.  He  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  McLean  County  on  the 
27th  of  September,  1837.  His  father,  the  Rev. 
David  P.  Bunn,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  min- 
ister of  the  Universalist  Church.  He  wedded 
Mary  K.  Moser,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children.  The 
eldest,  Sallie  Ann,  married  Joel  S.  Post,  an  attor- 
ney of  Decatur.  Both  are  now  deceased.  They 
left  two  children:  Helen  M.,  now  the  wife  of  Don 
Carlos  Shaw,  of  Decatur;  and  Bunn  J.  Amelia  D. 
became  the  wife  of  William  B.  Harry,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Mills  &  Harry,  contractors 
and  lumber  dealers,  but  both  are  now  deceased. 
At  her  death  she  left  four  children:  Nellie,  wife 
of  James  A.  Phillips,  a  commercial  traveler  living 
in  Decatur;  George  B.,  of  ^uincy;  William  and 


336 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Jessie  S.,  both  of  this  city.  Margaret  E.,  deceased, 
the  third  member  of  the  Bunn  family,  was  the 
wife  of  Alfred  Maxwell,  proprietor  of  the  Maxwell 
House,  of  Decatur.  David  L.  is  the  only  son. 
Mary  E.  is  the  widow  of  Alonzo  S.  Rockwell,  who 
was  a  jeweler  of  Taylorville,  111.,  where  she  is  still 
living  with  her  two  children,  Nora  and  Dean  W. 
The  latter  was  married  in  April,  1883,  to  Miss 
Fannie,  daughter  of  ex-Senator  Shumway,  of  Tay- 
lorville, 111. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  Ross 
County,  Ohio,  upon  a  farm,  and  received  a  good 
common-school  education.  About  1835,  he  came 
to  Illinois,  locating  near  Bloomington,  McLean 
County,  where  he  followed  farming  for  several 
years.  There  his  two  youngest  children  were  born. 
About  1842  he  took  up  his  residence  upon  a  farm 
in  Macon  County,  where  for  a  number  of  years  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  While  there  re- 
siding he  happened  to  secure  a  book  setting  forth 
the  faith  of  the  Universalist  Church.  He  became 
a  believer  in  its  doctrines,  and  about  1842  com- 
menced preaching  its  faith.  He  continued  to  labor 
in  the  ministry  until  his  death.  His  first  pastorate, 
extending  over  several  years,  was  in  Mt.  Pulaski, 
Logan  County,  and  in  1848  he  went  to  Iowa  City, 
Iowa,  then  the  capital  of  the  State,  becoming  the 
pastor  of  the  Universalist  Church.  He  afterward  re- 
turned to  Mt.  Pulaski,where  he  remained  until  1854, 
when  he  accepted  a  call  from  the  Decatur  church, 
and  was  its  pastor  until  the  beginning  of  the  war, 
when  he  became  chaplain  in  the  Fifty-sixth  Regi- 
ment, Illinois  Infantry.  About  a  year  later,  how- 
ever, he  was  forced  to  resign  on  account  of  sick- 
ness. He  was  a  pioneer  of  both  McLean  and  Macon 
Counties,  and  in  this  part  of  Illinois  was  widely 
and  favorably  known.  He  died  in  his  seventy-sixth 
year,  and  his  wife,  who  was  also  a  member  of  the 
same  church,  passed  away  several  years  previous. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  David 
Bunn,  was  of  German  descent,  and  lived  and  died 
in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  where  he  passed  away  at  an 
advanced  age.  He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812.  His  wife  came  of  an  old  Pennsylvania- 
Dutch  family. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Macon  County  in  1841,  when  a  child  of  four 


years,  and  after  about  a  year  went  to  Mt.  Pulaski. 
In  1851,  on  the  first  day  of  its  existence,  he  en- 
tered Lombard  University  in  Galesburg,  111.,  and 
pursued  a  three-years  course,  after  which  he  came 
at  once  to  Decatur  and  secured  a  position  as 
clerk  in  the  postoffice  under  Col.  John  P.  Post. 
In  1856  he  became  an  assistant  teacher  in  what  is 
now  the  Church  Street  School,  and  followed  that 
profession  for  three  years,  after  which  he  began 
the  study  of  law  with  Capt.  J.  S.  Post,  his  brother- 
in-law.  His  admission  to  the  Bar  occurred  in  the 
fall  of  1862,  and  on  his  first  day  in  the  Macon 
County  Circuit  Court  he  was  appointed  State's 
Attorney  pro  tern.  During  the  term,  on  petition 
of  the  Macon  County  Bar,  he  was  appointed  reg- 
ularly to  that  office  by  Gov.  Richard  Yates  to  fill 
the  unexpired  term  of  two  years  of  Col.  James  P. 
Boyd,  who  had  resigned  to  enter  the  army.  In 
the  fall  of  1864,  he  was  elected  to  the  same  office 
and  served  for  a  term  of  four  years.  The  circuit 
at  that  time  embraced  the  counties  of  Macon, 
Piatt,  Moultrie,  Shelby,  Fayette  and  Ford. 

On  the  17th  of  July,  1864,  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Amanda  M.,  daugh- 
ter of  David  Suits.  Three  children  were  born 
unto  them:  Hattie  M.,  who  died  in  her  eighth 
year;  Frank  Elwood,  who  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Knieper,  and  is  living  in  Chicago,  111.;  and  Edna 
M.  Mr.  Bunn,  his  wife  and  children,  are  members 
of  the  First  Universalist  Church  of  Decatur.  He 
takes  a  prominent  part  in  church  work,  is  now 
serving  as  Trustee,  has  been  leader  of  the  choir 
over  thirty  years,  and  is  Superintendent  of  the 
Sunday-school.  In  politics,  Mr.  Bunn  was  a  Re- 
publican from  the  organization  of  that  party  until 
1876,  but  for  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  a 
prominent  advocate  of  the  Prohibition  party  and 
is  a  stanch  supporter  of  its  principles.  He  was 
elected  Alderman  on  that  ticket  and  has  been  nom- 
inated for  various  other  offices.  Socially,  he  is 
connected  with  Decatur  Lodge  No.  364,1. 0.  G.T., 
with  which  he  has  been  connected  since  1859. 

Mr.  Bunn  is  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  Jasper  County,  and  has  a 
good  home  and  other  city  property  in  Decatur. 
His  possessions  have  been  acquired  as  the  result  of 
his  well-directed  efforts.  In  the  practice  of  law  he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


337 


was  first  associated  with  John  H.  Pugh,  son  of 
Col.  Isaac  C.  Pugh,  of  the  Forty-first  Illinois  Reg- 
iment. He  was  afterwards  for  some  years  associ- 
ated with  A.  B.  Bunn,  and  in  1876  the  present 
partnership  was  formed.  Our  subject  is  a  man  of 
genial  disposition  and  affable  manner,  and  is  held 
in  high  esteem  in  Decatur  and  throughout  Macon 
County.  In  fact,  wherever  he  is  known  he  is  re- 
spected for  his  integrity  and  moral  worth,  and  is 
recognized  as  one  who  stands  in  the  front  rank  of 
the  Macon  County  Bar.  Possessing  foresight,  a 
logical  mind,  keen  perceptive  powers  and  good 
analytical  ability,  he  has  won  well-merited  praise 
as  one  of  the  foremost  legal  practitioners  in  this 
part  of  the  State.  Not  less  noticeable  than  his 
excellent  business  ability  are  his  kindly  spirit  and 
generosity  and  the  active  part  he  takes  in  promot- 
ing the  best  interests  of  his  adopted  city. 


v ETER  MONFORT  WI KOFF,  a  retired  farmer 
living  in  Decatur,  was  born  in  Warren 
County,  Ohio,  May  26,  1826.  His  parents, 
Peter  and  Gertrude  (Monfort)  AVikoff,  were 
both  natives  of  New  Jersey.  They  had  three 
children,  but  our  subject  is  the  only  one  now  liv- 
ing. His  mother  died  when  he  was  five  years  of 
age,  and  his  father  afterwards  married  Miss  Louisa 
Clemens,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children,  four  sons 
and  four  daughters.  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  Lemuel 
Wikoff,  of  Maroa.  Mary  Ann,  deceased,  was  the 
wife  of  John  Graham.  William,  Jacob  and  James 
are  the  three  next  younger.  Rebecca  is  the  wife 
of  Hiram  Estbinger,  of  Elmwood,  111.  Helen  is 
the  wife  of  John  Berkett,  of  Elmwood.  Oscar 
completes  the  family.  The  father  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade,  having  learned  the  business  in  Cincinnati, 
whither  he  had  removed  with  his  parents  at  an 
early  age.  He  was  married  in  Ohio,  and  in  1847 
removed  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Trivoli,  sixteen 
miles  from  Peoria,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1861,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  His  second 


wife  died  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church,  and 
the  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  Presbyterian. 

The  paternal  grandfather,  Peter  Wikoff,  was  a 
native  of  New  Jersey,  and  died  in  the  Buckeye 
State  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  He  was  a 
tailor  by  trade,  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Peter  Mon- 
fort, was  also  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  was  a  hero 
of  the  Revolution.  Throughout  his  life  he  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming.  Removing  to 
Ohio,  he  there  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days, 
passing  away  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one. 

Peter  Wikoff  in  his  curly  youth  worked  on  a 
farm  and  at  various  occupations  whereby  he  could 
obtain  a  livelihood.  When  he  was  about  nineteen 
years  of  age  he  began  learning  the  butcher's  trade. 
He  began  working  for  $8  per  month,  but  his 
wages  were  steadily  increased  until  he  received 
$100  per  month.  He  then,  in  1851,  at  Peoria,  fol- 
lowed that  business  on  his  own  account,  carrying 
on  operations  in  that  line  for  twenty-eight  years 
in  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis  and  Peoria.  In  1853,  he 
came  to  Decatur  and  opened  a  meat-market, 
which  he  carried  on  for  twenty  years.  Abandon- 
ing that  pursuit,  he  then  embarked  in  farming, 
which  he  followed  for  seven  years,  after  which  he 
again  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  until 
1878.  The  succeeding  eight  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  upon  a  farm  three  and  a-half  miles  southwest 
of  Decatur.  He  at  first  had  only  twenty  acres  of 
land,  but  his  possessions  were  steadily  increased 
until  he  now  owns  five  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
which  yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute.  In  addition 
to  his  elegant  home  in  the  city,  situated  at  No. 
413  West  Decatur  Street,  he  owns  several  other 
good  residences. 

Mr.  Wikoff  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
28th  of  December,  1851,  he  wedded  Sarah  W.  Grant, 
a  second  cousin  of  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Betsy  (Withgoct)  Grant,  who 
were  natives  of  Ohio.  The  wife  died  leaving  an 
infant  son  of  about  three  weeks  old,  which  died 
soon  afterward.  On  the  6th  of  September,  1853, 
Mr.  Wikoff  wedded  Elizabeth  Fletcher,  daughter 
of  Paris  and  Priscilla  (McWilliams)  Fletcher.  Her 
parents  were  natives  of  Maryland,  and  emigrated 


338 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


to  Indiana  in  an  early  day.  Three  children  have 
been  born  of  the  second  union,  but  Lewis,  the  sec- 
ond child,  died  in  infancy.  Laura  Belle  is  now 
engaged  in  the  millinery  business  at  No.  250  North 
Park  Street.  She  was  the  originator  of  the 
Woman's  Club  Stock  Company,  and  superintended 
the  erection  of  the  club  house,  an  elegant  four- 
story  structure  with  basement.  Ida  is  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Baker,  one  of  the  Directors  and  book- 
keeper of  the  Citizens'  National  Bank  of  Decatur. 
They  had  two  children,  Monfort  W.,  who  died  in 
infancy,  and  Alice  Alma  now  aged  ten. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wikoff  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  in  which  he  served  as  Trustee 
for  some  years.  For  twenty  years  he  was  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party,  but  for  the  past 
eight  years  has  voted  the  Democratic  ticket.  Our 
subject  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
growth  and  development  of  the  city  in  which  he 
has  so  long  made  his  home,  and  has  erected, 
besides  the  residences  above  mentioned,  the  Wayne 
Sulkyette  Factory,  the  Decatur  Box  Factory  and 
th,e  Woman's  Exchange  Building.  He  is  a  public- 
spirited,  progressive  and  valued  citizen  and  one 
that  Decatur  could  ill  afford  to  lose. 


DixATHAN  L.  KRONE,  who  is  a  pharmacist 
//  of  Decatur,  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
g  State.  He  was  born  in  Lewisboro  Town- 
ship, York  County,  Pa.,  March  14, 1833,  and  is  one 
of  eleven  children  whose  parents,  David  and  Ruth 
(Worley)  Krone,  were  also  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  paternal  grandfather,  Michael  Krone, 
was  a  cabinet-maker  of  Pennsylvania,  and  died  in 
that  State,  at  the  age  of  sevent37-one.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  Nathan  Worley,  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  a  .farmer 
of  the  Keystone  State,  and  there  died  in  his  eighty- 
fourth  year. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  also  a  cabinet- 
maker.    Resolving  to  seek  a  home  in  the  West, 


he  came  to  Macon  County,  111.,  on  the  19th  of  May, 
1839,  and  here  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days, 
his  death  occurring  in  February,  1867,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-nine  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Village 
Board  of  Trustees  of  Decatur  in  1846  and  1847, 
and  was  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen  in  an 
early  day.  His  wife  survived  him  until  1886,  and 
passed  away  in  her  eighty-fifth  year.  Both  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  Church.  Of  their  three 
sons  and  eight  daughters  only  seven  are  living. 
Harriet,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  E.  O.  Smith; 
Lydia  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Shepherd;  Charles  died 
in  infancy;  Charlotte  is  unmarried;  Mary  S.  is  the 
wife  of  A.  L.  Stewart;  Nathan  L.  lives  in  Decatur; 
Sophia  is  the  wife  of  A.  McClurg;  Margaret  F.  is 
the  wife  of  George  W.  Bright;  Francis  H.  and 
Rosaline  died  in  infancy;  and  Anna  E.  is  the  wife 
of  D.  S.  Shellabarger. 

Mr.  Krone  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
only  six  years  old  when  with  his  parents  he  came 
to  Macon  County.  In  the  public  schools  he  ac- 
quired his  literary  education,  and  in  1852  he  began 
studying  pharmacy,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  drug  business.  On  the  8th  of 
November,  1854,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Eliza  J.,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Rachel 
(Robinson)  Frederick,  of  Decatur.  By  their  union 
were  born  two  children.  Charles  O.  married  Mis. 
Ellen  (Kern)  Dew,  and  they  reside  in  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  where  he  owns  a  photograph  gallerj-.  Nellie, 
the  daughter,  died  in  her  twenty-second  year 
The  mother  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Krone  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No. 
341  West  Wood  Street.  Socially,  Mr.  Krone  is  a 
member  of  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.; 
Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.;  Council  No.  16, 
R.  &  M.  S.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9, 
K.  T.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  on  that 
ticket  was  elected  City  Treasurer  in  1862,  which 
position  he  held  until  1870,  discharging  his  duties 
with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  con- 
stituents. 

Mr.  Krone  is  numbered  among  the  honored 
pioneers  of  the  county,  where  he  has  made  his 
home  for  more  than  half  a  century.  He  has 
witnessed  its  growth  and  development,  and  as  a 
faithful  citizen  has  ever  aided  in  its  upbuilding 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


339 


and  progress.  He  has  seen  Decatur  change  from 
a  mere  village  to  a  city  of  over  twenty  thousand 
inhabitants  and  has  watched  the  transformation 
which  lias  placed  Macon  County  in  the  front  rank 
in  Illinois. 


G.  BOWEN,  freight  agent  at  Decatur  on 
the  Vandalia  Line,  has  occupied  his  pres- 
ent position  since  March,  1890.  He  is  a 
native  of  Indiana,  born  in  Muncie  Octo- 
ber 16,  1854.  There  he  was  reared  to  manhood, 
and  in  the  public  schools  began  his  education, 
which  was  supplemented  by  a  business  course  of 
stud3T  in  Indianapolis  in  1869.  After  finishing 
school  Mr.  Bowen  began  to  earn  his  own  liveli- 
hood by  filling  the  position  of  a  clerk  in  Indian- 
apolis, in  which  capacity  he  served  until  he  took 
up  railroad  work.  This  he  did  in  1876,  being 
employed  in  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.  He  had  previously 
learned  telegraphy  in  his  native  city.  For  six 
months  he  was  employed  as  a  relief  agent,  with 
headquarters  at  Ft.  Wa3'ne.  Later  he  became 
Chief  Clerk  at  Hartford  City,  Ind.,  in  the  employ 
of  the  Ft.  Wayne,  Muncie  &  Cincinnati  Railroad. 
In  1879  he  became  agent  at  Albany,  Ind.,  and  held 
that  position  for  three  years,  when,  in  1882,  he  se- 
cured a  position  with  the  Indianapolis,  Blooming- 
ton  &  Western,  being  employed  as  agent  in  Carey, 
Ohio,  in  1884.  While  thus  employed  he  was 
taken  ill  with  typhoid  fever  and  was  confined  to 
the  house  for  eighteen  months,  his  wages,  how- 
ever, being  paid  just  the  same.  The  Doctor  said 
his  01113-  hope  of  recovery  was  through  a  change 
of  climate,  and  he  went  to  California  in  1884, 
where  he  spent  two  3rears. 

On  the  19th  of  December,  1877,  Mr.  Bowen  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Millie  E.  Shidler,  of 
Shidler,  Ind.  Her  father,  W.  S.  Shidler,  was  an 
extensive  business  man  of  that  place,  and  the  town 
was  named  in  his  honor.  Unto  our  subject  and 
his  wife  has  been  born  a  son,  Herbert  C.,  now  a 
lad  of  twelve  years. 


Having  recovered  his  health  in  the  West,  Mr. 
Bowen  returned  to  Illinois  in  1886,  and  was  made 
freight  agent  at  Farmer  City,  where  he  remained 
until  1889.  He  then  resigned  his  position  and  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Muncie,  Ind.,  as  a  dealer  in 
hardware  for  eighteen  months.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  sold  out  and  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Terre  Haute  &  Peoria  Railroad 
Company,  now  the  Vandalia  Line,  and  was  sta- 
tioned in  Decatur.  The  business  of  the  road  has 
steadily  increased  since  that  time.  Mr.  Bowen, 
with  the  assistance  of  E.  L.  Foulke,  did  all  the  work 
in  that  year,  but  he  now  furnishes  employment 
to  five  men,  the  yard  work  requiring  four  men 
where  one  was  sufficient  at  the  time  he  entered 
upon  his  position.  In  1890  one  or  two  way  cars 
were  all  that  were  needed,  and  now  eight  or  ten 
are  employed  each  day.  Mr.  Bowen  has  worked 
up  for  the  railroad  company  a  fine  business,  and 
is  a  trusted  and  esteemed  employe,  his  faithful- 
ness to  duty  having  won  him  high  regard.  So- 
cially, Mr.  Bowen  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  belonging  to  Chevalier  Bayard  Lodge,  of 
Decatur.  He  also  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in 
the  society  of  Modern  Woodmen.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  is  a  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen. 


AMUEL  POWERS,  deceased,  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Macon  County,  and  for 
years  a  prominent  resident  of  Decatur,  was 
born  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the 
18th  of  May,  1816,  and  comes  of  an  old  New  Eng- 
land family.  His  grandfather  spent  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  in  Connecticut,  where  the- father  of 
our  subject,  William  Powers,  was  born.  The  lat- 
ter was  reared  in  Bridgeport,  in  the  home  of  Col. 
St.  John,  who  became  the  husband  of  Mrs.  Powers 
after  the  death  of  her  first  husband.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Abigail  Hendricks,  and  she  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  being  of  Scotch  and  English  descent. 
After  his  marriage,  William  Powers  engaged  for 


340 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


a  time  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business  in  New  York 
City,  and  then  embarked  in  farming.  He  made 
his  home  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  making  the 
journey  up  the  Hudson  River  in  a  sloop,  for  it 
was  before  the  days  of  steamboats.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  forty-two,  when  our  subject  was  in  his 
ninth  year. 

Samuel  Powers  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  attend- 
ing the  district  schools  during  the  winter  season  and 
aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  fields  during  the  summer 
months.  At  the  early  age  of  fourteen  the  man- 
agement of  the  old  homestead  devolved  upon  his 
young  shoulders  and  he  had  charge  of  the  same 
until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  On  reaching 
his  twenty-first  year  the  farm  was  sold  and  he  con- 
cluded to  go  to  Alabama,  where  an  elder  brother 
was  successfully  engaged  in  business.  He  spent 
one  winter  in  the  city  of  Mobile,  where  one  of  his 
brothers  was  carrying  on  a  large  commission  and 
exchange  business,  and  we  next  find  him  in  Tus- 
caloosa,  where  his  brother  Orlando  was  conducting 
a  mercantile  business.  Our  subject,  however,  did 
not  favor  indoor  life,  and  enjoyed  farming,  so  de- 
termined to  seek  a  home  in  Illinois,  and  with  his 
brother  George  he  made  the  journej'  on  horseback 
from  Alabama  through  Tennessee  and  Kentucky, 
crossing  the  Ohio  River  at  Shawneetown.  In 
July,  1839,  he  reached  Decatur,  which  at  that 
time  was  a  mere  village,  but  gave  promise  of  be- 
coming a  thriving  commercial  and  business  cen- 
ter. 

Mr.  Powers  had  a  capital  of  only  a  few  hundred 
dollars,  but  in  connection  with  his  brother  he 
bought  a  tract  of  land  adjoining  the  town  on  the 
East  and  began  farming.  He  also  carried  the 
mail  between  Decatur  and  Homer.  By  his  indus- 
try and  economy  he  thus  accumulated  a  small  cap- 
ital, and  embarked  in  stock-dealing.  He  always 
had  a  taste  for  that  business,  and  for  seven  years 
he  successfully  carried  on  operations  in  that  line. 
He  was  an  excellent  judge  of  stock,  a  thorough 
man  of  business,  prompt  and  reliable,  and  he  j 
therefore  won  the  confidence  and  credit  of  all  with  ! 
whom  he  had  dealings.  So  honorable  was  he  in 
all  his  business  transactions  that  he  could  obtain 
credit  at  any  place,  and  in  no  case  did  he  fail  to 


meet  his  obligations.  He  lived  on  the  farm  first 
purchased  until  1865,  when  he  removed  to  a  home 
in  Decatur. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1846,  Mr.  Powers  was 
united  in  marriage  near  Decatur  with  Miss  Caro- 
line M.  Giles,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  John  and  Almira  (Avery)  Giles.  Mrs. 
Powers  is  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Alraira  A.  Powers,  of 
Decatur,  and  resided  with  her  until  her  own  mar- 
riage. Her  mother,  Almira  (Avery)  Giles,  passed 
her  last  years  with  her  daughter  and  died  here  in 
1883,  in  her  ninety-first  year.  Her  husband  was  a 
physician  of  Massachusetts  and  died  in  Ohio  aged 
fifty-six.  Rev.  Dr.  Chauncey  Giles,  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  Church  of  Philadelphia,  is  Mrs.  Powers' 
brother  and  stands  high  in  the  councils  of  his 
church  as  one  of  its  most  popular  ministers  and 
advanced  thinkers.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife 
were  born  eight  children:  William,  who  died  in 
his  twenty-fifth  year,  in  1871;  Myra,  also  deceased, 
aged  twenty-nine;  George,  who  is  in  business  in 
Decatur,  111.;  Carrie,  Theron,  Frank,  Edward  and 
Chauncey,  all  of  this  city. 

On  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Powers  identi- 
fied himself  with  the  Whig  part}-,  supporting  the 
same  until  its  dissolution,  after  which  he  was  a 
Republican.  He  was  never  an  office-seeker,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his 
business  interests,  yet  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  from  Decatur  Township. 
He  was  always  a  public-spirited  and  progressive 
citizen,  and  manifested  a  commendable  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lived.  He  was  held  in  high 
esteem  for  his  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity, 
and  had  the  warm  regard  of  all  with  whom  busi- 
ness or  social  relations  brought  him  in  contact. 

In  his  business  dealings  he  was  very  successful, 
and  became  the  owner  of  thirty-three  hundred 
acres  of  land.  He  was  always  closely  identified 
with  the  fine  stock  interests  of  the  county,  being 
especially  devoted  to  breeding  the  higher  class 
of  race  horses.  He  was  the  owner  of  "Billet,"  the 
famous  sire  of  "Miss  Woodford."  He  was  also  the 
breeder  of  "Volturno,"  winner  of  the  Louisville 
cup  and  Breckenridge  stakes  at  Baltimore,  and 
also  the  breeder  of  "Aztec,"  a  famous  winner. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


343 


In  personal  appearance  he  was  a  man  above 
medium  height,  inclined  to  stoutness,  and  was  of 
a  kind  and  genial  nature,  with  his  heart  on  his 
sleeve,  and  his  purse  always  open  to  assist  the  poor 
and  needy.  He  was  spoken  of  by  an  eminent 
minister  as  "the  poor  man's  friend."  After  only 
one  week's  illness  from  pneumonia  his  death  oc- 
curred, February  7,  1885,  when  past  the  age  of 
three-score  years  and  ten,  and  was  mourned  by 
many  friends.  His  widow,  a  most  estimable  lady, 
is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  in  this  city. 

Theron  A.  Powers,  son  of  our  subject,  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Hathaway  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward A.  Jones,  of  Decatur  Township.  She  was 
educated  at  Lake  Forest  Seminary,  and  is  a  lady 
of  culture  and  refinement.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  two  children:  Edward  S.  and  Myra 
G.  The  Powers  family  is  one  of  prominence  in 
this  community,  ranking  high  in  social  circles. 
In  politics,  Theron  Powers  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can. 


ENJAMIN  F.  8IBLEY,  M.  D.,  who  for  the 
past  thirty  years  has  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in  Decatur,  is  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Sibley  &  Wood, 
homeopathic  physicians,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Health.  He  is  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  town  of  Ashford, 
Windham  County,  on  the  8th  of  April,  1827.  His 
father,  Samuel  Sibley,  was  born  in  Massachusetts, 
and  his  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Hannah  Harwood,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut. 
Both  families  were  of  Scotch  origin.  The  father 
followed  farming,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 
manhood  years  in  the  Nutmeg  State.  The  mother 
died  in  her  native  State  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight 
years,  leaving  a  family  of  eight  children,  six  of 
whom  grew  to  maturity. 

Upon  his  father's  farm  Dr.  Sibley  spent  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  began  his  education. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  entered  the  Wilbri- 


ham  Academy,  where  he  remained  as  a  student  for 
two  years,  graduating  from  that  institution  at  the 
age  of  eighteen.  Having  determined  to  enter  the 
ranks  of  the  medical  profession,  he  began  fitting 
himself  for  that  work  by  study  in  the  office  of  his 
brother,  Dr.  Louis  Sibley,  who  was  then  engaged 
in  practice  on  Long  Island,  N.  Y.  For  three 
years  he  pursued  his  studies  under  his  brother's 
direction,  and  then  entered  the  Berkshire  Medical 
College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  at  the  age 
of  twenty- three. 

Dr.  Sibley  began  practice  in  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  remained  for  five  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Erie,  Pa.,  where  he  spent  the  succeeding  three 
years  of  his  life,  and  in  1856  he  arrived  in  Deca- 
tur. He  became  converted  to  the  homeopathic 
school  while  practicing  in  New  York,  and  is  one 
of  the  earliest  followers  of  Hahnemann  in  this 
State.  In  order  to  further  perfect  himself  in  his 
profession,  in  the  winter  of  1858-59  he  attended  a 
course  of  lectures  in  the  Homeopathic  Medical 
College,  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  During  the  war  he  en- 
listed in  the  service  as  Surgeon  of  the  Twenty- 
first  Illinois  Infantry,  which  was  Gen.  Grant's 
first  regiment. 

In  1850  Dr.  Sibley  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Fannie  Cole,  daughter  of  Asa  Cole,  of  Gene- 
see,  N.  Y.  Unto  them  were  born  five  children: 
Mary  E.,  Mrs.  Parker,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty-six  years,  leaving  four  children;  William  G., 
who  is  foreman  of  the  Haworth  Check-Rower 
Company;  Jennie,  who  died  when  a  babe  of  a  year; 
Frank,  at  home;  and  Fannie,  wife  of  William  S. 
Slater,  an  engineer  on  the  Wabash  Railroad. 

Dr.  Sibley  was  a  charter  member  of  the  first 
Grand  Army  post  ever  organized,  now  known  as 
Dunham  Post  No.  141.  He  also  holds  member- 
ship with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
In  politics  he  was  first  an  Abolitionist,  and  then 
joined  the  Republican  party  during  Fremont's 
candidacy,  voting  twice  for  Lincoln,  and  for 
Grant  in  1868.  In  1872  he  supported  Horace 
Greeley,  and  since  that  time  has  been  an  advocate 
of  American  Democracy.  For  the  past  six  years 
Dr.  Sibley  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Health  of  Decatur,  and  was  County  Physician  for 
two  years.  In  1889  he  associated  with  him  Dr. 


344 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Wood,  and  under  the  firm  name  of  Sibley  &  Wood 
they  have  since  engaged  in  practice.  The  Doctor 
has  been  very  successful  in  his  life  work  and  has 
acquired  a  good  competency.  He  stands  at  the 
head  of  all  progressive  and  educational  move- 
ments, never  withholding  his  aid  from  any  enter- 
prise calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 


JOHN  J.  GRAVES,  who  devotes  his  time 
and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  is 
I  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
'  of  valuable  land,  his  home  being  situated 

on  section  3,  Niantic  Township.  Illinois  claims 
him  as  one  of  her  native  sons,  as  he  was  born  in 
Cass  County,  of  this  State,  August  27,  1850.  He 
is  a  son  of  Nelson  Graves,  who  was  born  in 
Woodford  County,  Ky.,  June  26,  1823,  and  came 
to  Illinois  with  his  father,  Richard  Graves,  one  of 
the  honored  pioneers  of  Cass  County,  about  1828. 
The  grandfather  served  in  the  War  of  1812,  and 
died  in  Cass  County  at  the  advanced  age  of  sev- 
enty-four. 

Nelson  Graves  grew  to  manhood  in  that  county, 
and,  having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  wedded 
Eliza,  daughter  of  Thomas  Edgar,  one  of  the  pio- 
neer settlers  of  Ohio,  who  died  in  the  Bucke3re 
State  during  the  early  girlhood  of  his  daughter. 
When  a  maiden  of  thirteen  summers  Mrs.  Graves 
came  with  an  aunt  to  Illinois  and  was  reared  in 
Cass  County.  After  his  marriage  the  father  of 
our  subject  there  followed  farming  until  after  the 
death  of  his  wife,  which  occurred  in  1864.  He 
now  makes  his  home  with  his  son  John,  and  is  a 
hale  and  hearty  old  gentleman  of  seventy  years. 

Mr.  Graves  whose  name  heads  this  record  re- 
mained at  home  until  after  his  mother's  death, 
when  he  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month.  He  is  the  only  son  in  a  family  of  three 
children.  His  sister,  Nancy,  widow  of  George  Hill, 
of  Morgan  County,  resides  in  Niantic;  and  Frances 
is  the  wife  of  George  Kapp,  of  Niantic.  Our  sub- 
ject came  to  this  county  when  a  young  man  of 


nineteen  years,  and  was  employed  for  two  years 
as  a  farm  hand  by  Mr.  Edgar.  He  then  deter- 
mined that  his  services  should  benefit  himself, 
and  in  consequence  rented  land,  which  he  oper- 
ated in  his  own  interest  until  he  could  purchase. 
He  first  bought  a  forty-acre  tract  on  section  34, 
Niantic  Township,  and  afterward  bought  a  one 
hundred  and  sixty-four  acre  farm,  upon  which  he 
now  resides. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1875,  in  this  county, 
Mr.  Graves  married  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  Joab 
and  Lydia  Wilkinson,  pioneer  settlers  of  this 
county.  The  father  is  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Graves 
was  born  in  Morgan  County,  but  spent  her  girl- 
hood in  Macon  County.  Two  children,  have  been 
born  of  their  union:  Winfield  and  Walter,  aged 
fifteen  and  thirteen  3-ears,  respectively.  They  also 
lost  an  infant  daughter,  Edith,  their  first-born. 

The  productiveness  of  the  farm  which  is  owned 
by  our  subject  bears  out  his  reputation  for  indus- 
try and  enterprise,  and  places  him  in  the  front 
rank  among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the 
county.  His  first  Presidential  vote  was  cast  for 
Gen.  John  B.  Hancock,  and  he  has  since  supported 
the  Democracy,  although  he  has  never  been  an 
office-seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  his  business  interests,  in  which  he  has 
met  with  signal  success. 


VERETT  J.  BROWN,  M.  D.,  whose  office 
is  located  in  Rooms  1  and  2,  of  the  Ha- 
worth  Block,  is  one  of  Decatur's  native 
sons  of  whom  she  may  well  be  proud.  A  man  of 
marked  ability,  keen  intellect  and  unquestioned 
skill  in  his  profession,  he  has  gained  a  reputation 
extending  far  beyond  the  limits  of  this  commu- 
nity. His  father,  Josiah  Brown,  was  also  a  phy- 
sician, well  known  in  this  community.  He  was 
born  in  Whitby,  in  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Can- 
ada, and  when  a  young  man  removed  to  the 
South.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Augusta,  Ga.,  and  then  came  to  Macon 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


345 


County,  111.,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  Mrs.  Sarah 
E.  Brown,  and  their  two  children.  For  two  years 
he  engaged  in  practice  in  Maroa,  and  in  1860 
came  with  his  family  to  Decatur,  where  he  was 
successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession until  his  death,  May  7,  1889,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two  years.  His  widow  is  still  living  in  this 
city.  She  had  a  family  of  seven  children,  four 
of  whom  are  living:  Dr.  Warren  F.,  of  Tacoma, 
Wash.;  Lillie  A.,  wife  of  Charles  R.  Murphy,  of 
Decatur;  Everett,  of  this  sketch;  and  Frederick 
A.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Ta- 
coma, Wash.  Dr.  Josiah  Brown  was  one  of  the 
pioneer  physicians  of  Decatur,  one  of  its  most 
highly  respected  citizens,  and  built  up  a  large 
practice. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  occurred  on  the  20th 
of  January,  1865,  in  this  city,  where  he  has  al- 
ways made  his  home.  His  literary  education  was 
completed  by  his  graduation  from  the  High 
School.  He  began  clerking  in  a  drug  store  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  he 
entered  the  Chicago  Medical  College,  where  he 
pursued  the  regular  three-years  course,  graduat- 
ing from  that  institution  in  the  Class  of  '88,  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.  A  few  days  later  he  took 
an  examination,  winning  the  second  rank  in  a 
class  of  twenty-five,  and  was  admitted  to  hospital 
practice  in  the  Cook  County  Hospital,  where  he 
remained  for  about  a  year,  when  he  was  called 
home  to  take  care  of  his  father's  practice.  His 
plan  was  to  have  remained  in  the  hospital  for  the 
full  term  of  a  year  and  a-half,  and  then,  return- 
ing home,  to  enter  into  partnership  with  his  fa- 
ther, but,  his  father's  death  occurring  at  this  time, 
this  intention  was  frustrated. 

On  October  1,  1891,  was  celebrated  the  mar- 
riage of  the  Doctor  and  Miss  Rebecca  C.  Brown, 
of  Jacksonville,  111.,  daughter  of  Dr.  Lloyd  W. 
Brown,  President  of  the  Central  Illinois  Savings 
Bank,  of  Jacksonville.  The  union  of  the  young 
couple  has  been  blessed  with  a  little  daughter,  Re- 
becca Alice,  who  is  the  joy  of  the  parents'  home. 
They  reside  at  No.  332  West  North  Street,  and 
have  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 

Fraternally,  the  Doctor  is  a  member  of  Cheva- 
lier Bayard  Lodge  No.  189,  K.  P.;  is  Treasurer 


of  the  Capital  District  Medical  Society,  and  a 
member  of  the  Macon  County  Medical  Society. 
He  is  Medical  Nominator  and  Examiner  for  the 
Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society  for  the  counties 
of  Macon,  Sangamon,  Logan,  Shelby,  Meuard, 
Christian,  Piatt  and  Moultrie,  and  is  also  Exam- 
iner for  ten  other  companies  and  three  fraternal 
insurance  orders,  including  the  Mutual  Life  of 
New  York;  the  JEtna,  of  Connecticut;  and  the 
Mutual  Benefit,  of  New  Jersey;  and  is  Assistant 
Secretary  of  the  Illinois  State  Medical  Society.  The 
Doctor  has  made  considerable  original  medical  and 
scientific  research,  and  has  contributed  largely  to 
current  medical  literature. 

Dr.  Brown  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  rising 
young  physicians  of  Decatur,  his  thorough  prep- 
aration, combined  with  his  natural  skill  and  abil- 
ity, having  won  him  an  enviable  reputation  among 
his  professional  brethren,  as  well  as  with  the  pub- 
lic, which  accords  him  a  liberal  patronage.  In 
his  political  views  the  Doctor  is  a  Republican, 
having  supported  that  party  since  attaining  his 
majority.  He  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 


A.  BONE  is  the  efficient  manager  of  the 
business  of  the  Hatfield  Milling  Company, 
which  is  one  of  the  leading  industries  of 
Decatur.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Christian  County  on  the 
19th  of  June,  1851.  No  event  of  special  impor- 
tance occurred  during  his  boyhood,  which  was 
quietly  passed  in  Montgomery  County.  The  pub- 
licschools  afforded  him  his  educational  privileges. 
On  embarking  in  business  for  himself  he  entered 
the  stock  trade,  and  in  1874  he  went  to  Kansas, 
locating  in  Ottawa,  where  he  engaged  in  the  stock 
business  for  nine  years.  That  period  having 
elapsed,  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Macon  County.  Here  he  engaged  in 
stock-dealing,  and  carried  on  farming  some  ten 
miles  north  of  Decatur  for  about  five  years.  Sub- 


346 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


sequently  he  spent  two  years  with    the    Decatur 
Coal  Company. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1874,  before  going  to 
the  West,  Mr.  Bone  was  united  in  marriage  with  j 
Miss  Catherine  A.  Hill,  a  daughter  of  H.  W.  Hill, 
and  a  native  of  Cape  Girardeau  County,  Mo.  At 
the  time  of  their  marriage,  however,  she  was  a  res- 
ident of  Illinois.  After  about  nineteen  years  of 
married  life  she  died  on  the  10th  of  January,  1893, 
leaving  a  family  of  three  children,  namely:  Hugh, 
Gussie  and  Emma.  She  had  many  warm  friends 
in  the  community,  and  her  death  was  widely 
mourned. 

The  mills  of  which  Mr.  Bone  is  manager  are 
among  the  oldest  in  Macon  County.  In  1837 
Demming's  horse  mill  was  built  about  two  miles 
from  the  city,  and  from  time  to  time  since  then 
until  1850  there  were  a  few  unimportant  ones 
erected.  About  1850  a  mill  was  built  by  Henkle 
&  Condell.  Later  George  Priest  became  connected 
with  it  and  continued  his  connection  with  it  until 
1884.  In  that  year  the  mill  passed  into  the  hands 
of  John  Hatfield  &  Co.  In  1882  it  was  rebuilt  by 
Mr.  Hattteld  as  the  plant  now  stands.  The  mill  is 
five  stories  in  height  and  each  building  is  50x50 
feet.  The  Hatfield  Milling  Company  was  incor- 
porated on  the  7th  of  December.  1889,  with  a 
paid-up  capital  of  $100,000,  its  principal  stock- 
holders being  H.  W.  Hill,  W.  C.  Armstrong  and 
James  Milligan.  The  first-named  was  made  Pres- 
ident but  was  subsequently  succeeded  by  Henry 
Shlaudeman.  Its  present  officers  are:  James 
Milligan,  President;  T.  A.  Bone,  Vice-President 
and  manager;  and  J.  W.  Carter,  Secretary.  The 
mill  is  fitted  up  with  the  latest  improved  ma- 
chinery and  has  a  capacity  of  four  hundred  bar- 
rels of  flour  daily.  Employment  is  furnished  to 
twenty  men.  They  use  about  two  hundred  thou- 
sand bushels  of  grain  annually,  over  three-fourths 
of  which  has  to  be  secured  outside  of  Maeon 
County.  The  chief  brands  of  flour  made  are  "White 
Foam"  and  "White  Bread,"  and  a  constant  demand 
for  the  products  of  this  mill  is  made  by  the  home 
market. 

In  his  social  relations  Mr.  Bone  is  a  Mason,  be- 
longing to  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.; 
Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.;  and  Beaumanoir 


Commandery  No.  9,K.  T.  He  also  holds  member- 
ship with  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  exercises 
his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Republican 
party,  but  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense 
of  office-seeking.  He  prefers  rather  to  devote  his 
time  and  attention  to  his  business,  in  which  he  has 
met  with  excellent  success.  Under  the  efficient 
management  of  Mr.  Bone  the  Hattield  Mills  are  in 
a  flourishing  condition  and  the  company  is  enjoy- 
ing a  good  trade.  Our  subject  is  a  man  of  excel- 
lent business  ability, and  his  straightforward  deal- 
ings and  honorable  career  have  won  him  universal 
confidence  and  esteem.  He  is  prominent  in  busi- 
ness circles  and  well  deserves  representation  in 
this  volume. 


S?  EON  H.  SULLIVAN,  City  Electrician  of 
I  0  Decatur,  residing  at  No.  812  North  Water 
jjj— ^  Street,  is  a  native  of  Illinois.  He  was  born 
in  Carlinville,  February  22,  1861,  and  comes  of  an 
old  Virginian  family.  His  grandfather,  William 
Sullivan,  was  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion  and 
spent  his  entire  life  in  that  State,  reaching  an  ad- 
vanced age.  He  was  twice  married,  and  reared  a 
large  family.  Joshua  H.  Sullivan,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  in  that  State 
learned  the  shoemaker's  trade.  In  the  early  '50s 
he  removed  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Maysville. 
Subsequently  he  went  to  Carlinville,  where  he  car- 
ried on  shoemaking.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the 
late  war,  prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  his  country  and  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson.  He  was  then  only 
thirty-eight  years  of  age.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Nancy  Emerich,  still  survives  her 
husband.  She  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church.  Her  father,  Pe- 
ter Emerich,  was  born  on  the  ocean  while  his  par- 
ents were  crossing  the  Atlantic  from  Germany. 
The  family  located  in  Virginia,  and  he  afterwards 
removed  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  followed  farm- 
ing. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


347 


Leon  Sullivan,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  is 
the  only  child  of  his  parents.  He  was  reared  in 
the  State  of  his  nativity  and  acquired  the  greater 
part  of  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Pontiac, 
111.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  learning  the 
tinner's  trade,  and  after  he  had  mastered  the  busi- 
ness he  carried  on  operations  in  that  line  for  about 
three  years.  Abandoning  that  pursuit,  he  then 
learned  the  trade  of  an  electrician,  which  lie  has 
continued  to  follow  up  to  the  present  time.  He 
is  an  expert  in  his  line  and  is  doing  a  good  busi- 
ness. About  1879,  he  came  to  Decatur  and  has 
since  made  this  city  his  home. 

On  the  18th  of  February,  1892,  Mr.  Sullivan 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Katie  F.  Mont- 
gomery, daughter  of  Marion  and  Elizabeth  (Tom- 
linson)  Montgomery,  of  Decatur.  One  child  has 
been  born  unto  them,  a  daughter.  The  young 
couple  have  many  friends  throughout  this  commu- 
nity and  a  wide  acquaintance.  Mr.  Sullivan  exer- 
cises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  He  is  a  wide-awake  and  enterpris- 
ing young  business  man,  who  applies  himself  un- 
tiringly to  its  interests,  and  is  a  public-spirited 
and  representative  citizen. 


HARLES  ALONZO  TUTTLE   was  born  in 

Prospect,  Conn.,  November  20,  1829,  and 
and  died  March  2,  1889,  at  his  home  in 
Decatur,  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was 
widely  known  throughout  the  State  in  connection 
with  its  railroad  interests,  and  few  men  in  Decalur 
had  more  friends  than  our  subject.  On  account 
of  the  part  he  took  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  cily, 
this  work  would  be  incomplete  without  his  life 
record.  His  father  followed  fanning,  and  during 
his  boyhood  he  worked  in  the  fields  and  attended 
the  common  schools.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he 
became  a  cadet  at  West  Point,  where  he  pursued 


his  studies  for  three  years.  He  did  not  graduate, 
however,  as  he  wished  to  begin  earning  a  liveli- 
hood. Having  studied  engineering,  he  began  work 
on  the  railroads  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  in  Con- 
necticut. Later  he  was  employed  in  Ohio,  and 
subsequently  secured  a  position  with  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  under  Col.  Mason,  having  charge 
of  the  division  from  Bloomington  to  Vandalia  in 
1851,  and  the  survey  between  those  two  points. 

Mr.  Tuttle  made  his  headquarters  in  Decatur, 
and  remained  as  Division  Engineer  of  the  road 
until  its  completion,  in  the  fall  of  1854.  On  the 
4th  of  April  of  that  year,  he  married  Miss  Henri- 
etta Florey,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Maria  (Gray) 
Florey,  natives  of  Virginia.  Her  parents  located 
near  Decatur  in  1826,  where  the  father  died  ten 
years  later.  The  mother,  however,  survived  him 
many  years,  passing  away  in  1878.  She  spent  the 
last  twenty  years  of  her  life  in  the  home  of  Mr. 
Tuttle.  Mrs.  Tuttle  was  the  youngest  child  and 
her  birth  occurred  on  the  old  homestead  May  24, 
1834.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born 
eight  children,  namely:  Frank  H.,  engaged  in  rail- 
way construction  work  at  Omaha,  Neb.;  Louie 
Alma,  wife  of  Edward  Carter,  a  jeweler  of  this 
city;  Sheridan  A.,  who  is  a  contractor  of  Decatur; 
Charles  Warren,  a  railroad  employe  of  Missouri; 
Fred,  a  traveling  salesman;  George,  who  is  engaged 
in  contracting  in  partnership  with  his  brother; 
Alonzo,  who  is  pursuing  the  first  year's  course  of 
study  in  the  University  of  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.;  and 
Homer,  who  is  a  student  in  the  High  School  of 
this  city. 

After  1854,  Mr.  Tuttle  began  contracting  for 
railroad  work,  making  grades  and  building  bridges. 
Later,  forminga  partnership  with  Sullivan  Burgess, 
he  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business,  and  also 
erected  a  sawmill  in  Ramsey,  111.  He  became 
largely  interested  in  Illinois  lands,  but  continued 
his  railroad  construction.  He  was  also  engaged  as 
a  bridge  contractor  and  in  making  contracts  for 
street  paving,  employing  a  number  of  men  for 
that  work  each  season.  His  last  railroad  contract 
was  on  the  Logansporl  road,  in  1884,  and  when 
his  work  there  was  completed  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  business  interests  in  Decatur.  He  was 
largely  interested  in  city  property,  and  platted  the 


348 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Plant  &  Tuttle  Addition,  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  city.  In  the  winter  of  1856  he  platted  Green- 
wood Cemeter}'.  He  was  also  one  of  the  number 
that  platted  the  Smith  &  Co.  Addition.  He  was 
very  successful  in  his  business  interests  and  accu- 
mulated a  handsome  property,  but  having  invested 
in  the  Effingham  Branch  Railroad,  he  lost  $27,000 
by  taking  county  bonds,  which  the  Legislature 
later  declared  invalid.  In  politics  he  was  a  Re- 
publican, but  never  sought  public  office.  He  was 
generous  to  a  fault,  and  often  assisted  others  to 
his  own  detriment.  His  liberality  and  kindness, 
however,  won  him  the  love  and  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact.  His  upright  and  hon- 
orable career  in  the  various  relations  of  life  is  well 
worthy  of  emulation,  and  although  he  did  not 
leave  to  his  family  a  princely  fortune,  he  left  them 
the  priceless  heritage  of  a  good  name,  which  the 
proverb  says  is  rather  to  be  chosen  than  great 
riches.  Through  his  death  the  community  has 
lost  one  of  its  best  citizens,  as  well  as  one  of  its 
honored  pioneers. 


EBENEZER  McNABB,  an  architect  and  con- 
tractor of  Decatur,  now  living  a  retired 
life,  was  born  in  Centre  County,  Pa.,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1823,  and  in  his  eleventh  year  went 
to  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  with  his  parents,  John 
and  Mary  (Young)  McNabb,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  the  Keystone  State,  and  spent  their 
last  days  in  Ohio.  The  father  was  a  stonemason 
and  farmer.  When  a  young  man  of  seventeen 
Ebenezer  began  to  learn  the  trades  of  cabinet- 
making  and  architecture  with  O.  S.  Kinney,  of 
Ashland,  Ohio,  with  whom  he  went  to  Cleveland 
in  1853.  Having  remained  with  that  gentleman 
for  five  vears,  in  1854  he  made  his  way  West- 
ward to  Illinois.  While  traveling  through  the 
State  in  search  of  a  location,  he  visited  Decatur, 
and  concluded  that  it  would  be  a  favorable  open- 
ing. After  spending  one  year  in  Sangamon  Coun- 


ty engaged  in  building  a  church,  he  purchased 
property  in  this  city,  and  in  the  spring  of  1855 
came  to  Decatur  to  make  his  home.  Here  he  be- 
gan contracting,  being  first  employed  on  the  old 
Crissey  House,  on  Prairie  Avenue.  It  was  not 
long  before  his  fellow-townsmen  recognized  his 
ability  in  the  line  of  his  trade  and  gave  him  a 
liberal  patronage.  He  has  built  many  of  the  most 
important  residences  in  the  city,  including  the 
homes  of  H.  W.  Hill,  J.  W.  Race,  Dr.  Catto,  W. 
II.  Busher,  R.  Montgomery,  and  many  others.  He 
erected  a  business  block  on  Merchant  Street,  one 
storeroom  of  which  he  still  owns,  and  put  up 
nearly  all  the  business  houses  on  the  south  side 
of  Lincoln  Square.  The  Grand  Opera  House  of 
Decatur  and  the  Trenton  Block  were  both  erected 
by  him  and  his  son  since  the  partnership  between 
the  two  was  formed.  He  was  also  superintendent 
during  the  construction  of  the  Syndicate  Block. 
In  April,  1845,  Mr.  McNabb  in  Jeromeville, 
Ohio,  wedded  Miss  Margaret  V.  Heller,  who  died 
April  10,  1881.  In  the  family  were  six  children. 
The  second  child,  Willie  O.,  is  an  architect,  con- 
tractor and  builder.  He  was  born  in  Decatur 
July  28,  1856,  was  educated  in  the  High  School, 
and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  began  studying  archi- 
tecture with  J.  B.  Legg,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He 
was  also  in  the  architecture  department  of  the 
State  University  at  Champaign  for  one  term,  after 
which  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  father, 
taking  charge  of  the  architectural  department. 
The  business  connection  was  continued  until  1890, 
when  our  subject  retired  from  the  firm,  leaving 
his  son  to  carry  on  the  business  alone.  He  is  a 
fine  architect,  and  has  made  a  thorough  study  of 
the  profession,  to  which  he  expects  to  devote  his 
life.  He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Chicago,  on 
the  20th  of  November,  1879,  with  Amanda  E. 
Chatham,  of  that  city,  and  unto  them  has  been 
born  a  son,  Eben  Chatham.  The  parents  are 
active  and  faithful  members  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Mary  I.,  the  eldest  member  of  the  Mc- 
Nabb family,  is  the  wife  of  T.  W.  Kann,  of  De- 
catur; Emma  F.  is  the  wife  of  T.  J.  Landis,  of 
Decatur,  and  for  the  past  two  years  has  resided 
with  her  father.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Landis  have  two 
children:  Margaret  H.,  born  April  8,  1881;  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


349 


Edgar  M.,  November  25,  1884.  Arthur  L.,  who 
completes  the  children  now  living,  is  Cashier  for 
the  Tank  Line  Company.  Two  children  died  in 
infancy. 

In  1860  Mr.  McNabb  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  City  Council,  and  for  eight  years  has  held 
that  office.  He  also  served  as  Township  Super- 
visor for  one  term.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat, but  owing  to  the  slavery  trouble  became  an 
Abolitionist,  and  on  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  joined  its  ranks.  He  now  votes 
with  the  Prohibition  party.  Socially,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  For 
forty-three  years  he  held  membership  with  the 
Christian  Church,  and  for-  twenty-eight  years  has 
been  one  of  its  Elders.  In  1855  he  organized  the 
first  Sunday-school  of  this  church,  and  has  since 
been  an  active  worker  in  its  interests,  having 
served  as  Superintendent  for  many  years..  He  has 
been  an  active  laborer  in  the  Master's  vineyard, 
and  in  his  declining  years  he  can  look  back  over 
a  well-spent  life,  and  forward  to  the  future  in  the 
hope  of  a  home  beyond. 


AMES  CANNON  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
O.  II.  Cannon  &  Co.,  proprietors  of  the  ele- 
vator, and  dealers  in  grain  in  Niantic.  We 
wish  to  add  to  the  old  settlers'  record  the 
history  of  this  man,  who  dates  his  residence  in  the 
county  from  1840,  and  is  therefore  numbered 
among  her  pioneers.  He  was  born  in  Pickaway 
County,  Ohio,  March  25,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of 
Louden  and  Sarah  (Blue)  Cannon.  The  father 
was  born  in  the  same  county  as  his  son,  but  the 
mother  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  Mr.  Cannon  fol- 
lowed farming  in  Ohio  until  1840,  when  he  deter- 
mined to  seek  a  home  further  West,  and  so  took 
up  his  residence  in  Macon  County,  where  two  years 
later  his  death  occurred.  His  wife  survived  him 
for  a  number  of  years,  being  called  to  the  home 
beyond  in  1861,  when  she  was  laid  to  rest  by  the 


side  of  her  husband  in  Long  Point  Cemetery.  Af- 
ter the  death  of  their  father  she  had  tenderly  reared 
and  cared  for  her  children,  providing  for  them  as 
best  she  could.  The  family  numbered  five  sons 
and  two  daughters,  but  though  all  reached  mature 
years,  none  are  now  living  with  the  exception  of 
our  subject. 

James  Cannon  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 
The  privileges  of  his  youth,  owing  to  the  strait- 
ened circumstances  of  his  mother,  were  quite  lim- 
ited, and  his  education  has  been  acquired  almost 
entirely  through  his  own  efforts.  After  he  had 
arrived  at  man's  estate  he  engaged  in  breaking 
prairie  for  about  six  years.  Later,  having  pur- 
chased an  eightj'-acre  tract  of  raw  prairie  land  in 
Harristown  Township,  he  located  thereon  and  be- 
gan its  development.  Acre  after  acre  he  placed 
under  the  plow,  and  in  course  of  time  the  once 
barren  tract  was  transformed  into  fields  of  waving 
grain.  He  afterwards  bought  more  land,  and  has 
now  opened  up  and  improved  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  making  it  one  of  the  best 
places  of  the  neighborhood.  His  home  is  a  fine 
large  dwelling,  and  good  barns  and  outbuildings, 
the  latest  improved  machinery,  a  well-kept  orchard 
and  all  the  accessories  of  a  model  farm  are  found 
upon  the  place.  He  also  owns  a  half-interest  in 
the  Niantio  Elevator,  and  this  branch  of  his  busi- 
ness is  a  paying  investment. 

In  all  his  efforts  Mr.  Cannon  has  been  ably  as- 
sisted and  seconded  by  his  estimable  wife,  who  has 
indeed  proved  to  him  a  true  helpmate.  Their 
union  was  celebrated  in  this  county  December  30, 
1863,  the  lady  being  in  her  maidenhood  Nancy 
W.  Blankinship.  She  is  a  native  of  Macon  County, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  Blankinship,  one  of  the 
honored  early  settlers.  By  their  union  have  been 
born  three  children:  Orin  H.,  who  is  now  engaged 
in  the  grain  business  in  Niantic;  James  T.,  who  is 
connected  with  his  brother  in  grain  dealing;  and 
Barton  K.,  at  home. 

In  the  spring  of  1893,  Mr.  Cannon  rented  his 
farm  and  came  to  Niantic  to  assist  his  sons  in  the 
elevator  business.  He  is  a  man  of  good  executive 
and  business  ability,  sagacious  and  fnr-sighted.and 
has  won  by  his  well-directed  efforts  a  handsome 
competency,  that  places  him  among  the  substantial 


350 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


citizens  of  the  count}'.  His  example  may  well 
serve  to  encourage  others  who  like  himself  have  to 
begin  life  empty-handed.  His  upright  and  straight- 
forward dealings  have  won  him  universal  confi- 
dence. In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  having  sup- 
ported that  party  since  he  cast  his  first  Presidential 
vole  for  James  Buchanan,  in  1856.  During  the 
fifty-three  years  of  his  residence  in  this  county,  he 
has  aided  in  its  development  and  upbuilding  and 
has  always  borne  his  part  in  the  promotion  of  its 
best  interests,  and  he  deserves  mention  among  the 
prominent  business  men  and  honored  pioneers  of 
the  county. 


Jl  OHN  WACKER,  who  is  now  living  a  retired 
I    life  in  Niantic,  and  who  holds  the  position 
I    of  Township  Assessor,  is  one  of  the  worthy 
citizens    that   Germany    has    furnished    to 

Macon  County.  He  was  born  in  Schleitdorf 
Tiibeng,  Wurtemberg,  December  27,  1828,  and 
was  there  reared  to  manhood.  In  his  native  land 
he  learned  the  weaver's  trade,  which  he  followed 
in  connection  with  farming  until  1853.  In  that 
3'ear  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  landing  in  New  York 
in  June.  He  first  located  in  Zoar,  Ohio,  and 
during  the  summer  was  employed  on  railroad 
grading.  In  the  fall  he  went  to  Louisville,  and 
the  next  summer  secured  employment  on  a  farm 
near  Jefferson vi lie,  Ind.,  at  $10  per  month.  After 
three  months  he  engaged  as  deck  hand  on  a  steam- 
boat plying  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  at 
$40  per  month,  after  which  he  worked  as  a  farm 
hand  in  Kentucky  for  a  year. 

At  length  Mr.  Wacker  determined  to  come  to 
Decatur,  and  on  the  27th  of  March,  1857,  reached 
this  city  with  only  twenty-five  cents  in  his  pocket 
He  sold  an  extra  pair  of  pants  to  pay  his  board, 
and  after  three  days  secured  a  position  as  a  farm 
Imnd  at  $18  per  month.  He  was  thus  employed 
for  six  mouths  and  savod  nearly  all  the  money  he 
earned,  with  the  exception  of  $10  which  he  sent 
to  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  payment  of  a  debt.  His 


next  employment  was  as  a  porter  in  the  Barnum 
Hotel  at  $18  per  month.  From  that  time  forward 
his  financial  condition  seemed  to  improve.  He 
was  economical  and  frugal,  and  little  by  little  he 
acquired  a  capital.  At  length  he  bought  a  saloon, 
but  his  partner  used  up  nearly  all  the  profits. 
After  a  year  Mr.  Wacker  took  his  billiard  tables 
and  went  to  Monticello,  but  after  three  weeks  he 
traded  these  for  a  team  of  horses  and  wagon,  which 
in  turn  lie  traded  for  forty  acres  of  land  on  the 
lake,  a  mile  and  a-half  south  of  Niantic.  In  the 
fall  of  1859  he  built  a  log  cabin,  and  during  the 
next  spring  started  a  little  brickyard  in  company 
with  Thomas  McGurry.  It  rained  all  that  summer, 
and  the  brick  did  not  burn  well,  so  the  investment 
was  not  profitable.  In  1861,  his  partner  went  to 
the  war  but  Mr.  Wacker  kept  on  making  improve- 
ments, and  in  1863  built  anothei  kiln.  About 
this  time  an  army  officer  from  New  York,  who 
owned  large  tracts  of  land  in  this  locality,  came 
to  Niantic.  Mr.  Wacker  did  a  number  of  favors 
for  him,  and  the  gentleman  told  him  to  select  a 
tract  of  land,  for  which  he  might  pay  as  he  found 
it  convenient.  He  secured  forty  acres  and  after- 
wards added  to  it  a  tract  of  similar  size.  In  1864 
he  removed  to  this  farm,  a  half-mile  south  of 
Niantic,  and  began  its  development.  He  placed 
it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  made  many 
improvements  thereon,  and  there  resided  until 
1882.  Its  boundaries  he  had  also  extended  by  an 
additional  purchase  of  fifty-four  acres. 

June  13,  1858,  our  subject  married  Miss  Cath- 
erine Schneider,  also  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
their  children  were  reared  upon  the  farm.  Bena 
is  the  wife  of  H.  Illenfeldt,  a  farmer  of  Stanberry, 
Mo.;  Henry  owns  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  in  the  same  locality;  Emma  makes  her 
home  with  her  grandmother,  Mrs.  Henry  Myer, 
mother  of  Mrs.  Wacker,  in  Decatur;  George  owns 
a  half-interest  in  the  elevator  in  Edinburg, 
Christian  County,  111.;  Augusta  is  engaged  in 
teaching  music;  and  Nellie  and  Theresa  are  at 
home.  They  lost  three  sons  in  infancy,  and  a 
daughter,  Louisa,  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 

In  1882,  Mr.  Wacker  purchased  a  half-interest 
in  the  Niantic  Mill  and  the  following  year  became 
sole  proprietor,  carrying  on  the  business  for  ten 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


353 


years.  In  1891,  he  tore  down  the  mill  and  built 
an  elevator,  which  lie  sold  the  following  year. 
He  has  since  retired  from  business  life.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  and  has  been  honored 
with  a  number  of  public  olfices  of  trust.  He  is 
now  serving  as  Township  Assessor  and  was  Com- 
missioner of  Highways  for  fifteen  years;  he  was 
also  Supervisor  for  two  years,  and  President  of  the 
Board  of  Village  Trustees  for  several  years.  Him- 
self and  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
of  Uecatur.  He  is  one  of  Niantic's  prominent 
citizens,  and  with  pleasure  we  present  this  record 
of  his  life  to  our  readers. 


AMU  EL  DILLER  is  accounted  one  of  De- 
catur's  most  prominent  and  substantial  citi- 
zens and  business  men.  He  is  identified  with 
many  of  the  leading  enterprises  and  indus- 
tries of  the  city,  is  connected  with  the  Leader  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  and  is  President  of  the  Deca- 
tur  Brick  and  Tile  Company.  He  also  owns  $10,000 
worth  of  stock  in  the  Salina  Flouring  Mills,  of  Sa- 
lina,  Kan.,  and  is  largely  interested  in  lands  and 
cattle  of  Texas. 

The  Diller  family  was  founded  in  America  by 
Abraham,  Francis  and  Peter  Diller,  brothers,  who 
were  natives  of  Berne,  Switzerland,  and  emigrated 
to  this  country  in  1754-,  locating  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.  Peter,  a  son  of  Abraham  and  the 
grandfather  of  Samuel  of  this  notice,  became  a 
resident  of  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  in  1788  and 
purchased  laud  from  a  man  by  the  name  of  Me 
Farland,  who  had  previously  bought  it  from  Will- 
iam Penn.  Upon  this  land  was  an  old  fort,  form- 
erly used  by  the  whites  as  a  place  of  safety  from 
the  hostile  Indians,  and  this  was  afterward  made 
use  of  as  a  dwelling.  Here  Peter  Diller  engaged 
in  farming  during  his  life.  After  his  death  his 
son  John,  the  father  of  our  subject,  succeeded  to 
the  estate  and  occupied  the  same  farm  until  his 
death,  in  1871,  the  homestead  remaining  in  the 
Diller  family  until  1882.  John  Diller  married 

16 


Elizabeth  Conaway,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  but 
of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  They  had  a  family  of 
three  children  who  grew  to  maturity,  viz.:  Martha, 
who  is  deceased;  John,  a  resident  of  Cumberland 
County,  Pa.;  and  Samuel  of  this  sketch. 

In  the  Keystone  State,  on  the  3d  of  April,  1827, 
occurred  the  birth  of  our  subject.  He  was  reared 
to  manhood  upon  a  farm  and  acquired  an  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Pennsylvania.  After 
attaining  to  mature  years  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  married,  in  1854,  to  Miss  Ann  Amelia  Shella- 
barger,  a  sister  of  D.  S.  Shellabarger,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Her  married  life 
was  short,  as  she  died  in  October,  1857,  leaving 
two  children,  John  and  Samuel  S.  The  former 
resides  in  Decatur  and  is  Superintendent  of  a  tile 
and  brick  factory.  He  married  Miss  Maggie  Oren, 
and  a  daughter,  Ida,  graces  their  union.  Samuel 
S.  is  a  ranchman  and  makes  his  home  in  Shackel- 
ford  County,  Tex.  Our  subject  was  a  second  time 
married.  In  1860  he  wedded  Miss  Rebecca  Jane 
Shellabarger,  and  they  have  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren, the  eldest  of  whom,  Anna  L.,  is  the  wife  of 
Joseph  M.  Stewart,  who  is  engaged  as  shipping 
clerk  in  the  Shellabarger  Mill,  of  Decatur.  They 
have  two  daughters,  Edna  and  Grace.  David  is 
engaged  in  partnership  with  his  elder  brother, 
Samuel,  in  cattle  dealing  in  Texas,  and  is  doing  a 
good  business.  He  wedded  Miss  Mattie  Miller, 
a  daughter  of  Supervisor  John  H.  Miller,  of 
Wheatland  Township,  Macon  County.  Howard, 
the  youngest  of  the  family,  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Diller  remained  in  the  State  of  his  nativity 
and  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  fifty- 
four  years  of  age,  when  he  determined  to  seek  a 
home  in  Illinois.  Accordingly,  he  came  to  Deca- 
tur and  purchased  a  fourth  interest  in  the  Shella- 
barger Mill,  with  which  he  was  connected  for  four 
years,  when  he  sold  out  to  Shellabarger  &  Bowers. 
He  then  invested  considerable  in  a  cattle  company 
in  Texas  and  also  bought  a  third  interest  in  the 
Decatur  Brick  and  Tile  Works,  which  he  still  owns. 
About  once  each  year  he  goes  to  Texas  to  visit  his 
sons  and  look  after  his  large  landed  and  cattle  inter- 
ests. He  owns  eight  hundred  head  of  cattle,  and  his 
sons  own  as  many  more.  In  1885  Mr.  Diller  also  pur- 
chased a  large  interest  in  a  (louring-mill  of  Salina, 


354 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


Kan.,  and  has  found  this  a  good  paying  invest- 
ment. He  has  been  President  of  the  Decatur 
Brick  and  Tile  Company  for  the  last  seven  years, 
and  under  his  careful  management  the  business 
has  prospered  well,  now  amounting  to  upwards  of 
$30,000  annually.  He  is  a  Director  and  stock- 
holder in  the  Leader  Manufacturing  Company. 
They  make  brick  and  tile  machinery,  the  works  of 
the  concern  being  located  in  the  western  part  of 
the  city. 

Mr.  Diller  is  a  man  of  keen  judgment  and  good 
foresight;  conservative,  in  that  he  is  not  venture- 
some, and  progressive  in  taking  up  any  new  im- 
provement or  venture  which  his  judgment  ap- 
proves. In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  hav- 
ing atliliated  with  that  party  since  1856,  when  its 
first  nominee  ran  for  the  Presidency.  His  wife  is 
a  member  of  Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
They  have  a  beautiful  home  at  No.  631  West  Prai- 
rie Street,  which  Mr.  Diller  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$8,000.  There  he  expects  to  spend  his  remaining 
days,  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries 
of  life  that  are  furnished  him  by  his  handsome 
competence,  the  fruit  of  his  former  toil. 


L.  WALSTON,  M.  D.  The  possessor  of 
the  name  which  heads  this  record  is  a 
genial,  pleasant  gentleman,  popular  in  all 

wherewith  he  has  long  been  connected,  having 
practiced  in  this  city  for  twenty-three  years.  He 
is  a  son  of  Levin  Walston,  who  came  to  Illinois  in 
1829.  and  followed  farming  in  Indianola  Town- 
ship, Vermilion  County.  He  was  born  in  Mary- 
landf  and  when  a  boy  went  to  Kentucky,  whence 
he  came  to  this  State.  He  served  as  a  Captain  in 
the  Black  Hawk  War,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Vermilion  County,  and  there  improved  a  farm, 
becoming  a  well-to-do  citizen.  He  married  Susan, 
daughter  of  Gideon  Howard,  a  prominent  settler 
of  Vermilion  County,  and  her  death  occurred  dur- 
ing the  infancy  of  our  subject.  She  was  born  in 


Scotland,  and  during  her  girlhood  accompanied 
her  grandparents  to  Paris,  Ky., and  afterward  emi- 
grated to  Indianola  Township,  Vermilion  County. 
The  father  of  our  subject  reached  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-six  years. 

The  Walstons  are  of  English  descent,  and  the 
Howard  family  is  of  Scotch  origin.  The  paternal 
grandfather  of  the  Doctor,  Charles  Walston,  was  a 
native  of  England  and  was  a  soldier  under  Gen. 
Braddock,  fighting  against  the  American  Colonies. 
When  the  British  fleet  set  sail  for  England  after 
the  war  was  over,  he  slipped  out  and  went  to 
Maryland,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  His  views  changed  when  he  saw  the  condi 
tion  of  the  Colonists,  and  he  became  a  Whig. 

Dr.  Walston  was  born  in  Vermilion  Count}-  No- 
vember 29,  1837,  Thanksgiving  Day,  and  is  the 
only  one  of  a  family  of  seven  children  now  liv- 
ing. He  was  reared  upon  a  farm  within  two 
miles  of  Indianola,  and  in  the  public  schools  of 
that  place  and  in  the  district  schools  he  acquired 
his  primary  education,  which  was  supplemented 
by  a  three-years  course  in  the  Georgetown  Semin- 
ary, a  school  of  the  Methodist  Church.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  embarked  in  teaching, 
his  first  school  being  in  Indianola  Township,  after 
which  he  had  charge  of  the  Ridge  Farm  schools, 
being  Principal  of  the  same  for  two  years. 

Nearly  all  his  leisure  time  during  this  interval 
Dr.  Walston  devoted  to  the  stud}' of  medicine,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1859  entered  the  Ohio  Medical  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  spring 
of  1861.  He  began  practice  in  Ridge  Farm,  III.,  as 
a  partner  of  Dr.  Boswell  Ward,  now  professor  of 
Materia  Medica  in  the  Medical  College  of  Indian- 
apolis. In  the  fall  of  1862  he  enlisted  as  assist- 
antsurgeon  for  the  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry, 
but  after  ten  weeks'  service  was  taken  with  hem- 
orrhage of  the  lungs  at  Covington  Heights.  He 
was  then  sent  home,  and  resumed  his  partnership 
with  Dr.  Ward,  remaining  with  him  until  the 
spring  of  1864,  when  he  was  mustered  into  service 
with  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-third  Illinois 
Infantry, and  served  as  the  regular  surgeon  of  the 
regiment  until  the  close  of  the  war.  The  greater 
part  of  his  time  was  spent  in  the  Gayoso  Hospital, 
at  Memphis,  where  hfc  did  arduous  service,  He  was 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


355 


under  Prof.  Daniel  Brainard,  of  Chicago,  the 
founder  of  Rush  Medical  College,  and  one  of  the 
early  and  best  professors  of  surgery.  On  account 
of  his  great  admiration  for  Prof.  Brainard,  lie  took 
a  post-graduate  course  at  Rush  Medical  College 
soon  after  the  war,  doing  special  work  in  the  line 
of  surgery.  After  taking  his  degree  in  1866,  he 
went  to  Paris,  111.,  where  he  engaged  in  general 
practice.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  surgeons  of 
Edgar  County,  having  performed  the  first  opera- 
tions for  hare  lip,  cleft  palate  and  ovarian  tumor 
in  the  county. 

Dr.  Walston  has  been  twice  married.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1863,  he  wedded  Sara  T.  Smith,  of  Danville, 
111.,  and  unto  them  was  born  a  daughter,  Dora, 
wife  of  William  Lee  Johnson,  a  business  man  of 
Chicago,  by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Louise. 
January  3,  1866,  the  Doctor  married  Mrs.  Cynthia 
M.  Summers,  of  Paris,  111.,  widow  of  Charles  Sum- 
mers, and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren. Louise  is  the  wife  of  Percival  Chubb, 
Professor  of  Languages  and  Belles-Letires  in  the 
Polytechnic  School  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Edward 
Brainard  took  a  special  course  of  study  in  the 
Northwestern  University,  of  Evanston,  111.,  pur- 
sued the  regular  four- years  course  in  Rush  Medical 
College,  graduating  in  the  Class  of  '93,  and  is  now 
assistant  surgeon  in  the  sanatorium  of  Decatur. 
He  married  Miss  Lola  Carver,  of  Paris,  111.  Anna 
is  now  a  student  in  Lasell  Seminary,  in  Auburn- 
dale,  Mass.  Mrs.  Walston  also  had  a  son  by  her 
former  marriage,  Albert  T.  Summers,  a  lawyer  of 
Decatur. 

Dr.  Walston  continued  his  residence  in  Paris 
until  1871,  when  he  came  to  Decatur,  where  he 
has  practiced  continuously  since.  He  has  met 
with  marked  success  in  surgery,  thus  gaining  a 
wide  reputation.  In  1893  he  built  the  sanatorium 
for  the  accommodation  of  patients  who  need  sur- 
gical treatment.  This  institution  fills  a  long-felt 
want  in  Decatur.  It  is  a  handsome  four-story 
building,  fully  supplied  with  all  modern  conve- 
niences for  the  care  of  the  sick,  and  has  accommo- 
dations for  fifty  patients,  who  are  afforded  every 
advantage  of  u  first-class  establishment.  For  the 
past  fifteen  years  the  Doctor  has  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  surgery  exclusively,  and  his  skill 


and  ability  have  won  him  a  liberal  patronage  in 
this  line.  He  exercised  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party  until  the  last 
election,  when,  on  account  of  his  views  on  the 
tariff  question,  he  voted  for  Grover  Cleveland. 
He  is  a  man  of  commanding  presence,  and  his 
pleasant  manners  and  cheeriness  are  of  almost  as 
much  benefit  in  the  sick  room  as  his  professional 
service. 


HERIDAN  A.  TUTTLE,  of  the  Tuttle 
Brick  Company,  of  Decatur,  has  long  been 
connected  with  railroad  constructing  in 
Illinois,  as  was  also  his  father,  whom  he 
joined  in  the  business  in  1879,  when  he  was  eigh- 
teen years  of  age.  He  was  employed  on  the  con- 
struction of  the  Omaha  extension  of  the  Wabash 
Railroad  from  Brunswick,  Mo.,  building  fifteen 
miles  of  road,  with  Stasburg,  Mo.,  as  the  central 
point,  and  putting  in  the  side  tracks  at  that  place 
when  the  town  contained  but  one  house.  The 
next  year  he  rebuilt  the  old  Northern  Missouri 
Road  from  Brunswick,  Mo.,  to  Pattonsburg,  a  dis- 
tance of  ninety  miles,  putting  in  new  bridges  and 
new  iron.  The  next  year  he  built  the  Jacksonville 
<fe  Southeastern  from  Virden  to  Litchfield,  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-four  miles.  His  labors  during  the 
succeeding  year  were  given  to  the  construction  of 
the  Q.  M.  <fc  P.  R.  R.  into  Trenton,  Mo.,  from  the 
north. 

Subsequent  to  this  time,  Mr.  Tuttle  built  ten 
miles  of  road  on  the  narrow  gauge  of  the  "Clover 
Leaf"  at  Donnellson,  111.,  after  which  occurred  a 
change  in  his  business,  as  during  the  following 
two  years  he  was  employed  in  contracting  on  the 
street  work  in  Decatur.  When  that  period  had 
expired,  he  spent  two  years  with  his  uncle,  B.  B. 
Tuttle,  in  the  lumber  business.  His  father  then 
engaged  with  the  Wabash  Line  east  of  the  Miss- 
issippi, and  Sheridan  began  business  for  himself, 
contracting  for  grading.  He  also  erected  the 
Staunton  Reservoir.  His  last  railroad  work  was 


356 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


the  construction  of  seven  miles  of  road  east  of 
St.  Louis,  on  the  Jacksonville  &  Southeastern 
Railroad.  Since  that  time,  he  has  contracted  for 
sewer  work  in  Decatur,  and  is  still  engaged  in  that 
line  of  trade.  He  employs  from  twenty  to  one 
hundred  men,  and  his  contracts  for  1893  have 
already  amounted  to  not  less  than  $20,000.  His 
business  is  a  large  one  and  adds  materially  to  the 
prosperity  of  the  city,  inasmuch  as  it  gives 
work  to  so  many  hands. 

Mr.  Tuttle  has  recently  established  the  Tuttle 
Brick  Company,  which  was  incorporated  with  a 
capital  of  $20,000.  The  plant  is  situated  a  mile 
and  a-half  northwest  of  Decatur,  on  the  main  line 
of  the  Wabash,and  they  manufacture  building  and 
vitrified  brick.  This  promises  to  become  one  of 
the  leading  enterprises  of  the  community.  Mr. 
Tuttle  is  a  man  of  excellent  business  abilit}7,  saga- 
cious and  farsighted,  and  kis  enterprise  and  good 
management  have  already  placed  him  in  the  front 
rank  among  Macon  County's  business  men. 


!  LIAS  FORD,  a  retired  farmer  residing  in 
Niantic1.  is  numbered  among  the  settlers  of 
the  county  who  came  here  in  1853.  As  he 
has  a  wide  acquaintance  throughout  this  commu- 
nity, we  feel  assured  that  a  record  of  his  life  will 
prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers,  and  there- 
fore gladly  insert  this  sketch.  Mr.  Ford  is  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  his  birth  have  occurred  in  what  is 
now  Marshall  County,  September.  22,  1829.  His 
father,  Boze  Ford,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  but 
the  grandfather  was  born  in  North  Carolina, 
whence  he  emigrated  to  Galloway  County,  Ky., 
where  Boze  was  reared  to  manhood.  In  that 
county  the  latter  married  Miss  Susan  Averitte,  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  and  a  daughter  of  Aaron 
Averitte,  who  was  born  in  South  Carolina.  For 
some  years,  Mr.  Ford  followed  farming  in  his  na- 
tive State,  but  in  1851  removed  to  Sangamon 
County,  III.,  where  he  opened  up  a  farm.  He  spent 
his  last  years  in  Illiopolis,  and  was  called  to  the 


home  beyond  in  1872,  in  the  seventy-eighth  year 
of  his  age.  His  wife  passed  away  in  August,  1852, 
and  both  were  laid  to  rest  in  Long  Point  Cemetery, 
where  a  monument  has  been  erected  to  their 
memory. 

Our  subject  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a 
family  of  seven  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  first 
twenty  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  the  county 
of  his  nativity,  when,  feeling  himself  ready  to  en- 
ter the  world  and  fight  his  own  battles,  he  left  his 
old  home  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1849.  Locating 
in  Morgan  County,  he  worked  by  the  month  as  a 
farm  hand  for  three  years,  and  in  1853  lie  came  to 
Macon  County,  where  he  was  similarly  employed 
for  a  year.  With  the  capital  he  had  acquired 
by  industry  and  economy,  he  then  purchased  forty 
acres  of  prairie  land.  and.  locating  thereon,  began 
its  development.  His  plow  soon  turned  the  sod, 
and  the  seed  scattered  on  the  ground,  nurtured  by 
the  sun  and  dew,  soon  brought  forth  abundant 
harvests.  Mr.  Ford  afterward  increased  his  pos- 
sessions as  his  financial  resources  would  permit, 
until  he  became  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  timber  and  prairie  land.  After  two 
years  he  sold  that  farm  and  bought  the  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acre  farm  on  section  34,  Niautic 
Township,  which  he  still  owns.  A  nice  dwelling, 
substantial  barns  and  outbuildings,  a  good  orchard 
and  other  improvements  which  may  there  be  seen 
stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise. 

The  lady  who  bears  the  title  of  Mrs.  Ford  was  in 
her  maidenhood  Sarah  McDanneld.  Her  parents, 
James  and  Sarah  (West)  McDanneld,  were  natives 
of  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania,  respectively.  She  was 
born  and  reared  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,and  when 
a  young  lady  came  to  Macon  County  and  taught 
school  one  summer.  On  the  2d  of  November, 
1854,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  our  subject 
and  his  wife,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with  five 
children.  Minerva  is  the  widow  of  Dr.  A.  C.  Brad- 
way,  of  O'Glenn;  Ella,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
A.  C.  Edgar,  of  Rushville,  Schuyler  County,  111.; 
C.  C.  is  engaged  in  the  dairy  business  in  Chicago; 
Hattie  is  the  wife  of  George  Jacobson,  a  business 
man  of  Niantic;  and  James  operates  the  old  home- 
stead farm. 

Mr.  Ford  is  identified  with  the  Prohibition  party 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


357 


and  supports  its  men  and  measures.  He  was 
formerly  a  Democrat  and  cast  his  first  vote  for 
Franklin  Pierce  in  1852.  He  served  for  one  year 
as  Supervisor,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  for  a  number  of  years,  but  has  never  been 
a  politician  in  thesenseof  office-seeking.  Himself 
and  wife  are  faithful  and  active  members  of  the 
Niantic  Christian  Church,  and  do  all  in  their  power 
for  its  upbuilding.  In  summing  up  the  life  of  our 
subject,  we  see  that  his  career  has  been  a  prosperous 
one,  owing  to  his  indefatigable  labors  and  perse- 
verance, also  that  it  has  been  an  upright  and  hon- 
orable one,  and  thereby  he  is  numbered  among 
Macon  County's  best  citizens. 


UILLIAM  S.  MrCONNELL,  M.  D.,  one  of 
the  honored  physicians  of  Macon  County, 
^"^  residing  on  section  5,  Pleasant  View 
Township,  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State.  He 
was  born  on  the  21st  of  November,  1844,  in 
Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  is  the  eldest  in  a  fam- 
ily of  five  children,  four  sons  and  a  daughter, 
born  unto  Francis  M.  and  Jane  (Armstrong)  Mc- 
Connell.  Two  of  the  number  are  now  deceased. 
Those  still  living  are  the  Doctor;  Edwin  A.,  a 
prominent  railroad  contractor  residing  in  Wayne 
County,  Ohio;  and  Harry  A.,  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  farming  near  Cleveland,  Ohio.  The 
father  of  this  family  was  born  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  when  quite  small  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Wayne  County,  Ohio. 
When  about  fifteen  years  of  age  he  left  home  and 
learned  the  tanner's  trade,  at  which  he  worked 
for  several  years.  lie  next  engaged  in  a  mercan- 
tile business  in  Kenton,  Ohio,  conducting  it  suc- 
cessfully until  1859.  He  started  with  only  a  lim- 
ited capital,  but  on  selling  out  he  owned  one  of 
the  leading  wholesale  and  retail  stores  in  that 
town.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent  business  ability, 
and  his  well-directed  efforts  brought  him  a  hand- 
some competency.  His  death  occurred  in  Medina, 
Ohio,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  The  fam- 


ily is  of  Scotch  and  Irish  extraction.  The  mother 
of  our  subject,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  of 
Scotch  lineage,  departed  this  life  in  Wayne  Coun- 
ty in  1881. 

Dr.  McConnell,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
spent  his  early  life  under  the  parental  roof  in  the 
town  of  Kenton,  Ohio,  and  attended  school  until 
eighteen  years  of  age,  acquiring  a  good  English 
education.  The  war  having  broken  out,  he  de- 
termined to  aid  his  country  in  her  struggle  to  pre- 
serve the  Union,  and  enlisted  as  a  member  of 
Company  E,  Eighty-second  Ohio  Infantry,  in 
which  he  served  for  twenty-nine  months,  when 
he  was  honorably  discharged  on  account  of  phys- 
ical disability,  caused  by  a  very  bad  wound  in  the 
left  thigh  that  has  crippled  him  for  life.  The 
wound  was  received  at  the  never-to-be-forgotten 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  Mr.  McConnell  was  taken 
to  the  hospital,  where  he  was  confined  for  about 
three  months,  and  was  then  taken  to  the  State  of 
his  nativity. 

Our  subject  now  determined  to  enter  the  med- 
ical profession,  and  to  this  end  took  a  course  in 
the  Medical  Department-  of  the  University  of 
Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  later  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  Cincinnati  College  of  Medicine  and 
Surgery,  in  1872.  He  then  went  to  Sterling,  Ohio, 
and,  entering  upon  the  practice  of  medicine,  there 
remained  for  about  three  years.  His  next  place 
of  residence  was  in  Blue  Mound,  III.,  where  he 
continued  to  engage  in  practice  until  1889.  Ow- 
ing to  his  marked  skill  and  ability  he  gained  a 
liberal  patronage  and  continued  in  active  busi- 
ness until  the  year  above  mentioned,  when,  on  ac- 
count of  poor  health,  he  laid  aside  professional 
cares  and  purchased  a  very  valuable  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  adjoining  the  corpora- 
tion limits  of  Blue  Mound.  He  now  superintends 
the  management  and  care  of  his  farm,  and  to  a 
limited  extent  still  engages  in  practice  among  his 
old  friends  and  patients. 

In  January,  1873,  Dr.  McConnell  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Goth'nett,  who  was 
born  July  26,  1844,  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio. 
Four  children  blessed  this  union,  three  of  whom 
are  yet  living,  viz.:  Ella  E..  a  highly  educated 
young  lady;  Florence  L.  and  Eunice  G.  The 


358 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


daughters  are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  The 
McConnell  household  is  noted  for  its  hospitality, 
and  the  members  of  the  family  rank  high  in  the 
circles  of  society  in  which  they  move. 

The  Doctor  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics, 
having  supported  that  party  since  he  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  before  he 
was  of  age,  while  on  a  gunboat  at  Cairo,  during 
his  service  in  the  late  war.  He  is  a  member  of 
Blue  Mound  Lodge  No.  682,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.,  and 
also  belongs  to  Post  No.  347,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Blue 
Mound.  He  has  served  as  Chairman  of  his  town- 
ship in  the  Republican  Central  Committee  for 
twelve  years,  and  has  done  all  in  his  power  to  aid 
in  the  growth  and  insure  the  success  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  but  would  never  consent  to  hold 
office. 

The  Doctor  is  now  Examining  Surgeon  on  the 
Pension  Board  of  Macon  County.  During  his 
long  business  career  here  he  not  only  gained  a 
large  and  lucrative  practice,  but  won  for  himself 
a  place  among  the  most  prominent  of  his  pro- 
fessional brethren,  his  skill  gaining  him  an  envi- 
able reputation.  As  a  citizen  he  is  public  spirited 
and  progressive,  and  manifests  a  commendable  in- 
terest in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
the  community  in  which  he  makes  his  home.  The 
Doctor  is  widely  known  throughout  Macon  and 
adjoining  counties,  and  has  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact. 


J~|  AMES  WOODLAIN   HA  WORTH  was  born 
I    in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  on  the  2d  of  April, 
1836,  and  died  on  the  morning  of  February 
5, 1892,  at  his  home  in  Decatur,  respected  by 
all  who  knew  him.     He  was  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  the  community,  and  it  is  but  just  that  a 
record  of  his  life  should   be  given  in   the  history 
of  his  adopted  county,  where  he  so  long  resided. 
His  parents  were  Mahlon    and  Sarah  (Woolman) 
Haworth,  both    of   whom   were   natives  of   Ohio. 


Their  ancestors  came  from  New  Jersey,  and  were 
Quakers  in  religious  belief.  The  family,  however, 
is  probably  of  English  origin,  and  undoubtedly 
was  founded  in  America  in  early  Colonial  days. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Clinton 
County,  Ohio,  August  20,  1809,  and  became  a 
farmer,  following  that  occupation  for  a  number  of 
years  in  the  Buckeye  State,  where  he  also  engaged 
in  operating  a  sawmill.  At  length  he  determined 
to  seek  a  home  in  the  West,  and  in  1853  came  to 
Illinois,  making  his  home  in  Springfield  until 
1857,  when  he  made  a  permanent  location  in  De- 
catur. Here  he  engaged  in  the  grain  business,  as- 
sociating with  him  his  sons,  James  W.,  George  D., 
L.  L.  and  John  W.  In  1870  the  Haworth  &  Sons 
Check-Rower  factory  was  built,  and  they  began 
the  manufacture  of  check-rowers,  which  were  the 
invention  of  George  D.  Haworth.  The  family 
has  been  prominent  in  business  circles  since  com- 
ing to  the  city,  and  established  one  of  its  leading 
industries.  The  father  died  on  Monday,  April 
25,  1893. 

Hon.  James  W.  Haworth,  whose  name  heads  this 
record,  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  early 
youth  in  Ohio,  and  in  its  public  schools  acquired 
his  education.  He  was  a  young  man  of  seventeen 
years  when  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents, 
and  about  the  time  of  attaining  his  majority  he 
took  up  his  residence  in  Decatur,  hence  the  entire 
years  of  his  manhood  were  spent  in  this  city.  His 
business  interests  were  always  associated  with  those 
of  the  firm  of  Haworth  &  Sons.  He  was  a  man  of 
good  business  ability,  straightforward  and  honora- 
ble in  all  his  dealings,  and  the  community  re- 
spected him  for  his  sterling  worth  and  strict  in- 
tegrity. As  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Haworth  & 
Sons  he  engaged  in  the  grain  business  on  the 
present  site  of  the  check-rower  factory,  but  in 
1870  the  firm  began  the  manufacture  of  check- 
rowers.  Our  subject  was  the  business  manager 
of  the  enterprise,  which  soon  grew  to  large  propor- 
tions, and  the  well-managed  business  became  re- 
markably prosperous  and  profitable.  In  1883  he 
organized  The  Decatur  Iron  Felloe  Wagon  Com- 
pany, and  continued  business  along  that  line  fora 
few  years,  but  finally  disposed  of  the  enterprise. 
From  1888  he  devoted  his  energies  entirely  to  the 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


359 


management  of  the  business  connected  with  the 
check-rowers  until  a  few  months  prior  to  his  death, 
when,  on  account  of  failing  health,  he  practically 
retired. 

On  the  llth  of  September,  I860,  Mr.  Haworth 
was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Louise 
Henkle,  daughter  of  Benson  and  Margaret  (Fer- 
rell)  Henkle,  the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
the  latter  of  Kentucky.  Her  father  was  an  archi- 
tect and  fine  machinist.  One  child  graced  the 
union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife,  a  son,  William 
Edwin,  who  is  now  living  in  Detroit,  Mich.  He 
is  a  graduate  of  the  law  department  of  the  Blooni- 
ington  Normal,  and,  passing  the  required  examin- 
ation, was  regularly  admitted  to  the  Bar,  but  has 
not  thus  far  devoted  himself  to  the  practice  of  the 
law.  Miss  Lean  Henkle,  now  Mrs.  J.  Walter,  of 
Sioux  City,  made  her  home  with  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Haworth,  and  was  educated  in  the  Decatur  schools. 
She  is  remembered  as  a  young  lady  of  ability  and 
of  a  warm,  congenial  nature. 

From  1857  until  his  death  Mr.  Haworth  was 
prominently  identified  with  Decatur's  interests 
•  and  contributed  largely  to  the  development  of  the 
city  as  a  business  center.  The  enterprises  with 
which  he  was  connected  have  given  employment 
to  hundreds  of  men  and  have  caused  the  erection 
of  many  beautiful  homes  in  this  community.  Mr. 
Haworth  erected  the  present  Ha  worth  Block,  at 
the  time  of  his  death  was  a  stockholder  in  and 
member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Decatur 
National  Bank,  and  in  various  undertakings  his 
means  and  efforts  were  used  to  extend  the  growth 
of  the  city.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Decatur 
Club,  a  Knight-Templar  Mason  and  a  member  of 
Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  the  sup- 
port of  which  he  contributed  liberally.  Polit- 
ically, he  was  identified  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  his  opinions  were  frequently  sought  in  its 
councils,  but  he  was  never  an  aspirant  for  the 
honors  or  emoluments  of  public  ofHcc.  In  1880 
he  was  a  delegate  from  the  old  Fourteenth  Con- 
gressional District  to  the  National  Republican 
Convention  in  Chicago,  and  was  one  of  the  solid 
three  hundred  and  six  delegates  who  remained 
true  to  Gen.  Grant  to  the  end.  He  was  subse- 
quently given  a  "Three  hundred  and  six"  medal, 


which  he  prized  very  highly.  He  was  a  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  citizen  and  always  mani- 
fested a  commendable  interest  in  everything  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which 
he  made  his  home.  He  gave  his  support  to  all 
worthy  enterprises  and  throughout  Macon  County 
was  known  as  a  valued  citizen.  His  death  there- 
fore was  a  loss  to  the  entire  neighborhood,  and 
many  friends,  as  well  as  his  immediate  family, 
mourned  the  loss  of  one  whom  they  held  in  the 
highest  regard.  The  beautiful  home  of  Mr.  Ha- 
worth was  built  under  his  personal  attention  and 
according  to  plans  drawn  by  himself,  and  was 
erected  at  the  cost  of  about  $20,000. 


V. 


THOMAS  M.  PRICE,  who  resides  on  section  1, 
South  Wheatland  Township,  where  he  owns 
and  operates  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
acres  of  good  land,  is  numbered  among  the  early 
settlers  of  the  county,  having  resided  upon  his 
present  farm  since  1854,  or  for  a  period  of  almost 
forty  consecutive  years.  He  claims  Ohio  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity,  having  been  born  in  Butler 
County  February  28,  1831.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Mary  (Mallow)  Price.  The  grandfather, 
Adam  Price,  was  a  farmer  of  the  Shenandoah  Val- 
ley, and  died  in  Virginia.  Henry  Price  was  also 
born  in  that  locality,  but  lived  for  about  twenty 
years  in  Ohio,  twenty  years  in  Cass  County,  111., 
and  the  same  length  of  time  in  Macon  County. 
In  the  spring  of  1834,  he  came  with  his  wife  and 
seven  children  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Morgan 
County,  on  a  three-mile  strip  which  is  now  a  part 
of  Cass  County.  Purchasing  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  a  mill  site,  he  built  a  mill, 
and  in  connection  with  its  operation  spent  about 
twenty  years  in  improving  his  farm.  In  the  fall 
of  1854,  he  came  to  Macon  County,  locating  in 
Mt.  Zion  Township,  where  he  purchased  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  prairie  land  and  a  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  timber-land,  and  to  agricultural  pursuits 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


devoted  his  energies  throughout  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  His  wife  died  in  October,  1865,  and  was 
buried  in  Mt.  Gilead  Cemetery.  Mr.  Price  passed 
away  March  20,  1875,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  took  an  active  part  in  church  work 
up  to  the  time  of  the  war,  after  which  he  discon- 
tinued his  connection  with  it.  In  politics,  he  was 
a  Jackson  Democrat.  He  was  a  man  who  had 
many  friends  and  few  enemies,  for  his  upright 
and  honorable  life  gained  him  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

The  members  of  the  Price  family  are:  Albert, 
who  died  in  childhood;  Catherine,  who  became 
the  wife  of  William  Pitner,  and  died  in  Cass 
County,  leaving  one  child,  Dr.  T.  J.  Pitner,  of 
Jacksonville,  111.;  Elizabeth,  widow  of  William 
Wilson,  of  Casner,  111.;  Delilah,  who  was  the  wife 
of  Aaron  Henderson,  and  died  leaving  two  chil- 
dren; Sarah,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Naple, 
who  died  in  Cass  County;  Moses,  now  a  farmer  of 
Kansas;  Thomas,  who  is  the  next  younger;  Adam, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years;  George,  who  is 
living  in  Kansas;  and  Mrs.  Mary  Skillman,  who 
died  in  Mt.  Zion  Township. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  three  years 
of  age  when  he  came  to  Illinois.  During  his  boy- 
hood he  attended  the  subscription  schools  of  Cass 
County,  held  in  a  log  building  with  puncheon 
floor  and  slab  seats.  A  row  of  glass  was  inserted 
where  a  log  had  been  removed,  and  in  that  way 
the  building  was  lighted.  Although  his  school 
privileges  were  limited,  Mr.  Price  received  ample 
training  in  farm  labor.  He  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  until  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  when 
he  was  married  to  MissTriphenia  Cox,  a  daughter 
of  William  Cox,  a  native  of  this  county.  Their 
union  was  celebrated  in  1859,  and  on  the  24th  of 
February,  1862,  the  wife  died,  leaving  a  daughter, 
Ida  A.,  who  married  S.  H.  Phillips,  of  Decatur. 

On  the  death  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Price  returned  to 
his  parents'  home.  He  was  again  married,  Febru- 
ary 21,  1867,  his  second  union  being  with  Mrs. 
Mary  C.  Muir,  widow  of  George  G.  Muir,  and  a 
native  of  Wisconsin.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  she 
went  with  her  parents  to  Lewis  County,  Mo.,  and 
from  there  came  to  Illinois.  By  her  first  marriage 


she  had  two  children:  Lutecia,  wife  of  Charles 
Dunning,  a  farmer  of  Mt.  Zion  Township;  and  G. 
G.,  a  farmer  of  Wheatland  Township.  The  father 
was  a  railroad  conductor  and  was  killed  by  acci- 
dent. Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  have  been  born 
three  children,  Henry  Lee,  Hattie  and  John  W., 
at  home. 

Mr.  Price  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Pierce  in  1852,  and  has  since  been  a  Democrat  in 
national  politics,  but  at  local  elections  supports 
the  man  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  the  of- 
fice. Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Shady 
Grove  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  in  which 
for  many  years  Mr.  Price  has  served  as  Deacon. 
He  is  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  who 
does  all  in  his  power  for  the  best  interests  of  the 
community  and  the  promotion  of  the  public  wel- 
fare. His  years  have  been  well  and  worthily 
spent  and  by  an  upright  life  he  has  gained  the  es- 
teem of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact. 


?YATT  F.  CHERRY,  who  is  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Pleasant  View 
\j/  Township,  now  resides  on  section  30, 
where  for  many  years  he  has  carried  on  farming. 
He  claims  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illinois, 
his  birth  having  occurred  near  Rochester,  in  San- 
gamon  County,  November  9, 1821.  He  is  the  only 
survivor  of  a  family  of  five  children,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  sister,  Elmira,  wife  of  James 
Huckleberry,  a  resident  farmer  of  Sangamon 
County.  His  parents  were  Benjamin  and  Eliza- 
beth (Strickland)  Cherry.  The  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Georgia,  born  in  1790,  and  upon  a  farm  in 
that  State  was  reared  to  manhood.  Determining 
to  seek  a  home  and  fortune  in  the  West,  he  emi- 
grated to  Illinois  in  1819,  and  cast  in  his  lot  with 
the  early  settlers  of  Sangamon  County,  becoming 
one  of  its  pioneers.  There  he  developed  a  farm, 
on  which  he  made  his  home  until  his  death,  which 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGKAPHICAL  RECORD. 


361 


occurred  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven 
years.  His  wife,  who  was  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
died  at  the  home  of  our  subject  in  Macon  County, 
when  seventy-eight  years  of  age. 

In  the  home  of  his  parents,  W.  F.  Cherry  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  his  early  years 
were  marked  by  no  event  of  special  importance. 
After  arriving  at  man's  estate  he  left  the  farm  and 
purchased  a  tract  of  wild  laud,  to  the  improvement 
of  which  he  devoted  all  his  energies.  After  plac- 
ing some  improvements  upon  it,  however, he  came 
to  Macon  County  and  bought  the  farm  upon 
which  he  is  now  living,  which  was  also  a  tract  of 
wild  land,  upon  which  not  a  furrow  had  been 
turned  or  an  improvement  made.  His  labors  have 
transformed  it  into  rich  and  fertile  fields,  that 
yield  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and 
cultivation  of  the  owner.  The  farm  comprises  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  is 
considered  one  of  the  best  in  the  township. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1848,  Mr.  Cherry  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Susan  Hall,  a  native 
of  Tennessee,  born  March  13,  1824.  Her  parents 
were  Garland  and  Penelope  (Strickland)  Hall. 
The  mother  died  in  Tennessee,  after  which  the 
father  left  the  old  home  and  in  1830  took  up  his 
residence  in  Macon  County,  111.,  where  his  death 
occurred  sixteen  years  later.  He  was  called  to  his 
final  rest  in  1846,  when  sixty-two  years  of  age.  By 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cherry  have  been 
born  eight  children,  seven  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Amos,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  follows  farming  in 
Sangamon  County;  Alfred  is  a  well-known  agri- 
culturist .of  this  county;  John  is  engaged  in  min- 
ing in  Dakota;  Thomas  A.  is  a  farmer  and  carpen- 
ter of  Nebraska;  David  is  a  painter  and  carpenter 
and  resides  in  this  county;  Maggie, the  only  daugh- 
ter, is  still  at  home;  and  George  and  James  are 
both  resident  farmers  of  Macon  County. 

Mr.  Cherry  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life,  de- 
voting his  attention  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  to  his  business  interests.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stalwart  supporter  of  Republican  principles.  He 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  William  Henry 
Harrison,  and  affiliated  with  the  Whig  party  until 
its  dissolution,  when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  has  never  sought  or  de- 


sired public  office,  yet  has  served  as  School  Direc- 
tor in  his  township  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
belongs  to  the  Christian  Church.  Mr.  Cherry  is 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  Pleasant  View  Town- 
ship, having  long  made  his  home  in  this  eommu- 
nity,and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our 
readers  this  record  of  his  life. 


[,'  OHN  N.  DONAHKY  for  the  past  two  years 
has  filled  the  position  of  County  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools  in  Macon  County,  and 
has  proved  a  capable  and  efficient  officer. 
His  well-directed  efforts  have  raised  the  standard 
of  schools  in  the  community,  a  standard  which 
will  never  be  lowered  as  long  as  our  subject  is  at 
the  head  of  the  educational  department. 

Mr.  Donahey  is  a  descendant  of  Revolutionary 
stock.  His  great-grandfather,  John  Donahey,  the 
founder  of  the  family  in  America,  was  a  native  of 
Ireland,  who  emigrated  to  this  country  in  early 
Colonial  days,  and  settled  in  one  of  the  Eastern 
colonies.  During  the  Revolutionary  War  he  served 
as  a  soldier,  and  at  the  close  of  that  struggle  sold 
his  effects  and  moved  witli  his  family  further  West, 
settling  in  Washington  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
started  almost  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  of  fortune, 
as  the  continental  currency — of  which  he  had  a 
good  supply — had  depreciated  in  value  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  be  entirely  worthless,  and  he  burned 
the  entire  amount,  consisting  of  what  he  received 
for  his  P>astern  property  and  for  his  services  in 
the  army. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  whose 
Christian  name  was  John,  married  Mary  Hill,  who 
was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  emigrated  to  Ohio 
in  1809,  settling  first  at  Front  Royal,  later  on  a  prop- 
erty known  as  the  old  Welsh  Farm,  and  finally  on 
what  is  now  a  part  of  the  family  homestead,  in 
Knox  County,  being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that 
county. 

The  name  of  the  father  of  the  gentleman   whose 


362 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


name  heads  this  notice  was  also  John  Donahey. 
He  married  Mrs.  Martha  Craft,  who  by  her  first 
marriage  had  been  the  mother  of  three  children, 
only  one  of  whom  was  living  at  the  time  of  her 
second  marriage.  Her  maiden  name  was  Martha 
Ross,  and  she  was  a  daughter  of  Price  and  Martha 
(Davis)  Ross.  Mr.  Ross  was  of  English  descent, 
and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  while 
his  wife  came  of  an  old  Pennsylvania-Dutch  family. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donahey  were  both  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  When  a  youth  the  former  went  to 
Ohio  with  his  father's  family,  and  there  he  grew 
to  manhood,  married,  and  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life  engaged  in  farming.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-three  years.  His  wife,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  Of  their  nine 
children,  five  sons  grew  to  manhood.  James,  a 
commercial  traveler,  died  in  1890,  leaving  a  wife 
and  four  children;  Aaron  is  married,  and  with  his 
six  children  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Knox  County,  Ohio;  P.  N.,  who  is  married  and 
has  two  children,  carries  on  a  general  store  in 
Bladensburg,  Ohio;  John  is  the  next  younger; 
and  Josephus  W.  is  a  broker  of  Decatur,  111. 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  spent  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Ohio,  and  his  earl}7  education,  ac- 
quired in  the  common  schools,  was  supplemented 
by  a  course  in  the  Normal  School  of  Delaware, 
Ohio.  He  also  attended  the  Mt.  Vernon  Normal, 
and  for  a  short  time  before  coming  to  Illinois  en- 
gaged in  teaching.  The  year  1875  witnessed  his 
arrival  in  Macon  County,  and  during  the  eight 
succeeding  years  he  was  employed  as  teacher  of 
the  Pleasant  Hill  School  in  Wheatland  Township. 
In  1883,  he  accepted  the  position  of  teacher  of  the 
Boody  school,  and  while  there  the  citizens  of  the 
place  built  a  new  schoolhouse  of  two  departments 
and  made  him  principal.  In  1887  he  was  chosen 
principal  of  the  Blue  Mound  schools  and  contin- 
ued in  charge  of  the  same  for  two  years.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  finished  the  spring 
term  at  Niantic,  filling  the  vacancy  left  by  Prof. 
Powner.  During  the  winter  of  1889-90,  in  part- 
nership with  E.  E.  Gibson,  he  engaged  in  the  ab- 
stract and  land-title  business,  but  in  the  fall  of 
the  latter  year  again  resumed  teaching,  and  once 


more  took  charge  of  the  schools  in  Boody,  where 
he  was  employed  as  principal  until  his  election  to 
the  office  of  County  Superintendent,  in  the  fall  of 
1890. 

Prof.  Donahey  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  Macon 
County  Abstract  Company,  which  occupies  an  of- 
fice over  the  Peddecord  &  Burrows  Bank,  at  the 
corner  of  Walter  and  South  Park  Streets.  He 
bought  out  Albert  Webber  in  1889,  in  September 
following  sold  out,  and  then  in  December  re-pur- 
chased the  entire  business,  becoming  sole  proprie- 
tor. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Macon  Lodge 
No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  the  Royal  Arch  Chap- 
ter. He  also  belongs  to  the  Calumet  Club,  a  liter- 
ary organization,  and  in  political  faith  is  a  Demo- 
crat. Our  subject  is  an  entertaining,  intelligent 
and  popular  citizen,  a  good  business  man  and  a 
competent  and  faithful  public  officer. 


lOHN  H.  CULVER  is  known  to  many  of 
Decatur's  citizens  through  his  extensive 
trade  connections.  He  is  a  man  of  excel- 
lent business  and  executive  ability  and  is 
at  the  head  of  two  of  the  leading  industries  of  the 
city,  being  President  of  the  Culver  Monument 
Company  and  also  of  the  Municipal  Electric  Com- 
pany. Almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  in 
Macon  County,  whither  he  came  when  a  hid  of 
five  years  from  Christian  County,  111.,  his  birth 
having  there  occurred  December  26,  1858.  His 
parents  were  Edward  and  Elizabeth  (Scott)  Cul- 
ver, the  former  of  whom  was  a  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  and  land-owner  in  Nebraska.  He  made  his 
home  in  Macon  County  until  1891,  when  he  died 
in  Blue  Mound  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  His 
wife  passed  away  in  1884. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
entered  the  Normal  School  of  Taylorville.  and 
pursued  a  thorough  business  course  of  study,  after 
which  he  accepted  a  position  in  the  office  of  his 
brother,  J.  S.  Culver,  of  Taylorville,  and  soon  be- 
came superintendent  of  that  branch  of  his  brother's 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


363 


extensive  monument  establishment.  On  attaining 
his  majority  he  returned  to  Macon  County,  and 
for  the  succeeding  five  years  engaged  in  teaching. 
He  then  rejoined  his  brother,  whose  headquarters 
were  at  Springfield,  111.,  and  devoted  his  entire  at- 
tention to  the  mastery  of  all  the  details  of  monu- 
mental work,  excepting  only  the  strictly  mechani- 
cal. His  brother  had  establishments  at  seven  dif- 
ferent points  in  Illinois  and  did  an  extensive  busi- 
ness. J.  H.  finally  became  a  partner  in  the  busi- 
ness and  soon  closed  out  all  the  branch  yards,  but 
increased  the  capacity  of  the  central  house.  This 
partnership  continued  for  four  years,  when  our 
subject  sold  out,  and  in  1889  came  to  Decatur, 
opening  the  present  business,  which  he  continued 
one  year  before  the  incorporation  of  the  Culver 
Monument  Company  in  1890.  It  has  a  capital 
stock  of  $15,000,  and  its  officers  are,  J.  H.  Culver, 
President;  J.  S.  Culver,  of  Springfield,  Vice-Presi- 
dent;  J.  M.  Willard,  Treasurer;  and  J.  H.  Rainey, 
Secretary.  About  $25,000  are  invested  in  the  busi- 
ness, and  its  annual  sales,  extending  over  a  large 
area  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Missouri, and  Iowa, 
amount  to  upwards  of  $50,000.  The  company 
does  monument  work  exclusively,  using  only  the 
finest  granite  from  the  best  quarries  of  Vermont 
and  Georgia,  and  turning  out  only  the  highest 
grades  of  work.  Mr.  Culver  attends  personally  to 
the  purchase  of  the  granites  and  gives  his  per- 
sonal supervision  to  the  business. 

Other  interests  also  claim  the  attention  of  our 
subject,  who,  as  before  stated,  is  President  of  the 
Municipal  Electrical  Company  of  Decatur,  which 
was  incorporated  in  1893  with  a  capital  of  $25,000. 
The  plant  has  just  been  completed  at  a  cost  of 
$27,000.  The  Wood  arc  lights  and  Slattery  in- 
candescent lights  are  used.  They  have  sixty  of 
the  former  and  about  one  thousand  of  the  latter 
now  in  use.  The  incorporators  of  the  company 
are,  J.  II.  Culver,  President;  J.  M.  Willard,  Vice- 
President;  and  E.  E.  Gibson,  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer. This  promises  to  be  a  paying  enterprise  and 
will  prove  one  of  the  city's  leading  industries. 

On  the  llth  of  March,  1886,  in  Macon,  111.,  Mr. 
Culver  wedded  Miss  Florence,  daughter  of  R.  W. 
flight,  of  Macon  Township.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  a  little  daughter,  Bessie,  now  two 


years  old.  The  parents  hold  membership  with 
Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Culver  is  a  supporter  of  Republican  princi- 
ples, and  in  his  social  relations  holds  membership 
with  Ionic  Lodge  No.  312,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Macon 
Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.,  Decatur  Council,  and 
Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T.  He  takes 
quite  an  active  interest  in  Masonry  and  also  be- 
longs to  Chevalier  Bayard  Lodge,  K.  P.,  and  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  The  Culver 
Monument  Company  has  met  with  a  marvelous 
degree  of  success^  a  fact  which  is  due  to  the  able 
management  of  its  president.  Through  his  thor- 
ough understanding  of  the  business  and  personal 
supervision,  he  knows  just  what  is  going  on  and 
can  suggest  improvements  and  lay  plans  for  further 
perfection.  He  has  thus  won  a  liberal  and  ever- 
increasing  patronage  as  the  reward  of  his  own 
labor. 


RLANDO  C.  STAFFORD  is  the  well-known 
and  efficient  manager  of  the  Decatur  Brick 
and  Tile  Company,  which  is  located  west  of 
the  Wabash  depot,  just  outside  the  city  limits,  and 
occupies  twenty-three  acres  of  ground  adjoining 
the  Wabash  tracks.  This  company  was  incorpora- 
ted in  1891,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $30,000,  and 
its  officers  are  L.  B.  Casner,  President;  J.  G.  Shea, 
of  Danville,  111.,  Secretary  and  Treasurer;  and  O. 
C.  Stafford,  Manager.  The  plant  was  erected  in 
1891,  at  a  cost  of  $25,000,  and  has  a  capacity  of 
four  million  brick  annually.  They  make  a  specialty 
of  the  manufacture  of  street-paving  brick,  known 
as  vitrified,  and  take  large  contracts  for  paving. 
The  machinery  used  is  that  of  the  Decatur  Leader 
Manufacturing  Company.  Employment  is  furn- 
ished to  twenty-one  men,  and  the  work  turned  out 
amounts  to  from  $25,000  to  $27,000  annually. 
This  company  also  has  a  kiln  in  Danville,  with  a 
capacity  of  seven  million  brick  annually. 

The  manager  of  this  company  is  one  of  Macon 
County's  leading  business  men.  He  was  born  in 
Decatur,  on  the  8th  of  January,  1857,  and  is  the 


364 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


eldest  son  of  Henry  Stafford,  tlie  engineer.  He 
learned  the  business  of  engineering  with  his  father 
and  was  engineer  in  the  oil  mill  for  seven  years, 
at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  left  that  position 
to  accept  a  similar  position  with  the  Decatur  Brick 
and  Tile  Company.  Here  he  learned  the  business  of 
brick  and  tile  making  in  all  of  its  details,  and 
became  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Steam  Tile 
Company.  In  1891,  he  became  one  of  the  incor- 
porators  of  the  Decatur  Brick  and  Tile  Company, 
and  has  since  been  its  manager. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1881,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Stafford  and  Miss  Fannie  Evans, 
daughter  of  Henry  S.  Evans,  a  contractor  and 
builder,  now  deceased.  The  lady  is  a  native  of 
Indiana,  her  birth  having  occurred  in  South  Bend. 
Two  children  grace  this  union,  a  daughter  and 
son,  Bessie  and  Chester.  The  family  have  a  pleas- 
lint  and  comfortable  home  at  No.  1063  West  Main 
Street,  which  is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  where 
their  many  friends  are  always  welcome. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Stafford  is  a  Republi- 
can, but  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of 
office-seeking.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  also  inter- 
ested in  the  brick  and  tile  company  of  Danville, 
and  the  business  of  the  Decatur  Brick  and  Tile 
Company  under  his  efficient  management  has  been 
made  a  profitable  one.  He  is  sagacious  and  far- 
sighted,  possesses  excellent  business  and  executive 
ability,  and  by  his  fair  dealing  and  the  excellent 
products  which  the  factory  turns  out  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  building  up  a  good  trade. 


nATHAN  S.  BATCHELDER,  deceased,  was 
born  in  Rockingham  County,  N.  H.,  Octo- 
._,  her  19,  1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Edward  and 
Nancy  (Smith)  Batchelder.  The  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  were  spent  upon  the  old  home 
farm.  In  his  early  life  he  attended  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  later  completed 
his  education  in  Pembroke  Academy,  of  New 


Hampshire.  At  the  age  of  nine  years  he  left  his 
parents  and  went  to  live  with  a  Mrs.  Whitehouse, 
with  whom  he  remained  until  attaining  his  ma- 
jority. 

After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity,  Mr.  Batch- 
elder  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  remained 
in  the  old  Granite  State  until  1855,  when  he 
determined  to  seek  his  home  in  the  West, and  came 
to  Illinois.  He  first  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  set- 
tlers of  Coles  County,  where  he  secured  work  as  a 
farm  hand  and  remained  for  a  year.  The  next 
year  he  came  to  Macon  County,  where  he  worked 
in  a  brickyard  in  Deeatur  for  a  few  months,  when, 
having  acquired  some  capital,  he  purchased  the 
farm  upon  which  his  widow  now  resides.  He  first 
bought  eighty  acres  of  wild  prairie  land  on  sec- 
tion 8,  Hickory  Point  Township,  on  which  not  a 
furrow  had  been  turned.  He  was  an  industrious 
and  energetic  man,  and  at  once  began  its  develop- 
ment. Plowing  and  planting  the  land,  he  trans- 
formed it  into  rich  and  fertile  fields,  which  soon 
yielded  to  him  abundant  harvests.  His  financial 
resources  were  increased,  as  the  result  of  his  un- 
tiring efforts,  and  from  time  to  time  he  invested 
additional  capital,  until  at  his  death  he  owned  a 
valuable  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
one  of  the  best-improved  places  in  Macon  County. 

Mr.  Batchelder  was  twice  married.  In  1864,  he 
was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Richey, 
who  died  March  20,  1872.  The  children  born  of 
that  union  were  Nancy  J.,  Addie,  Edwin  and 
Charles  S.  On  the  27th  of  November,  1872,  Mr. 
Batchelder  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Mrs.  Margaretta  Richards,  widow  of 
Hiram  Richards,  and  a  daughter  of  Philip  and 
Nancy  Cormau.  She  was  married  to  Mr.  Richards 
in  1858,  and  by  him  had  a  daughter,  Clara  E. 
Her  husband  died  in  1859,  and  his  remains  were 
interred  in  the  Emerson  Cemetery.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Batchelder  were  born  five  children:  Mary 
L.,  Oliver,  Nellie  P.,  Fannie  S.  and  Martha  C. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Batchelder  was  a  Republican, 
and  served  as  School  Director  and  Township  Asses- 
sor for  a  number  of  years.  He  began  life  a  poor 
boy,  but  by  well-directed  efforts  and  a  determina- 
tion to  win  success  he  secured  a  handsome  prop- 
erty. He  died  on  the  15th  of  March,  1885,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


365 


was  laid  to  rest  in  Illini  Cemetery.  His  life  had 
been  an  upright  and  honorable  one,  he  had  proved 
himself  a  worthy  citizen  of  the  community,  and 
his  death  was  widely  mourned.  Mrs.  Batchelder 
is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  a 
lady  whose  many  excellencies  of  character  have 
gained  her  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  She  is  now 
living  on  the  old  home  farm  with  her  children. 


'  i  >..  p  i    ® 


BENEDICT  McGOERAY  is  engaged  in  the 
real-estate  and  insurance  business  in  Deca- 
tur,  and  is  also  a  Director  and  Secretary 
and  Treasurer  of  the  Loan  and  Homestead 
Association.  The  country  found  in  him  one  of  th% 
valiant  boys  in  blue  during  the  late  war,  and  De- 
catur  now  numbers  him  among  his  worthy  citi- 
zens. He  is  a  son  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  County  Deny  March  21,  1832. 
His  parents,  Roger  and  Catherine  (McVey)  McGor- 
ray,  came  with  their  family  to  America  in  1844, 
and  located  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Our  subject  was  then  a  lad  of  twelve  years.  He 
remained  at  home  until  1852,  when,  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years,  he  determined  to  come  to  the  West 
and  try  his  fortune  on  its  broad  prairies.  He  had 
been  promised  a  position  on  the  St.  Louis  &  San 
Francisco  Railroad,  and  brought  a  squad  of  twenty 
men  with  him  from  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  but  on  ac- 
count of  labor  troubles  with  the  road  above  men- 
tioned, they  began  work  for  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi, 
near  Lebanon,  111.  Mr.  McGorray  served  as  over- 
seer on  the  Ohio  &.  Mississippi  for  about  a  year, 
and  afterwards  worked  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company.  Me  was  engaged  on  the  stone 
work  in  the  construction  of  bridges,  and  assisted 
in  building  that  road  into  Decatur,  where  he  ar- 
rived in  1854. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1853,  in  Belleville,  111.,  Mr. 
McGorray  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Cath- 
erine O'Brien,  a  native  of  County  Galloway,  Ire- 
land. The  family  born  of  this  union  included  the 
following:  Mary  A.,  wife  of  John  8.  Dempsey,  a 


marble-cutter  of  Decatur;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Edward 
Grubel,  a  painter;  Benedict  A.,  superintendent  of 
the  Decatur  Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Company;  Dan- 
iel E.,  of  Colorado;  John  Thomas,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  nineteen;  Margaret  J.,  who  for  four  3'ears 
was  a  successful  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of 
Decatur,  and  is  now  attending  the  Chicago  Uni- 
versity; Catherine  E.,  who  graduated  from  the 
High  School  and  State  Normal  and  is  now  a  teacher 
in  the  High  School  of  Rushville,  111.;  and  Cora,  who 
for  two  years  has  been  employed  as  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  this  city. 

In  1855,  our  subject  began  work  in  a  brickyard, 
and  later  started  a  brickyard  of  his  own  with  the 
small  capital  of  $500.  This  he  carried  on  until 
October  1,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  for  the  late  war 
in  the  First  Regiment  of  Missouri  Engineers  as 
artificer.  He  was  first  stationed  at  Rolla  and  Se- 
dalia,  Mo.,  and  was  engaged  mainly  in  construct- 
ing roads  and  bridges.  This  regiment,  commanded 
by  Col.  Bissell,  of  St.  Louis,  was  the  only  one  of 
the  kind  in  the  Western  army.  In  the  spring  of 
1862,  the  troops  went  to  Island  No.  10,  and  from 
thereto  Pittsburgh  Landing.  They  assisted  in  the 
capture  of  Corinth,  and  thence  went  by  steamer 
from  Memphis  to  Vicksburg.  During  that  siege 
they  were  employed  in  cutting  a  canal  across  the 
point  of  land  opposite  this  city,  and  in  repairing 
roads  and  building  bridges  and  culverts.  After 
the  fall  of  Vicksburg,  Mr.  McGorray  was  made 
Second  Lieutenant,  in  March,  1864.  The  regi- 
ment went  with  Sherman  to  the  sea,  but  our  sub- 
ject remained  at  the  garrison  at  Vicksburg,  and 
was  assigned  to  Company  M,  Fifth  United  States 
Heavy  Artillery,  under  Col.  H.  Leib,  of  Decatur. 
There  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service. 

While  serving  in  garrison,  Mr.  McGorray  was 
joined  by  his  family,  and  when  the  war  was  over 
he  began  to  make  brick  in  Vieksburg,  but  re- 
mained there  only  a  year,  for  the  bitter  feeling 
against  the  Northern  men  caused  his  return  to  De- 
catur in  1866.  He  had  not  prospered  ill  the  South 
and  was  now  without  capital,  so  he  began  to  work 
by  the  day  in  a  brickyard.  He  continued'  in  the 
employ  of  others  until  1881,  when  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  term  of  four  years.  In 


366 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1885  be  was  re-elected,  but  the  following  year  he 
resigned  his  position.  He  then  embarked  in  the 
real-estate  and  insurance  business,  which  he  has 
since  continued  with  success.  He  has  made  a  num- 
ber of  improvements  in  the  city,  including  the 
erection  of  twelve  residences,  which  he  sells  on 
monthly  payments.  He  assisted  in  organizing  the 
Loan  and  Homestead  Association,  which  has  now 
been  in  operation  for  several  years.  These  asso- 
ciations are  among  the  most  worthy  institutions 
of  the  city,  for  they  aid  poor  men  in  securing 
homes  through  the  system  of  monthly  payments, 
where,  if  the  purchase  price  had  all  to  be  paid  at 
once,  they  could  not  hope  to  secure  their  resi- 
dences. 

Mr.  McGorray  is  a  self-made  man,  having  made 
his  own  way  in  the  world  unaided.  Knowing  the 
difficulties  and  obstacles  thatonehas  to  encounter, 
he  is  always  ready  to  assist  any  worthy  person.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  who  believes 
in  the  protection  of  home  industries.  Although 
reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
he  is  now  no  longer  connected  with  that  organiza- 
tion, believing  in  the  freedom  of  religious  thought 
and  conviction  for  each  individual.  Our  subject 
is  one  of  the  most  prominent  sons  of  Ireland  in 
this  city,  and  the  community  recognizes  in  him  a 
progressive  and  public-spirited  man,  who  has  borne 
an  important  part  in  the  upbuilding  of  Decatur. 


S.  SIMPSON  is  a  traveling  sales- 
man  for  the  firm  of  Haworth  <fe  Sons,  man- 
ufacturers  of,  and  dealers  in,  check-rowers 
and  corn -planters.  His  connection  with  this  firm 
dates  from  1876,  and  has  been  continuous  with  the 
exception  of  about  three  years.  His  long  service 
indicates  that  he  is  a  good  salesman  and  is  also  a 
high  testimonial  to  his  fidelity  to  the  interests  of 
Ms  employers. 

Mr.  Simpson  was  born  in  Indiana  County,  Pa., 
May  13,  1843,  and  of  the  Keystone  State  his  par- 
ents, Nathaniel  and  Margaret  (Sprankle)  Simpson, 


were  also  natives.  The  Simpson  family  is  of  Ir- 
ish origin  and  was  founded  in  America  by  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  David  Simpson,  a 
farmer  and  miller,  who  was  born  in  the  North  of 
Ireland.  When  a  young  man  he  crossed  the  At- 
lantic and  located  in  Indiana  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  reared  a  family  of  three  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter. The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Frederick  Sprankle,  was  of  German  birth.  He  too 
was  a  young  man  when  he  left  the  Fatherland  and 
cast  in  his  lot  with  a  people  strange  to  him,  in  Jef- 
ferson County,  Pa.  Like  Mr.  Simpson,  he  fol- 
lowed the  occupations  of  farming  and  milling. 

The  father  of  our  subject  carried  on  agricult- 
ural pursuits  in  the  Keystone  State  until  1855, 
when  he  emigrated  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he 
made  his  home  for  a  year.  He  then  removed  to 
Assumption,  111.,  but  a  short  time  before  the  war 
Vent  to  Denver,  Colo.  He  formerly  had  served  as 
a  scout  with  Buffalo  Bill.  After  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Rebellion,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
Seventh  Colorado  Cavalry,  but  his  meritorious 
conduct  won  him  promotion  to  the  rank  of  Major, 
a  title  he  did  not  long  enjoy,  however,  as  he 
never  returned  from  the  struggle.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  served  as 
Deacon  of  his  congregation  while  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  wife  belongs  to  the  same  church.  She 
is  now  living  with  her  son  George  and  is  seventy- 
eight  years  of  age.  Their  four  children  are  Agnes, 
wife  of  R.  C.  Cochrane,  of  Assumption,  111.;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  Robert  C.  Laforgee,  of  Decatur;  Em- 
ma C.,  wife  of  Elmer  R.  Culver,  of  this  city;  and 
George  S. 

Our  subject  was  only  thirteen  years  old  when 
with  his  parents  he  came  to  Illinois.  His  educa- 
tional privileges  were  very  meagre,  but  he  poss- 
esses an  observing  eye  and  retentive  memory,  and 
by  his  experience  he  has  gained  a  practical  and 
useful  knowledge.  Various  pursuits  engrossed  his 
time  and  attention  until  1876,  when,  as  before 
stated,  he  formed  a  connection  with  Haworth  & 
Sons,  since  whicli  time  he  has  been  selling  their 
check-rowers  and  corn-planters,  traveling  through 
Indiana,  Kentucky,  Ohio  and  Michigan. 

On  the  26th  of  April,  1866,  Mr.  Simpson  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  P.  Haworth, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


367 


daughter  of  Mahlon  and  Sarah  (Woolman)  Ha- 
worth,  of  Decatur.  She  is  the  youngest  child  liv- 
ing of  her  father's  family  and  was  born  in  Point 
William,  Clinton  County,  Ohio.  She  came  to  De- 
catur in  1854,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  Two  children  have  been  born  unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Simpson,  George  H.  and  Fred,  the  latter 
of  whom  is  at  home.  The  former  married  Miss 
Grace  Blume,  daughter  of  George  P.  Blume,  of 
Decatur,  and  they  have  a  son,  George  B.,  who  is  in 
the  real-estate  and  insurance  business.  Mrs.  Simp- 
son is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Simpson  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  having  sup- 
ported that  party  since  he  cast  his  first  Presiden- 
tial vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  He  has 
served  six  years  in  the  city  council  and  has  taken 
a  decided  stand  in  favor  of  public  improvements, 
having  been  an  untiring  worker  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  city's  interests.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  have  a  comfortable  home  at  No.  367  West 
Main  Street,  which  is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and 
he  also  owns  other  city  property.  He  is  widely 
and  favorably  known  in  business  circles  and  is  a 
popular  and  genial  gentleman. 


Vf'OHN  M.  MOFFETT,  who  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  on  section 
34,  Blue  Mound  Township,  is  numbered 
among  the  early  settlers  of  the  county,  hav- 
ing come  here  in  1842.  He  was  born  December  14, 
1836,  in  Schuyler  County,  111.,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
B.  and  Polly  Ann  Moffett.  The  father  was  born 
in  Bath  County,  Ky.,  in  1800,  and  on  attaining 
his  majority,  emigrated  toSangamon  County,  111., 
locating  upon  a  farm  near  Springfield.  He  was  a 
wheelwright  by  trade  and  a  natural  mechanic,  and 
worked  along  that  lino  in  connection  with  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  In  1831  lie  built  the  first  steam- 
mill  west  of  the  Illinois  River.  After  ten  years, 
during  which  time  lie  engaged  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness in  Rushville,  he- came  to  this  county,  in  1842, 
and  settled  upon  a  farm  in  Blue  Mound  Township, 


which  he  made  his  home  until  his  death.  He  was 
three  times  married,  our  subject  being  a  child  of 
the  second  union.  Mr.  Moffett  was  a  typical  pio- 
neer, and  a  very  prominent  and  influential  citizen 
of  central  Illinois. 

John  Moffett,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
was  a  lad  of  only  six  summers  when  he  came  with 
his  father  to  this  county.  Amid  the  wild  scenes 
of  frontier  life  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  and 
with  his  parents  he  shared  in  all  the  hardships 
and  privations  of  pioneer  life.  He  has  never 
known  any  other  home  than  "Macon  County.  He 
remained  on  the  old  homestead  \mtil  after  he  had 
attained  his  majority,  when  he  began  life  for  him- 
self, following  the  occupation  to  which  he  was 
reared. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1860,  Mr.  Moffett  was  un- 
ited in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  McDonald. 
The  lady  is  a  native  of  the  Ke3'Stone  State,  and 
came  with  her  parents  to  Illinois  in  an  early  day. 
Nine  children  were  born  of  the  union  of  our  subject 
and  his  wife,  five  sons  and  four  daughters.  The 
eldest,  Homer,  is  still  on  the  farm;  William  P.  is 
the  next  younger;  Ida  May  died  in  infancy;  Sam- 
uel R.  aids  in  the  farm  work;  Carrie  is  the  wife  of 
William  Wygand,  an  agriculturist  of  this  county; 
Walter,  Maggie,  Elizabeth  and  John  are  still  under 
the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  Moffett  now  owns  one  of  the  best  improved 
farms  in  this  county,  and  in  addition  to  its  culti- 
vation he  is  an  extensive  stock-dealer.  He  raises 
a  great  many  hogs,  but  devotes  the  greater  part  of 
his  time  to  the  breeding  of  fine  horses,  and  has 
some  of  the  best  roadsters  to  be  found  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  State.  He  also  owns  other  property, 
including  forty  acres  of  land  in  Niantic  Township 
and  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Kan- 
sas. His  business  career  has  been  one  of  prosper- 
ity, but  his  success  is  due  entirely  to  his  good 
management,  enterprise,  and  his  determined  efforts, 
which  have  overcome  all  the  obstacles  in  his  path. 

Mr.  Moffett  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  doing 
all  in  his  power  to  promote  its  growth  and  in- 
sure its  success.  He  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker,  however,  having  steadly  refused  to  accept 


368 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


all  public  positions,  save  that  of  School  Director, 
which  he  has  held  for  a  number  of  years.  Himself 
and  family  are  faithful  and  consistent  members 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  in  which 
hu  has  served  as  Trustee  and  Elder  for  some  time. 
The  members  of  the  Moffett  household  form  a  fam- 
ily that  is  widely  aud  favorably  known,  and  in  so- 
cial circles  they  hold  an  enviable  position. 


Jj  OHN  V.  BIRKS,  one  of  the  extensive  land 
owners  of  Macon  County,  who  is  now  liv- 
|  ing  a  retired  life  at  No.  1145  North  Ed- 
wards Street,  Decatur,  is  numbered  among 
the  early  settlers  of  this  community,  and  has  been 
identified  with  the  development  of  the  country 
since  an  early  day.  He  is  therefore  well  worthy 
of  a  representation  in  this  volume,  and  it  is  with 
pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  this  record 
of  his  life.  He  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of 
Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Grayson 
County,  April  10,  1841.  His  parents,  Roland  and 
Mary  A.  (Van  Devenler)  Birks,  were  both  natives 
of  Tennessee  and  came  to  Illinois  in  an  early  day. 
When  our  subject  was  only  six  months  old  they 
removed  to  Logan  County,  where  they  made  their 
home  for  some  years.  The  father  is  now  living  in 
Illiopolis,  Sangamon  County,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years,  but  in  1876  the  mother  went  to  Kan- 
sas for  her  health  and  there  her  death  occurred. 
They  had  a  family  of  five  children,  viz.:  Melinda 
A.,  who  married  Abner  Copeland  and  died  several 
years  ago;  Rebecca,  who  is  the  wife  of  T.  J.  Scrog- 
gin,  and  resides  in  Harristown  Township,  Macon 
County;  David  aud  James,  twins,  the  former  of 
whom  is  deceased,  and  the  latter  a  resident  of 
South  Dakota;  and  John  V.,  who  is  the  youngest 
of  the  family. 

Mr.  Birks  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  Logan  County,  where  he  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  public  schools.  He 
aided  in  the  arduous  labors  of  developing  several 
new  farms,  for  his  father  moved  from  place  to 


place  and  opened  up  several.  When  he  was  nine- 
teen years  of  age  the  father  gave  to  his  three  sons, 
David,  James  and  John,  the  old  homestead,  and 
shortly  after  our  subject  was  married  in  Bald 
Knob,  Logan  County,  on  the  6th  of  December, 
1860,  and  began  life  for  himself.  He  wedded 
Margaret  E.  Copeland,  a  native  of  that  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Lydia  (Myers) 
Copeland.  Mrs.  Birks'  parents  were  both  natives 
of  Ohio,  but  her  lather  was  descended  from  an  old 
Virginia  family,  while  her  mother's  people  were 
probably  of  German  descent,  as  the  name  would 
imply.  They  both  came  to  Illinois  when  quite 
young,  and  were  married  in  Logan  County.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  who  all  grew  to 
manhood  and  womanhood  with  the  exception  of 
one  who  died  in  infancy,  but  at  this  writing  four 
only  are  living:  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Gilbert,  a  widow,  re- 
siding in  Harrison  County,  Iowa;  Mrs.  Sarah  Jane 
Mooney,  of  Bald  Knob,  Logan  County,  111.;  Mar- 
garet, wife  of  our  subject;  and  James  E.,  a  resident 
of  Hamilton,  Mo.  After  the  death  of  the  mother 
of  the  family,  which  occurred  about  1849,  Mr. 
Copeland  married  Miss  Sarah  A.  Dickson,  by  whom 
he  had  eight  children,  and  after  her  death  he  mar- 
ried Mrs.  Rebecca  Fink,  by  whom  he  has  two  chil- 
dren. Mr.  Copeland  is  still  living  in  Logan 
County,  in  the  seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age. 

The  three  Bilks  brothers  remained  together  un- 
til all  were  married,  but  at  length  our  subject  sold 
his  interest  in  the  old  farm,  after  which  he  rented 
land  for  two  years.  Subsequently  he  bought  and  im- 
proved one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  San- 
gamon County.  In  1864,  he  took  up  his  residence 
upon  a  farm,  which  he  made  his  home  until  1873, 
when  he  traded  it  for  land  in  Macon  County, 
comprising  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Harris- 
town  Township.  Locating  thereon,  he  began  its 
further  development  and  made  of  it  a  fine  farm, 
which  continued  to  be  his  home  until  January, 
1892.  Its  boundaries  he  had  extended  by  addi- 
tional purchases  from  time  to  time,  until  he  now 
owns  six  hundred  and  forty-one  acres  of  valuable 
land,  all  in  Harristown  Township.  In  connection 
with  its  cultivation  he  has  engaged  extensively  in 
feeding  and  selling  stock.  Upon  his  land  he  has 
excellent  improvements,  including  good  bums, 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


373 


houses  and  other  necessary  buildings  and  all  the 
accessories  of  a  model  farm. 

In  1892,  Mr.  Birks  came  to  Decatur  and  has 
since  made  his  home  in  this  city.  By  the  union 
of  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  the 
following  children:  Barbara  A.,  who  became  the 
wife  of  W.  F.  Lawrence,  of  Macon  County,  and 
died  in  1883,  leaving  a  daughter,  Elnora  Dell,  who 
since  her  mother's  death  has  made  her  home  with 
her  grandfather,  and  is  now  eleven  years  of  age; 
Abraham  C.,  who  married  Myrtle  Ash,  and  oper- 
ates a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  this 
county;  Elmer  V.,  who  is  working  for  the  H.  H. 
Hill  Company,  of  Decatur;  and  Carrie  A.,  a  maiden 
of  fourteen  j-ears,  who  is  attending  school. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Birks  is  a  Democrat,  having  al- 
ways supported  that  party.  He  has  never  been  an 
office-seeker,  however,  yet  has  held  the  position  of 
Township  Assessor  for  two  terms.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church  for  twenty  years. 
Mr.  Birks  has  been  the  architect  of  his  own  fortune, 
and  in  building  it  lias  erected  a  solid  and  substan- 
tial structure,  which  indicates  his  thoroughness, 
perseverance,  good  management  and  enterprise. 
He  has  a  handsome  competency,  which  enables  him 
to  live  retired,  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  and 
many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 


EORGE  W.  HISER  is  a  retired  farmer  of 
f  —  Decatur,  whose  life  has  been  a  busy  one,  but 
as  the  result  of  his  industry  and  enterprise, 
his  perseverance  and  good  management,  he  is  now 
enabled  to  lay  aside  business  cares  and  rest  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He 
was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  December 
15,  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Wolf) 
Hiser,  who  were  also  born  in  the  Keystone  State 
and  were  of  German  descent.  Of  their  family  of 
ten  children,  six  were  sons  and  four  were  daugh- 
ters: Sarah,  of  Decatur;  John,  of  Oakley,  111.; 
Catherine  $nd  Solomon,  deceased;  George  W.; 
William,  of  Oakley  Township;  Eliza,  wife  of  Sam- 

17 


uel  Miller,  of  Decatur;  Levi,  of  Forsyth;  Mary, 
wife  of  David  Garver,  of  Whitmore  Township;  and 
Abraham,  of  Oakley  Township. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a 
shoemaker  by  trade  and  followed  that  business  in 
early  life,  but  after  his  emigration  Westward  he 
carried  on  farming.  In  1850  he  came  to  Macon 
County  and  purchased  a  small  farm,  to  which  he 
afterward  added  forty  acres.  His  death  occurred 
in  1867,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years,  and  his 
wife  passed  away  when  about  eighty  years  of  age. 
They  were  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church. 
The  paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  spent  his  entire  life  in  Perry  County. 
He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812  and 
lived  to  an  advanced  age. 

The  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  our  subject 
quietly  passed  upon  the  old  farm  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  remained  until  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority. At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  began 
learning  the  wagon-maker's  trade,  which  he  fol- 
lowed until  1853.  In  1850  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Illinois,  and  three  years  afterward  storied 
across  the  plains  for  California.  The  journey  was 
made  by  wagon  along  the  northern  route.  He 
spent  six  years  in  that  State,  prospecting  for  gold, 
and  then  returned  home  by  the  southern  route 
with  E.  O.  Smith.  He  took  with  him  a  lot  of 
horses  to  Texas,  where  he  left  them  in  charge  of 
two  young  men,  who  there  engaged  in  raising 
horses  for  him.  Quite  a  number  of  these  were 
taken  by  rebel  soldiers  and  used  in  the  Confeder- 
ate service. 

Mr.  Hiser  reached  his  old  home  in  1860,  and  in 
Macon  County  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  three  miles  north  of  Harristown. 
This  was  an  unbroken  tract,  but  he  soon  plowed  it 
and  sowed  it  in  wheat,  and  after  continuing  its 
cultivation  for  some  time  he  rented  it  for  several 
years.  He  also  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  laud  in  Decatur  Township,  three  miles 
northwest  of 'the  city,  which  he  still  owns.  Later 
he  purchased  fifty  acres  adjoining  this,  together 
with  twenty  acres  in  Decatur  Township,  of  which 
he  still  owns  fifteen  acres.  lie  also  has  a  well- 
improved  section  in  Piatt  County,  and  his  landed 
possessions  yield  to  him  a  good  income. 


374 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


On  the  1st  of  March.  1866,  Mr.  Hiser  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Christopher 
and  Margaret  (Getford)  Garver.  Their  union  was 
blessed  with  two  daughters:  Mary  Alice,  now 
the  wife  of  Elias  H.  Shinier,  of  Waco,  Tex.;  and 
Matilda,  who  died  in  1884,  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiser  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  a  farm  on  Stevens'  Creek,  and  in  con- 
nection with  the  cultivation  of  his  land  our  sub- 
ject engaged  quite  extensively  in  stock-raising, 
making  a  specialty  of  hogs.  He  there  lived  for 
eleven  years,  but  in  1877  he  came  with  his  wife  to 
Decatur  and  has  since  made  his  home  at  No.  843 
College  Street.  His  present  residence  at  No.  855 
was  erected  in  1889.  The  home  is  a  hospitable 
one,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiser  rank  high  in  social 
circles.  They  hold  membership  with  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  he  is  serving  as 
one  of  its  Trustees.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to 
devote  his  energies  to  his  business  interests,  in 
which  he  has  met  with  excellent  success. 


&HOMAS  A.  PRITCHETT,  who  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  real-estate  business  in  Decatur, 
has  for  many  years  been  connected  with 
the  business  interests  of  Macon  County,  in  Niantic 
and  in  this  city.  He  was  born  in  Bourbon  County, 
Ky.,  on  the  23d  of  May,  1830,  and  comes  of  an  old 
family  of  that  State.  His  parents,  William  and 
Lydia  (Wilson)  Pritchett,  were  both  natives  of 
Kentucky  and  made  their  home  in  the  midst  of 
the  celebrated  Blue  Grass  region,  about  seven  miles 
from  Paris.  The  Wilson  family  lived  originally 
in  Maryland  and  became  pioneer  settlers  of  Ken- 
tucky. When  our  subject  was  about  fourteen 
years  of  age  his  father  died.  He  had  been  a  well- 
to-do  farmer  and  owned  some  three  hundred  acres 
of  valuable  land.  In  the  family  were  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  grew  to  manhood  and  wo- 
manhood. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  seventh  in 
order  of  birth.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the 
public  schools,  and  remained  at  home  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  On  the  21st  of  June,  1851, 
he  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Mary  E.,  daughter 
of  William  Ingles,  and  a  native  of  Bourbon 
Couutj'.  Having  learned  the  trade  of  a  harness 
and  saddle  maker,  Mr.  Pritchett  followed  that  busi- 
ness in  Paris,  Ky.,  from  1853  until  1856,  when  he 
determined  to  seek  a  home  in  Illinois,  and  in  May 
of  the  latter  3'ear  became  a  resident  of  Springfield, 
where  he  remained  for  about  a  year.  In  the 
spring  of  1857,  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  from 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  in  Niantic 
Township,  this  county,  and  began  transforming 
the  wild  prairie  into  rich  :tnd  fertile  fields,  hut  in 
1864  he  abandoned  agricultural  pursuits  to  enter 
mercantile  life.  He  first  engaged  in  the  dry-goods 
trade,  but  afterward  for  a  number  of  years  carried 
on  a  hardware  and  agricultural  store  in  Niantic, 
doing  a  large  business,  which  brought  him  in  a 
good  income. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pritchett  were  born  nine 
children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  as  follows: 
Clara  B.,  wife  of  James  H.  Chamberlain;  James  H., 
Mamie  C.,  Nettie  C.  and  Ada  S.  The  other  four 
children  died  in  infancy.  The  family  is  one  of 
prominence  in  this  community,  having  many 
friends  among  the  best  class  of  people. 

Our  subject's  fellow-townsmen,  recognizing  his 
worth  and  ability,  have  several  times  called  upon 
him  to  serve  in  a  number  of  public  positions  of 
trust.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1860, 
and  for  twenty  years  held  that  office,  discharging 
his  duties  witli  a  promptness  and  fidelity  that  as- 
sured his  re-election  and  won  him  the  commenda- 
tion of  all  concerned.  For  eight  years  he  served 
as  Notary  Public,  and  was  elected  the  second  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  from  Nianlic 
Township.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig,  and  on 
the  dissolution  of  that  party  he  voted  for  Douglas, 
in  1860,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  Democrat, 
although  in  local  elections  his  vole  is  not  con- 
trolled by  party  ties. 

In  1882  Mr.  Pritchett  came  to  Decatur,  and  has 
since  been  engaged  in  the  real-estate  ^business.  In 
1888  the  firm  of  Pritchett,  Walmsley  fa  Co.  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


375 


organized,  W.  H.  Cave  being  the  silent  partner. 
They  do  a  general  agency  business  and  handle  for 
themselves  a  great  deal  of  city  property,  being  in- 
terested in  almost  all  the  additions  to  the  city. 
The  company  are  also  agents  for  several  leading 
fire  insurance  companies.  Mr.  Pritchett  is  one  of 
the  owners  of  the  Syndicate  Block.  He  has  been 
connected  with  the  Christian  Church  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  served  as  Elder  for  some  time  in 
Niantic.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  Niantic  Lodge, 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  formerly  took  an  active  part  in  its 
work.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Masonic  lodge.  For 
thirty -six  years  he  has  resided  in  Macon  County, 
and  has  therefore  witnessed  much  of  its  growth 
and  progress.  He  has  always  been  a  public-spir- 
ited and  progressive  citizen,  and  both  in  public 
and  private  life  his  reputation  is  above  reproach. 


PRANK  M.  GADDIS  is  the  President  of  the 
Decatur  Lumber  and  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. He  was  born  near  Wilmington, 
Clinton  County,  Ohio,  on  the  3 1st  of  October,  1851, 
and  there  spent  the  first  twelve  years  of  his  life, 
when  with  his  parents  he  came  to  Macon  County, 
111.,  the  family  locating  three  miles  east  of  Maroa. 
The  public  schools  afforded  him  his  educational 
privileges,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  began 
to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by  entering  the  employ 
of  Samuel  K.  Swigley,  who  was  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business.  Our  subject  has  since  continued 
his  connection  with  that  business,  and  has  risen 
step  by  step  until  he  has  become  President  of  the 
Decatur  Lumber  and  Manufacturing  Company. 

In  1858,  this  business  was  established  by  Mr. 
Swigley,  who  was  its  proprietor  until  1870,  when 
his  death  occurred.  The  business  then  passed  into 
the  hands  of  C.  P.  Thatcher,  who  was  at  its  head 
for  five  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  time,  Mr. 
Gaddis  became  a  partner.  He  had  succeeded  in 
accumulating  some  $500,  which  he  invested  in  the 
business.  It  was  then  carried  on  under  the  name 


of  the  Thatcher  Lumber  Company  for  s6me  time. 
Our  subject  invested  more  and  more,  until  he  had 
$25,000  in  the  business.  After  four  years,  during 
which  time  operations  had  been  carried  on  under 
the  title  of  the  Thatcher  Lumber  Company,  Mr. 
Thatcher  retired,  and  the  firm  of  Gaddis  &  Huff 
was  formed.  Under  this  name  trade  was  carried 
on  until  the  incorporation  of  the  company  on  the 
1st  of  January,  1887,with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000. 
This  was  increased  in  January,  1892,  to  $100,000 
and  is  all  paid  up.  Previous  to  its  incorporation 
it  was  only  a  lumber  company,  but  since  then  a 
factory  has  been  established  for  the  manufacture 
of  sash,  doors,  blinds,  moldings,  etc.  Employment 
was  at  first  furnished  to  twenty  men.  On  the  19th 
of  November,  1890,  this  building  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  with  a  loss  of  about  $24,000,  as  it  was  only  in- 
sured for  about  $8,000.  Within  ninety  days,  how- 
ever, the  factory  was  re-opened  on  an  increased  scale 
and  now  employs  about  sixty  men.  It  is  fitted  up 
with  all  the  latest  improved  machinery,  and  about 
three  carloads  are  shipped  per  week.  The  officers  of 
the  company  are  F.  M.  Gaddis,  President;  Thomas 
V.  Jones,  Vice-President;  A.  S.  Knouff,  Secretary; 
and  Samuel  Alsup,  Treasurer.  H.  M.  Prescott  is 
also  a  Director,  and  he  and  the  above-named  gen- 
tlemen comprise  the  stockholders. 

On  his  twenty-fifth  birthday  Mr.  Gaddis  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nancy  J.  Sn3'der,  of 
Centralia,  111., and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
a  family  of  four  children,  as  follows:  Nettie  Ruth, 
Jesse  Grant,  Irene  Edna  and  Laura  May.  The 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  and  all  are  still 
at  home.  The  parents  are  both  members  of  Grace 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  for  fifteen  years 
Mr.  Gaddis  has  held  a  membership  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  belonging  to  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.;  and 
Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T. 

In  connection  with  his  other  interests,  Mr.  Gad- 
dis is  sole  manager  of  the  Niagara  Anti-Freezing 
Force  Pump,  and  is  interested  in  the  Combination 
Wire  and  Picket  Fence  Company.  With  the  busi- 
ness of  which  he  is  now  at  the  head  he  is  perfectly 
acquainted,  for  he  has  worked  in  all  its  depart- 
ments, and  he  is  now  superintendent  of  the  me- 
chanical department.  The  success  of  this  enter- 


376 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


prise  is  no  doubt  largely  due  to  our  subject,  who 
adds  to  his  thorough  understanding  of  the  busi- 
ness an  enterprise  and  industry  which  would  win 
him  success  in  almost  any  undertaking.  The 
prosperity  of  his  career  is  due  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts  and  is  therefore  well  deserved.  He  is  a  man 
whose  many  excellencies  of  character  and  sterling 
worth  have  gained  him  universal  confidence,  and 
it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers 
this  record  of  his  life. 


AMUEL  M.  DILLEHUNT,  who  is  engaged 
in  farming  on  section  22,  Blue  Mound 
Township,  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  this 
county.  He  was  born  on  the  31st  of  July, 
1849,  in  the  city  of  Decatur,  and  comes  of  an  old 
pioneer  family  that  has  long  been  identilied  with 
the  history  of  this  community.  His  parents  are 
Benjamin  and  Martha  E.  (Nesbit)  Dillehunt,  a 
sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
They  had  a  family  of  nine  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  is  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 

Samuel  Dillehunt  passed  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  his  parents'  home  and  acquired 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Decatur. 
On  attaining  to  man's  estate,  he  left  the  city  and 
removed  to  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  From 
his  father's  estate  he  received  fifty  acres,  and  upon 
this  tract  he  began  his  farming  operations.  As  a 
companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he 
chose  Miss  Helen  B.  Hughes,  the  marriage  cere- 
mony being  performed  on  the  3d  of  November, 
1870.  The  lady  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State. 
She  was  born  June  17,  1852,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
David  L.  and  Zenetta  (Carson)  Hughes.  Her  fa- 
ther is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Decatur.  He 
was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  and  at  the  early  age  of 
seven  years  was  left  an  orphan  and  was  then 
adopted  by  a  Mrs.  Graves,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  he  had  attained  to  man's  estate.  Having  ar- 
rived at  years  of  maturity,  he  determined  to  seek 
a  home  in  the  West,  and  removed  to  Ohio,  where 


he  worked  at  his  trade  of  brick-layer  for  a  time. 
In  1858  he  went  to  Ohio,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
He  is  of  Irish  extraction.  His  wife  is  a  native  of 
Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  is  of  Irish  and  German 
descent.  They  became  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren, but  three  are  now  deceased.  Unto  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dillehunt  were  born  eight  children,  namely: 
Elfie  Helen,  Martha  Zenetta,  Benjamin  David. 
Anna  Beatrice.  Samuel  B.,  Tottie,  Bunn  and  Helen 
Marguerite.  Martha  Zenetta,  the  second  child, 
died  in  infancy.  The  other  children  are  still  with 
their  parents. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dillehunt  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  the  farm  where  they  now  reside,  which 
has  been  their  home  continuously  since.  He  is  an 
/enterprising  and  progressive  farmer,  and  the  neat 
appearance  of  his  place  indicates  his  careful  super- 
vision. His  fields  are  well  tilled  and  everything 
about  his  place  is  in  a  thrifty  condition.  The 
farm  comprises  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
land,  which  pays  a  golden  tribute  to  the  owner, 
and  his  beautiful  home  is  pleasantly  situated  about 
four  miles  northwest  of  Blue  Mound.  Our  subject 
began  life  with  only  the  fifty  acres  of  lain!  left 
him  by  his  fattier,  and  with  this  as  a  nucleus  he 
has  gathered  together  his  present  possess! <  ns.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  has  filled  the  otficcs 
of  Commissioner  of  Highways  and  School  Director. 


OHN  T.  BARNETT,  chief  engineer  of  the 
water  works  and  City  Electrician  of  Decatur, 
lias  occupied  his  present  position  since  the 
5th  of  June,  1879,  and  his  long  service  well 
indicates  his  efficiency  and  fidelity  to  duty.  On 
the  5th  of  September,  1833,  he  was  born  in  Greene 
County,  III.  His  father,  Rev.  William  Barnett, 
was  a  well-known  preacher  of  the  Greenfield  cir- 
cuit of  -the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  early 
days. 

John  T.  was  reared  upon  a  farm  until  sixteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  began  to  learn  the  machin- 
ist's trade  in  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  shops 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


377 


in  Bloomington,  111.  He  remained  with  that  com- 
pany for  eight  years  and  became  familiar  with  the 
business  in  all  its  details.  After  the  outbreak  of 
the  war,  he  was  made  a  recruiting  officer  in  San- 
gamon  County,  111.,  where  he  recruited  many  half- 
companies,  and  finally  recruited  a  full  com  pan}', 
of  which  he  was  elected  Captain,  but  Gov.  Yates 
asked  him  to  remain  as  recruiting  officer  and  gave 
him  a  captain's  commission. 

After  a  year  and  a-half,  Mr.  Barnett  resigned 
and  came  to  Decatur.  He  worked  for  the  Illinois 
Central  Rolling  Mills  in  Centralia  and  Amboy, 
but  made  his  home  in  this  city,  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed for  eleven  years.  His  capability  and  effi- 
cient service  won  him  promotion  and  he  became 
superintendent  of  the  rolling  mills,  having  charge 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men.  He  afterward 
formed  a  connection  with  the  Haworth  Check- 
Rower  Company,  working  in  the  shops  and  on  the 
road.  In  1879  he  was  made  superintendent  of  the 
water  works.  The  system  used  is  the  Holly  system, 
where  pressure  is  given  direct  to  the  mains  by  the 
engines,  without  stand-pipes.  The  plant  has  two 
Allis  engines,  with  a  capacity  of  one  and  a-half 
millions  daily,  and  a  Clapp  &  Jones  pump,  with  a 
capacity  of  one  and  a-half  millions.  The  engines 
are  two  hundred  horse  power  each,  the  power 
being  supplied  by  three  batteries.  The  plant 
is  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Sangamon  River,  a 
mile  south  of  Lincoln  Park,  and  was  originally 
started  in  1871,  with  a  capacity  of  only  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  gallons  daily,  but  the  new 
plant  pumps  two  million  gallons  and  has  a  reserve 
of  twenty  thousand  gallons.  It  has  thirty  miles 
of  main.  Since  Mr.  Barnett  has  lilled  the  position 
of  chief  engineer,  and  since  the  new  machinery 
has  been  secured  and  placed  in  operation,  no 
fault  has  l>een  found  with  the  system  of  water 
works,  which  is  indeed  very  complete  and  would 
be  an  honor  to  a  place  much  larger  than  Decatur. 

The  electric-light  plant  of  which  our  subject  has 
charge  is  owned  by  the  city.  The  Wood  system 
is  used,  witli  a  Hamilton-Corliss  engine  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  horse  power,  which  was  se- 
cured in  1885,  at  a  cost  of  120,000.  There  were 
at  first  only  fifty-nine  arc  lights,  but  these  have 
been  increased  to  one  hundred  and  three.  Under 


the  Wood  system  the  cost  of  carrying  on  the  elec- 
trical works  has  been  reduced  one-half,  and  it  is 
needless  to  say  that  with  Mr.  Barnett  at  the  head 
everything  is  done  in  a  first-class  manner.  To 
some  extent  our  subject  has  engaged  in  dealing 
in  real  estate,  having  erected  and  sold  a  number 
of  houses.  He  has  made  all  his  investments  in 
Decatur  property,  and  still  owns  six  residences  in 
this  city. 

'  On  the  28th  of  October,  1855,  in  Jacksonville, 
111.,  Mr.  Barnett  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Ann  Kinney,  a  native  of  that  city.  They  have 
three  children:  Nettie,  wife  of  Clay  De  Pew,  of 
Decatur,  who  is  traveling  for  the  firm  of  Race  & 
Co.;  George,  who  is  in  charge  of  a  number  of  men 
in  the  Wabash  yards;  and  Charles,  who  is  chief 
clerk  in  Griswold's  hard  ward  store  of  Decatur. 

Socially,  Mr.  Barnett  is  a  Knight-Templar  Ma- 
ton.  He  belongs  to  Ionic  Lodge  No.  312,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.;  and  Bcau- 
manoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T.,  of  which  he 
was  Captain-General  for  two  years.  In  1.877,  he 
was  elected  on  the  Labor  ticket  as  Alderman  from 
what  is  now  the  Seventh  Ward,  and  held  the  posi- 
tion for  two  years,  during  which  time  he  served 
as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Streets  and  Al- 
leys. When  his  term  expired  he  was  made  Deputy 
Marshal,  but  he  resigned  that  position  after  three 
months  to  enter  upon  his  present  work.  Mr.  Bar- 
nett is  well  known  in  Decatur  as  one  of  its  lead- 
ing citizens  and  as  a  popular  gentleman,  whose 
geninl  manner  and  sterling  worth  have  gained  him 
many  friends. 


JACOBS,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
ill  on  section  30,  South  Wheatland  Township, 
£3  is  an  honored  early  settler  of  Macon  Coun- 
ty, who  has  experienced  all  the  hardships  and 
difficulties  of  frontier  life,  while  aiding  in  the  de- 
velopment and  advancement  of  the  community. 
He  well  deserves  representation  in  this  volume, 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  this  sketch 


378 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


to  our  readers.  Mr.  Jacobs  was  born  near  Harper's 
Ferry,  Loudoun  County,  Va.,  February  20,  1831, 
and  is  descended  from  good  old  Revolutionary 
stock,  bis  grandfather,  Christian  Jacobs,  having 
aided  the  Colonies  in  their  struggle  for  indepen- 
dence. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Adam  Jacobs,  was 
born  in  Loudoun  County,  and  besides  farm  work, 
with  which  he  became  familiar,  he  learned  to  make 
plows  and  cradles.  He  also  became  a  cooper  and 
shoemaker.  In  the  Old  Dominion  he  married  Ra- 
chel Edwards,  whose  father  was  also  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier.  In  1836  he  came  with  his  family 
to  the  West,  making  the  journey  with  a  wagon 
and  a  three-horse  team.  After  a  tedious  journey 
they  settled  fifteen  miles  east  of  Springfield,  111., 
the  father  purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land.  Upon  the  farm  which  he  there  improved 
he  and  his  wife  spent  their  remaining  days.  He 
was  a  genuine  pioneer  and  a  sturdy  and  valued 
citizen  of  the  community.  In  politics  he  was  a 
lifelong  Democrat,  and  in  religious  belief  was  a 
Lutheran.  In  the  family  were  seven  children  who 
grew  to  mature  years,  and  three  are  now  living, 
the  brothers  of  our  subject  being  George,  who 
served  in  the  Forty-first  Illinois  Infantry  during 
the  late  war;  and  Jesse,  who  makes  his  home  in 
Kansas. 

Noah  Jacobs  was  five  years  old  when  he  came 
to  this  State.  His  boyhood  was  passed  in  the  log 
cabin  in  Sangamon  County,  and  the  life  he  lived 
was  a  typical  frontier  one.  He  had  to  go  eighty 
miles  to  mill,  and  used  to  drive  hogs  to  S.t  Louis, 
it  requiring  twelve  days  to  make  the  trip.  lie 
went  to  school  very  little.  Through  reading, 
traveling,  and  through  experience  and  observa- 
tion, however,  he  made  himself  a  well-informed 
man.  He  remained  at  home  until  his  mother's 
death,  when,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  he  began 
working  as  a  farm  hand  at  $6  per  month,  being 
thus  employed  until  his  marriage. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1854,  in  Sangamon 
Count}',  Mr.  Jacobs  married  Sarah  A.  Ay  res,  who 
was  born  in  Kentucky  December  1,  1834,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Robert  Ayres.  In  1855  Mr.  Jacobs 
came  with  his  wife  and  child  to  Macon  County, 
and  lived  for  a  year  in  Decatur.  He  then  bought 


thirty  acres  of  land  near  his  present  home,  on 
which  was  an  old  log  house  with  a  clapboard  roof, 
across  which  poles  were  laid  to  hold  the  boards 
in  place.  At  length  he  sold  that  place  and  bought 
his  present  farm,  comprising  one  hundred  acres 
of  rich  and  fertile  land.  The  place  is  well  watered, 
has  good  buildings  upon  it,  good  grades  of  stock 
are  there  raised,  and  in  all  its  appointments  it 
shows  the  careful  supervision  of  a  thrifty  and 
enterprising  owner.  He  also  has  land  in  Blue 
Mound  Township,  and  has  just  sold  a  small  farm 
for  $5,000. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacobs  have  been  born  seven 
children.  William,  who  was  born  in  Sangamon 
County,  married  Miss  Garver,  by  whom  he  has 
four  children,  and  is  now  proprietor  of  a  meat- 
market  and  grocery  store  in  Decatur.  Logan, 
who  married  Miss  Edwards,  operates  his  father's 
farm  in  Blue  Mound  Township.  Thomas,  who 
is  a  good  scholar  and  for  ten  years  successfully 
engaged  in  teaching,  is  now  an  agriculturist  of 
Wheatland  Township;  he  married  Miss  Glascoe. 
Charles,  who  married  Miss  Oren,  of  Decatur, 
owns  a  farm  in  Harristown  Township.  Noah  M. 
-was  educated  in  the  Normal  SchooJ  in  Normal, 
111.,  was  formerly  a  teacher,  and  is  now  employed 
on  the  Herald,  in  Decatur.  Hattie  is  at  home;  and 
Carrie  is  the  wife  of  William  D.  Miller,  of  Wheat- 
land  Township. 

Mr.  Jacobs  has  served  as  School  Director  for 
eighteen  years,  and  filled  the  office  of  Assessor  for 
three  years,  discharging  his  duties  with  prompt- 
ness and  fidelity.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Millard 
Fillmore  in  1856,  supported  Lincoln  in  1860,  and 
is  now  a  leader  in  Republican  circles  in  this  com- 
munity. Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Elwin,  have  con- 
tributed liberally  to  its  support,  and  are  faithful 
workers  in  the  Master's  vineyard.  For  many 
3'ears  Mr.  Jacobs  was  Superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day-school, and  has  been  active  in  training  youth- 
ful minds  so  that  in  later  years  their  lives  will 
be  upright  and  honorable.  His  own  life  has  been 
one  well  wortli3f  of  emulation,  and  his  deeds  of 
generosity,  kindness  and  benevolence  have  won 
for  him  the  love  of  many  and  the  respect  of  all. 
As  a  means  of  recreation,  our  subject  indulges 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


379 


his  taste  for  hunting.  A  Nimrod  of  expert  marks- 
manship, he  lias  brought  down  man}'  fine  animals, 
and  several  deer  heads  are  on  his  walls,  while  a 
large  bearskin  adorns  the  floor.  He  has  hunted 
in  Michigan,  Arkansas,  Missouri  and  Mississippi, 
and  each  year  engages  in  a  hunting  expedition. 


LONZO  HALL,  M.  D.,  the  leading  physi- 
cian of  Niantic,  who  has  engaged  in  prac- 
tice in  this  place  since  1885  with  marked 
success,  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  his  birth 
having  occurred  near  Lexington  on  the  19th  of 
December,  1858.  He  is  a  son  of  James  Harvey 
and  Sallie  Ann  (Pritchett)  Hall,  both  of  whom 
were  also  natives  of  Kentucky.  On  the  breaking 
out  of  the  late  war,  the  father  enlisted  in  the 
Union  service,  and  while  at  the  front  the  mother 
removed  with  her  family  of  eight  children  to 
Illinois,  locating  on  a  farm  five  miles  west  of 
Niantic.  When  the  war  was  over,  Mr.  Hall  joined 
his  family,  and  upon  the  old  homestead  he  and 
his  wife  spent  their  remaining  days. 

The  Doctor  was  quite  a  young  child  when  the 
family  came  to  Macon  County.  He  spent  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth  upon  the  farm,  and 
acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools. 
When  lie  began  earning  his  own  livelihood  he 
embarked  in  the  livery  business  in  Niantic,  but 
after  a  short  time  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
brother,  James  P.,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  brick  and  tile  in  Tuscola.  At  length  they  sold 
out  their  business,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four 
years  Mr.  Hall  began  reading  medicine,  prepar- 
atory to  entering  the  profession,  with  Dr.  A.  C. 
Foster,  then  a  practicing  physician  of  Niantic,  now 
living  at  Blue  Mound.  The  first  course  of  lec- 
tures which  he  attended  was  in  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  St.  Louis  in  1883. 
The  following  year  he  entered  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons  of  Chicago,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  that  institution  in  the  Class  of  '85. 
Returning  to  Niantic,  Dr.  Hall  entered  the  office 


of  his  old  preceptor,  Dr.  Foster,  but  after  a  year 
the  connection  was  discontinued  and  he  has  since 
been  alone.  He  has  been  having  an  excellent 
practice,  which  might  well  be  envied  by  many  an 
older  practitioner. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1883,  the  Doctor  was 
united  in  marriage  in  Chatham,  111.,  with  Miss 
Lizzie  Ingels,  of  Farmingdale,  Sangamon  County. 
The  lady  was  a  native  of  that  county,  and  for 
three  years  previous  to  her  marriage  successfully 
engaged  in  teaching.  Four  children  were  born  of 
their  union:  Erma,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three 
years;  Anna  Laura,  six  years  old;  Sallie  Belle, 
aged  four;  and  James  Harvey,  two  years  of  age. 
The  parents  are  both  consistent  members  of  the 
Christian  Church  and  take  an  active  part  in  its 
work,  the  Doctor  filling  the  office  of  Deacon.  In 
politics  he  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  is  now  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  Prohibition  party.  Since 
he  began  practice  six  physicians  who  were  then 
located  in  Niantic  or  who  came  afterward  have 
left  the  city  because  they  could  not  secure  sufficient 
patronage,  as  Dr.  Hall  received  the  greatest  part  of 
the  business.  He  has  both  skill  and  ability,  and 
his  close  attention  to  the  profession  has  made  him 
prominent  among  the  physicians  of  Macon  County. 


illOMAS  LORD,  a  well-known  and  popular 
citizen  of  Decatur,  was  born  near  Chilli- 
cothe,  Ross  County,  Ohio,  February  18, 
1823,  and  is  a  son  of  Garrison  and  Sophia  (Abbott) 
Lord,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Delaware. 
With  their  respective  families  they  went  to  Ross 
County,  Ohio,  in  an  early  day  and  were  there  mar- 
ried. About  1840  they  became  residents  of  Wheat- 
land  Township,  Macon  County,  where  they  spent 
their  remaining  days.  They  had  a  family  of  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living.  One 
brother,  Andy,  is  a  member  of  the  police  force  of 
Decatur;  Henry  makes  his  home  in  Texas;  James 
is  in  Oregon;  and  Sarah,  wife  of  John  Brewer,  is 
living  in  Texas. 


S80 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  young  man  of 
seventeen  years  when  with  his  parents  he  came  to 
Illinois.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he  left  home 
to  enter  the  Mexican  War  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany C,  Fourth  Illinois  Infantry,  under  Capt. 
Pugh.  The  regiment  joined  Scott's  army  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Cerro  Gordo  and  Vera 
Cruz.  The}-  then  went  as  far  as  Jalapa,  but  after- 
wards returned  to  Vera  Cruz,  and  were  then  sent 
back  to  New  Orleans,  where  Mr.  Lord  was  honora- 
bly discharged  after  one  year's  service.  While 
foraging  for  pumpkins,  he  received  a  blow  from  a 
club  on  his  arm,  which  fractured  the  bone,  but 
otherwise  he  escaped  uninjured.  For  about  five 
years  he  received  a  pension  of  $8  per  month,  and 
in  connection  with  his  brother  Henry,  who  was  in 
the  same  company,  was  given  a  land  warrant  for 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  This  he 
located  six  miles  from  Decatur,  and,  taking  up  his 
residence  thereon,  he  began  its  cultivation,  devot- 
ing his  energies  to  its  improvement  for  eighteen 
years.  He  made  of  it  an  excellent  farm,  but 
afterwards  removed  to  another  farma-half  mile  to 
the  north,  where  he  made  his  home  until  1888. 
The  old  homestead  comprised  two  hundred  acres 
of  valuable  land,  and  in  addition  he  owns  another 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  he  also 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Macon  Town- 
ship. To  the  cultivation  of  his  land  he  gave  his 
personal  attention  until  ten  years  ago,  and  he 
also  extensively  engaged  in  raising  cattle,  sheep 
and  hogs. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1849,  Mr.  Lord  was  united 
in  marriage,  with  Miss  Sallie  McDaniel,  who  was 
born  in  Christian  County,  111.,  and  died  in  Deca- 
tur, May  12,  1880.  Seven  children  were  born 
unto  them,  but  five  died  in  early  life,  and  Minerva 
died  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  The  only  surviving 
child  is  Mary  Ellen,  wife  of  James  S.  Cussins, 
a  druggist  and  physician  of  Owaneco,  Christian 
County,  111.  He  studied  medicine  in  Rush  Med- 
ical College,  of  Chicago,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1877,  and  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
spent  in  Decatur  has  since  engaged  in  practice  at 
his  present  place  of  residence.  He  also  owns  a 
general  store  there,  and  is  a  prominent  citizen  as 
well  as  a  leading  -physician.  He  married  Miss 


Lord  on  the  1st  of  January,  1878,  and  they  now 
have  three  children:  Minerva  May,  Lelah  Lord 
and  Bessie  Marie. 

In  1 888,  Mr.  Lord  came  to  Decatur,  where  he 
has  since  lived  a  retired  life.  He  began  for  him- 
self with  only  eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he 
received  for  his  services  in  the  Mexican  war. 
With  this  small  beginning  as  a  nucleus,  he  has 
become  possessed  of  a  fine  property,  and  his  indus- 
try and  energy  have  made  him  a  wealthy  man. 
His  prosperity  is  well  deserved,  being  the  just 
reward  of  his  own  efforts.  From  his  boyhood  Mr. 
Lord  has  been  a  great  hunter,  and  many  a  deer 
and  wolf  has  he  killed.  Each  year  he  joins  a 
party  that  goes  to  the  wilds  of  Arkansas  in  Octo- 
ber or  November  to  spend  several  weeks  in  deer- 
hunting.  He  is  a  fine  marksman,  and  many  a  tro- 
phy of  the  chase  adorns  his  rooms.  He  is  a  pleas- 
ant, genial  gentleman,  delighting  in  humor,  and 
his  conversation  is  enriched  by  many  a  story  of 
some  thrilling  hunting  experience. 


R.  MORRISON  BRANDOM,  a  well-known 
oculist  of  Decatur,  whose  skill  and  ability 
have  gained  him'a  wide  and  well-deserved 
reputation,  is  a  native  of  Indiana,  his 
birth  having  occurred  near  Columbus,  in  Barthol- 
omew County,  on  the  22d  of  October,  1832.  He 
is  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children  born  unto 
John  and  Margaret  (Walker)  Hrandom,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Virginia.  On  the  paternal 
side  the  family  is  of  Welsh  descent,  and  on  the 
maternal  side  is  of  German  origin.  Both  the 
Brandom  and  Walker  families  were  noted  for  lon- 
gevit}'.  Her  mother,  Mary  Stewart,  died  at  the 
age  of  ninety-six.  Her  brother,  Absalom  Stewart, 
was  for  five  years  a  captive  among  the  Indians, 
and  ran  the  gauntlet  at  Shawneetown. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  Virginian  farmer 
and  emigrated  to  Indiana  during  its  Territorial 
days,  locating  at  what  is  now  known  as  Rising 
Sun.  After  a  short  time  he  removed  to  Haw  Patch, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


381 


in  Bartholomew  County,  where  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he 
made  his  home  until  1834.  He  died  in  that  year, 
in  the  faitli  of  the  Baptist  Church,  aged  thirty-five. 
His  wife  died  July  4,  1893,  in  her  ninety-fourth 
year,  her  birth  having  occurred  September  17, 
1799.  After  her  first  husband's  death  she  was 
again  married,  becoming  the  wife  of  Jesse  Hughes,  ; 
who  died  in  1844.  By  this  husband  she  had  one 
child.  She  afterward  became  the  wife  of  George 
Rupe  and  survived  him  for  thirty  years.  Horri- 
son  Brandom,  M.  D.,  of  Springfield,  111.,  is  a  twin 
brother  of  our  subject,  and  the  resemblance  is  so 
striking  that  their  most  intimate  friends  are  de- 
ceived, and  they  themselves  can  scarcely  select 
their  own  photographs. 

The  Doctor  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  upon  the  home  farm  and  remained  in  Indi- 
ana until  thirty-five  years  of  age.  His  earl}'  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  the  old-fashioned  subscrip- 
tion schools.  He  remained  with  his  mother  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  and  from  that  time  until 
1858  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand  at 
very  small  pay.  At  length  he  determined  to  enter 
upon  a  professional  career,  and  in  1858  began  the 
study  of  medicine  at  Whitestown,  Ind.  In  the 
winter  of  1864-65  he  attended  the  Ohio  Medical 
College,  of  Cincinnati,  but  previous  to  this  time 
had  already  engaged  in  practice  at  Americus  and 
Buck  Creek,  Ind.  From  the  latter  place  he  re- 
moved in  1865  to  Cerro  Gordo,  Piatt  County,  111., 
where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
for  several  years.  In  1870  he  came  to  Decatur, 
and  with  the  exception  of  six  years  spent  in 
Springfield, 111., and  Wichita,  Kan.,  has  since  made 
this  city  his  home  and  the  scene  of  his  labors. 

On  the  25th  of  August,  1861,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Dr.  Brandom  and  Miss  Mary  C.  Starr, 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Lydia  (Webb)  Starr,  of  Tip- 
pecanoe  County,  Ind.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  six  children,  but  Harry  died  aged  twelve 
years,  and  one  died  in  infancy.  Charlie,  the  eldest, 
an  optician  of  Decatur,  married  Miss  Nellie  Wine- 
brenner, and  unto  them  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren, Harry,  Joseph  and  Irene.  Lillie  is  the  wife 
of  George  Gray,  of  Hot  Springs,  Ark.  Blanche  is 
the  wife  of  Charlie  Wagonseller,  of  Decatur,  and 


one   child    graces   their   union,  Paul.      Morrison 
completes  the  family. 

In  politics  the  Doctor  is  independent.  Socially, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society  and  of 
Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  His  wife  holds 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Church.  She  is  the 
owner  of  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Pawnee  County,  Kan.  The  Doctor  owns 
a  pleasant  home  in  Decatur  at  No.  1263  North 
Water  Street.  He  has  built  up  a  good  practice  in 
this  city,  making  a  specialty  of  the  treatment  of 
eye,  ear  and  cancer  cases.  He  has  been  a  close 
student  of  his  profession,  and  by  his  untiring  labors 
has  won  a  foremost  place  in  the  ranks  of  his  pro- 
fessional brethren. 


OHN  H.  HARTWIG  is  one  of  the  self-made 
men  of  Macon  County.  He  resides  on  sec- 
,^1  tion  27,  Pleasant  View  Township,  where  he 
*S§Hf)  owns  and  operates  a  good  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  arable  land.  Almost  the  entire 
amount  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and 
the  place  is  improved  with  good  buildings  and 
fences,  and  the  other  accessories  of  a  model  farm. 
Its  well-tilled  fields  and  the  neat  appearance  of 
the  place  well  indicate  the  thrift  and  enterprise 
of  the  owner. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
man}', his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  Father- 
land on  the  10th  of  April,  1824.  He  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Eliza  (Opka)  Ilartwig,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  that  country,  where  they  were 
reared  to  manhood  and  womanhood  and  spent 
their  entire  lives  as  farming  people. 

John  Ilartwig,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
attained  his  majority  under  the  paternal  roof,  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  being  passed  in  his  native 
land  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads.  He 
there  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  thirty- 
four  years  of  age,  when  he  determined  to  emigrate 
to  America,  believing  that  he  would  thereby  ben- 
efit his  financial  condition.  Bidding  adieu  to  home 


382 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  friends,  he  sailed  for  the  New  World,  and 
after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  on  the  broad  Atlan- 
tic, which  he  crossed  in  a  sailing-vessel,  he  reached 
the  shores  of  the  New  World.  He  has  never  yet 
had  occasion  to  regret  the  step  then  taken,  for  he 
he  has  here  found  a  pleasant  home  for  his  family 
and  met  with  a  degree  of  prosperity  which  would 
probably  not  have  crowned  his  efforts  had  he  re- 
mained in  the  land  of  his  birth. 

Ere  leaving  Germany,  Mr.  Hartwig  was  married, 
the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Margaret  Nust, 
a  native  of  that  country.  She  died  on  the  home 
farm  in  Maeon  County  in  1875,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren, a  son  and  daughter:  Lizzie,  now  the  wife  of 
Louis  Miller,  a  prosperous  and  progressive  farmer 
living  in  Clark  County,  111.;  and  William,  a  suc- 
cesssul  agriculturist  of  this  county. 

When  Mr.  Hartwig  reached  Illinois  he  had  no 
capital  save  energy  and  industry  and  a  deter- 
mination to  win  success.  This  determination  he 
has  carried  out.  For  a  time  he  worked  as  a 
farm  hand  and  later  he  rented  land  for  a  few 
years,  but  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  capital 
he  had  acquired  through'  his  enterprise  he  pur- 
chased a  small  farm,  and  has  since  added  to  it 
from  time  to  time,  until  it  now  comprises  three 
hundred  acres.  All  this  represents  his  own  earn- 
ings and  is  the  just  reward  of  his  efforts.  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  Hartwig  is  a  Republican.  He 
and  his  family  are  faithful  members  of  the  German 
Methodist  Church,  and  are  highly  respected  citi- 
zens of  this  community. 


I/  OHN  SAWYER,  a  retired  farmer  residing  in 
Decatur,  claims  Pennsylvania  as  the  State 
of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  on  the  llth 
of  October,  1811,  in  Lebanon  County,  and 
is  a  son  of  John  and  Mar}'  (Bell)  Sawyer,  also 
natives  of  the  same  county.  The  family  was 
founded  in  the  Keystone  State  in  an  early  day. 
The  father  of  our  subject  served  in  the  War  of 


1812,  and  represented  his  district  in  the  Legisla- 
ture. He  was  a  fanner,  and  spent  his  entire  life 
in  the  county  where  his  birth  occurred.  In  the 
Sawyer  family  were  five  sons  and  five  daughters, 
but  only  three  are  now  living:  John,  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson and  Mrs.  Sallie  Young,  of  Philadelphia. 

Our  subject  remained  under  the  parental  roof 
until  after  he  attained  his  majority  and  became 
familiar  with  farming  in  all  its  details.  In  1834, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza,  daugh- 
ter of  Adam  Katring,  of  Lebanon  County,  Pa. 
Six  children  were  born  unto  them.  Mary,  born 
March  4,  1837,  became  the  wife  of  Silas  Packard, 
of  Decatur;  John,  the  next,  was  born  January  3, 
1839;  William,  born  April  19,  1841,  married  Miss 
Gulick;  Orlando  was  born  September  10,  1843; 
Emma  L.,  born  November  20,  1845,  is  Mrs.  Butler, 
of  Kentucky;  Thomas  E.,  born  August  19,  1848, 
died  when  about  a  year  old.  The  mother  passed 
away  within  a  few  days  of  the  death  of  the  young- 
est child,  and  Mr.  Sawyer  was  again  married,  on 
the  27th  of  May,  1854,  this  union  being  with  Mrs. 
Harriet  (Mylor)  Gulick,  widow  of  Levi  Gulick, 
who  was  born  in  Loudoun  County,  Va.,  on  the 
18tli  of  November,  1809,  and  died  of  cholera  at 
Madison,  Ind.,  September  14,  1852.  His  wife  was 
born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  March  27,  1821,  and 
they  were  married  January  3,  1838.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gulick  were  born  five  children:  Julia  A., 
born  September  27,  1840;  William  F.,  who  was 
born  March  27,  1843,  and  died  March  30,  1847; 
Mary  Ellen,  who  was  born  April  2,  1846,  and  died 
July  9,  1872;  LaFayette,  who  was  born  August  2, 
1849;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sawyer  had  three  children.  AnnaB.,  born  Febru- 
ary 28,  1855,  is  the  wife  of  Jacob  Harnsberger,  of 
Champaign,  by  whom  she  has  two  children;  Ed- 
win, born  September  18,  1859,  is  at  home;  Alice, 
born  December  28,  1861,  died  February  26,  1885, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-three  ye&r3.  The  second  Mrs. 
Sawyer  passed  away  May  5,  1892,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one,  and  her  death  was  deeply  mourned 
by  many  friends. 

Mr.  Sawyer  whose  name  heads  this  record  is 
one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Macon  County. 
In  the  spring  of  1834,  immediately  after  his  first 
marriage,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  settled  east  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


383 


the  present  site  of  Decatur.  The  country  was  new 
and  wild  and  he  lived  in  true  pioneer  style.  On 
coming  West  he  was  accompanied  by  his  cousin. 
James  Geddes.  Leaving  his  wife  with  friends  in 
Indiana,  they  proceeded  on  horseback  to  select  a 
home  in  the  then  almost  unbroken  wilderness.  It 
was  necessary  to  ford  almost  innumerable  streams, 
and  at  times  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  be  necessary 
to  retrace  their  steps.  On  reaching  White  River, 
at  Muncie,  Ind.,  the  stream  was  so  swollen  that 
less  determined  men  would  have  abandoned  the 
journey,  but  they  urged  their  horses  into  the  flood, 
swam  them  across  and  went  on  their  way.  They 
had  no  fixed  destination  in  view,  and  on  reaching 
Decatur  were  so  pleased  with  the  place  and  its 
future  prospects  that  the}1  determined  to  cast  in 
their  lot  with  its  pioneers.  Mr.  Sawyer  made  a 
purchase  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
just  east  of  town,  on  which  were  a  few  improve- 
ments, investing  $600.  Having  secured  a  home 
he  returned  to  Indiana,  and  in  a  few  months  he 
and  his  young  wife  were  established  in  their  new 
residence.  They  bore  all  the  experiences  of  pio- 
neer life,  and  twice  in  one  season  Mr.  Sawyer 
drove  an  ox-team  to  Chicago  to  market,  a  distance 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles. 

After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  in  August,  1848, 
Mr.  Sawyer  went  to  California,  in  1850,  making 
the  journey  with  mule-teams,  and  there  he  engaged 
in  prospecting  for  gold.  He  made  some  money 
during  that  trip,  and  in  1854  returned  to  Macon 
County,  where  he  has  made  his  home  continuously 
since.  Soon  after  his  return  he  purchased  two 
hundred  and  five  acres  of  land  on  the  river,  east 
of  Deoatur,  which  he  afterward  sold  for  $  10,000. 
He  then  went  to  Forsyth,  six  miles  north  of  Deca- 
tur, and  bought  three  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre 
tracts  of  land  and  another  of  twenty  acres.  Of  this, 
he  gave  one  son  eighty  acres  and  another  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  but  still  retains  possession  of  the 
remainder.  In  connection  with  this,  lie  also  owns  a 
small  tract  of  fourteen  acres  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
city,  besides  his  residence  property  at  No.  405 
College  Street  and  some  on  Water  Street. 

Mr.  Sawyer  has  prospered  in  his  business  affairs, 
as  is  indicated  by  the  possessions  he  has  acquired. 
He  has  been  a  careful  business  man,  devoting  his 


entire  energies  and  attention  to  conducting  his 
farm  and  incidental  enterprises,  and  by  careful 
oversight  and  honest  dealing  he  has  attained  success 
in  life;  and  now  as  he  draws  near  its  close  he  lives 
in  the  consciousness  of  an  honorable  career,  and  can 
take  comfort  in  the  fact  that  as  the  dark  shadows 
creep  apace,  loved  ones  who  have  gone  before  will 
soon  be  met  and  welcomed.  He  has  fought  a 
good  fight  and  his  memory  will  be  honored.  Mr. 
Sawyer  was  made  Mason  in  Macon  Lodge  No.  8, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Decatur,  in  1849,  following  in 
the  footsteps  of  his  father,  who  was  an  active  Ma- 
son before  and  during  the  great  anti-Masonic  pe- 
riod following  the  disappearance  of  the  famous 
Morgan.  With  Macon  Lodge  he  has  now  held 
membership  for  forty-four  years  and  is  highly  es- 
teemed by  all  his  associates.  He  also  belongs  to 
the  Chapter  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery.  In 
politics,  he  has  been  a  lifelong  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party.  He  ranks  among  the  honored 
pioneers  of  the  county,  having  here  made  his  home 
for  over  sixty  years.  He  came  liere  when  the 
county  was  in  its  early  infancy  and  has  therefore 
witnessed  almost  its  entire  growth  and  develop- 
ment. The  early  settlers  were  its  founders,  and  as 
one  of  them,  Mr.  Sawyer  well  deserves  representa- 
tion in  this  volume. 


ROF.  M.  E.  LOCKHART,  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Niantic  Times,  and  the  effi- 
cient Principal  of  the  public  schools,  has 
grown  to  manhood  in  Niantic,  and  has 
won  distinction  among  the  friends  of  his  youth, 
who  recognize  in  him  one  of  the  leading  and  influ- 
ential citizens  of  the  community.  He  was  born  in 
this  village  December  26,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of 
Jesse  and  Mary  (Averitt)  Lockhart,  who  were  mar- 
ried in  1854.  The  father  was  born  in  Warrick 
County,  Ind.,  June  8,  1826,  and  when  a  lad  of 
about  eleven  years  was  forced  to  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world.  He  began  sailing  on  flatboats 
on  the  Mississippi,  learned  all  the  windings  of  the 


384 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


river,  and  became  pilot.  On  aucount  of  a  severe 
attack  of  cholera  he  was  forced  to  abandon  that 
business,  and  in  1849  came  to  Macon  Count3f,  111., 
where  he  secured  a  position  with  Mr.  Acorn,  mak- 
ing rails.  In  that  way  he  got  a  start,  and  later 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
on  part  of  which  Niantic  now  stands.  It  was  all 
wild  prairie,  entirely  destitute  of  improvements, 
but  he  transformed  it  into  a  valuable  tract  and 
later  added  to  it.  For  fifteen  years  he  was  a  drover 
in  Niantic.  He  possesses  considerable  mechanical 
geiiius  and  has  invented  a  number  of  railroad  de- 
vices. He  formerly  took  quite  an  active  part  in 
politics,  being  one  of  six  in  this  township  that 
voted  the  Democratic  ticket  in  war  times,  and  he 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  convention  held 
in  Louisville.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Zachary 
Taylor,  whom  he  knew  personally,  and  was  also 
acquainted  with  Jefferson  Davis.  For  forty  years 
he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  in 
Christian  County.  He  married  the  daughter  of 
N.  G.  Averitt,  who  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  are  still  living  in  Nian- 
tic and  are  numbered  among  the  highly  respected 
citizens. 

The  Lockhart  family  numbers  six  children. 
Alice  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  H.  Claypool,  of  this 
county;  Adelaine  is  the  wife  of  Jacob  Erisman; 
Lina  is  the  wife  of  Gus  Houffe,  of  Bloomington, 
111.;  M.  E.  is  the  next  younger;  and  Lewis  and 
Henry  are  at  home  and  are  employed  in  the  Times 
office.  The  children  were  all  born  and  reared  in  this 
locality  and  were  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
becoming  respected  men  and  women  and  valued 
members  of  society.  The  Loekhart  family  is  of 
mixed  Scotch,  Irish  and  German  descent. 

Prof.  Lockhart  whose  name  heads  this  record 
spent  his  early  years  upon  the  farm,  his  days  be- 
ing passed  midst  play  and  work  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  farmer  lads.  His  early  education,  acquired 
in  the  common  schools,  was  supplemented  by  study 
in  a  school  at  Owensburg,  Ky.  He  also  attended 
Banglois  Seminary  and  the  Central  Normal  Col- 
lege, of  Danville,  Tnd.,  and  in  the  Northwestern 
College  of  Elocution  and  Oratory  he  was  also  a 
student  for  a  time.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  began 
teaching,  and  has  followed  the  profession  more  or 


less  since.  He  is  perfectly  familiar  with  the  work 
of  the  schoolroom,  is  an  able  instructor,  and  com- 
mands the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  pupils. 
For  three  years  he  has  been  Principal  of  the 
schools  of  Niantic. 

In  1881  Prof.  Lockhart  married  Miss  Julia  Far- 
nam,  a  native  of  Iowa.  Their  family  circle  num- 
bers five  children:  Charles,  Jesse,  Bertha,  Mary  and 
Celia.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  in  politics  Prof.  Lockhart  is  a  Demo- 
crat. He  has  never  been  an  oflice-seeker,  but  has 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  with  credit  to  him- 
self and  satisfaction  to  his  constituents.  For  three 
months  he  has  been  in  charge  of  the  Niantic  Times, 
and  has  made  it  a  bright  and  interesting  paper. 
His  school  work  alone  would  fit  him  to  make  it  a 
journal  of  high  literary  merit,  and  his  desire  to 
publish  a  paper  pleasing  to  the  community  has 
found  recognition  in  an  increasing  patronage. 


NDREW  H.  MILLS,  a  prominent  attorney- 
at-law  of  Decatur,  has  since  the  1st  of 
May,  1891,  engaged  in  practice  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Mills  Brothers.  He  has 
been  a  thorough  student  of  the  profession,  and  his 
abilities,  natural  and  acquired,  have  placed  him  in 
the  front  ranks  among  his  brethren  of  the  law. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  Putnam  County,  III.,  Oc- 
tober 6,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  Eli  R.  and  Elizabeth 
H.  (Kimber)  Mills,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  his 
father  being  a  playmate  of  the  late  Hon.  James 
G.  Elaine.  In  an  early  day  they  located  in  this 
State.  The  father  was  a  boatman,  and  sailed  from 
Pittsburgh  to  New  Orleans,  later  running  on  the 
Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers.  After  settling  in 
this  State,  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  Capt.  Price, 
became  owners  of  some  boats,  which  they  operated 
until  Mr.  Mills'  death,  in  1855.  Mi's.  Mills  sur- 
vived her  husband  only  two  weeks,  and  died  leav- 
ing an  infant  only  a  month  old.  Altogether  there 
were  nine  children  in  the  family.  Miss  Mary 
Johnson,  who  had  lived  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


385 


from  the  time  when  she  was  eight  years  of  age, 
reared  the  children,  keeping  the  family  together 
until  one  by  one,  as  they  attained  sufficient  age, 
they  started  out  in  life  for  themselves.  This  noble 
lady  who  so  kindly  cared  for  the  friendless  or- 
phans now  h'ndsa  pleasant  home  with  our  subject. 
We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  Andrew 
II.  Mills,  who  remained  with  his  benefactress  un- 
til able  to  earn  his  own  livelihood.  After  attend- 
ing the  public  schools,  he  attended  Lincoln  Uni- 
versity, a  college  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1875, 
after  pursuing  a  five-years  classical  course,  with 
the  degree  of  A.  B.  Two  yeard  later,  on  complet- 
ing the  post-graduate  course,  the  degree  of  A.  M. 
was  conferred  upon  him.  Mr.  Mills  now  turned 
his  attention  to  teaching.  He  became  a  tutor  in 
the  university,  where  he  remained  for  two  years, 
and  then  went  to  Waverly,  Morgan  County,  111., 
where  for  three  years  he-  was  Superintendent  of 
the  public  schools.  During  this  time  he  also  read 
law,  and  in  May,  1881,  was  admitted  to  the  Bar. 
On  the  1st  of  June,  1881,  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  brother,  Isaac  R.  Mills,  and  they  now 
have  a  large  and  constantly  increasing  practice. 
Our  subject  is  now,  and  has  been  since  June  1st, 
1888,  Assistant  State's  Attorney,  and  has  assisted 
in  the  prosecution  of  all  the  cases  on  the  criminal 
docket,  his  special  work  being  to  get  each  case 
ready  for  trial.  Occasionally  he  takes  an  active 
part  in  criminal  trials,  as  in  the  Crawford  and 
Westbrook  murder  cases  and  the  Hunter  election 
case. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1877,  in  Lincoln,  111., 
Mr.  Mills  wedded  Miss  Elizabeth  E.  Bell,  daughter 
of  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Bell,  a  pastor  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church.  She  graduated  in  the 
same  clas-s  as  her  husband,  and  also  took  a  post- 
graduate course  with  him,  and  for  three  years  after 
their  marriage  acted  as  his  assistant  teacher  in 
Waverly.  They  have  a  family  of  five  children: 
Ralph  G.,  Judith  B.,  Helen  E.,  Harold  E.  and  An- 
drew 11.,  Jr. 

The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  and  Mr.  Mills  takes  a  very  prominent 
part  in  church  work.  Four  years  ago  he  was 
elected  Deacon,  and  quite  recently  he  has  been 


elected  Elder.  For  eight  years  he  has  served  as 
teacher  of  the  Bible  Class,  and  for  three  years  he 
has  been  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 
Under  his  able  leadership  the  attendance  of  the 
school  has  increased  from  two  hundred  and  sixty 
to  three  hundred  and  sixty.  He  has  attended 
many  Sunday-school  conventions  of  the  county 
and  is  recognized  as  a  leader  in  Sunday-school 
work.  For  seven  years  he  has  been  an-  ac- 
tive member  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, and  during  all  this  time  has  served  on  its 
board  and  as  President  of  its  finance  committee. 
It  was  through  his  efforts  that  David  F.  Hamsher 
made  the  association  his  residuary  legatee  and 
thus  secured  to  it  $18,000.  In  politics,  Mr.  Mills 
is  a  stalwart  Republican  and  for  some  years  was 
Chairman  of  the  Sixth  Precinct.  He  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  campaign  work  throughout  the 
county  and  congressional  district,  and  in  1886  he 
was  the  candidate  for  County  Judge.  Mr.  Mills  is 
well  fitted  by  his  keen  judgment  and  fertile  re- 
sources for  leadership  and  has  thus  become  promi- 
nent in  the  various  lines  of  work  in  which  he  is 
interested.  The  community  recognizes  in  him 
one  of  its  best  citizens,  a  man  whose  upright,  hon- 
orable life  is  worthy  of  emulation,  and  whose  word 
is  as  good  as  his  bond. 


AMES  A.  BLAIR,  proprietor  and  owner  of 
the  leading  hotel  of  Blue  Mound,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Ripley  County,  Ind.  He  was  born  on 
the  2d  of  March,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
A.  and  Mary  (Gourley)  Blair.  The  father  was 
born  in  Scotland  and  was  a  son  of  Brice  Blair,  an 
officer  in  the  British  army,  and  who  was  also  a 
large  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  James  Blair,  Sr., 
spent  his  early  life  on  the  farm  in  Scotland,  but  a 
few  years  after  his  marriage  he  crossed  the  briny- 
deep  to  America,  locating  in  New  York,  where  he 
remained  for  a  short  time.  Coming  Westward,  he 
located  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  and,  purchasing 
land,  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  that  local- 


386 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ity,  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  He 
was  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  commu- 
nity, and  his  death  was  deeply  mourned.  His  wife, 
who  is  also  a  native  of  Scotland,  is  still  living  and 
makes  her  home  with  her  children  in  Ripley 
Count}-,  Ind.  The  family  numbered  four  sons 
and  one  daughter,  but  the  latter,  Isabel,  who  was 
the  eldest,  is  now  deceased,  as  is  also  James  A. 
Charles  B.,  who  served  for  three  years  during  the 
late  war,  now  follows  farming  in  the  Hoosier  State. 
Thomas  A.  is  a  prominent  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
of  Ripley  County,  Ind.;  and  James  A.  is  our  sub- 
ject. 

We  now  take  up  the  history  of  the  latter,  who 
was  reared  to  manhood  on  the  old  homestead  in 
the  county  of  his  nativit}'.  He  began  his  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
and  afterward  attended  the  academy  at  Versailles, 
Ind.,  for  three  winters.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
attended  school  in  Shelby  County  for  a  short  time. 
In  August,  1862,  when  only  seventeen  years  of 
age,  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  K, 
Eighty-third  Ohio  Infantry,  in  which  he  served 
for  about  eighteen  months.  In  December,  1863, 
there  was  a  call  on  the  battlefield  at  Champion 
Hills  for  thirty-two  volunteers  to  assist  the  Seven- 
teenth Ohio  Battery,  but  only  seven  responded,  of 
whom  our  subject  was  one.  He  was  afterward  j 
detached  to  this  battery,  and  later  re-enlisted  in 
the  First  Regiment  of  Mounted  Veteran  Artillery, 
in  which  he  served  almost  sixteen  months,  or  until 
a  general  order  of  the  War  Department  commanded 
all  detached  men  to  return  to  their  regiments. 
In  consequence  he  returned  to  the  Eight3'-third 
Ohio,  with  which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  participated  in  a  number  of  important 
engagements,  including  the  battles  of  Chickasaw  ! 
Bayou,  Ft.  Gibson,  Champion  Hills,  Black  River  ; 
Bridge,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  Jackson  (Miss.), 
Cameron  Bridge  and  the  siege  at  Ft.  Blakely,  Ala. 
With  the  exception  of  about  twenty  days,  when 
he  was  confined  to  the  field  hospital  by  illness,  our 
subject  was  always  found  at  the  front,  faithfully 
figl.ting  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Blair  returned  to 
his  home  in  Indiana,  but  after  a  month  came  to 
Decatur,  HI.,  in  the  fall  of  1865,  and  began  work 


as  a  farm  hand.  In  the  spring  of  1866,  he  rented 
a  farm  in  Christian  County  and  began  farming  in 
his  own  interests,  and  later  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie  land  in  Pleasant 
View  Township,  and  began  its  development. 
There  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  and 
stock-raising  with  good  success  until  1887,  when 
he  rented  his  land  and  removed  to  Russell,  Kan., 
where  he  remained  for  about  eight  months.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to  the 
city  which  is  still  his  home  and  here  purchased  a 
residence,  having  determined  to  make  his  home  in 
Blue  Mound  in  order  to  better  educate  his  children. 
For  a  year,  however,  he  continued  to  operate  his 
farm,  but  in  December,  1891,  he  purchased  what 
was  then  known  as  the  Ward  Hotel,  but  is  now  the 
Palace  Hotel.  This  he  has  since  conducted.  The 
establishment  is  complete  in  all -its  appointments 
and  supplied  with  all  modern  conveniences.  The 
attractiveness  of  the  house  and  the  genial  and 
pleasant  manners  of  the  host  have  won  for  the 
Palace  Hotel  a  liberal  patronage. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1875,  Mr.  Blair  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Dianah  Workman,  who  was 
born  in  Christian  County.  111.,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Stephen  B.  and  Dianah  (Bilyeu)  Workman. 
For  a  number  of  years  her  father  carried  on  mer- 
chandising in  Loaini,  Sangamon  County,  111.,  but 
afterward  became  a  farmer  of  Christian  County, 
where  his  death  occurred  in  1864.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  for  many  3'ears  and  died  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Christian  County  in  1881.  Five 
children,  a  son  and  four  daughters,  have  been 
bom  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blair,  namely: 
Mary  D.,  Eth'e  A.,  James  William  Sheridan  (who 
died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  months  and  eleven 
days),  Nellie  M.  and  Lulu  Flossie  May. 

Mr.  Blair  is  a  stanch  Republican,  having  been  a 
warm  supporter  of  that  party  since  casting  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  was 
then  in  the  service  and  had  not  attained  his  ma- 
jority. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Blue  Mound 
Lodge  No.  682,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and  Blue  Mound- 
Post  No.  347,  G.  A.  R.  He  and  his  wife  and  their 
two  eldest  daughters  are  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  Mr.  Blair  has  led  a  busy  and  useful 
life,  and  his  industry  and  enterprise  have  brought 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


387 


him  a  handsome  reward  in  the  shape  of  considera- 
able  property.  Besides  the  Palace  Hotel,  which  he 
owns,  he  still  has  his  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  together  with  some  town  lots  in 
Russell,  Kan.  All  he  has  has  been  acquired  through 
his  own  efforts,  and  he  may  truly  be  called  a  self- 
made  man.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  and  highty 
respected  citizens  of  Blue  Mound,  and  well  de- 
serves representation  in  the  history  of  his  adopted 
county. 


>)HOMAS  W.  WADDELL,  who  devotes  his 
energies  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  makes 
his  home  on  section  15,  Niantic  Township, 
is  a  native  of  this  State.  He  was  born  in  Madison, 
111.,  December  18,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  W.  Wad- 
dell,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  emigrated 
with  his  mother  and  her  family  to  the  West  in 
1820,  and  became  one  of  the  honored  early  settlers 
of  Madison.  After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity, 
he  married  Miss  Judith,  daughter  of  Gen.  Samuel 
Whiteside,  who  was  then  living  in  Madison  County* 
but  spent  his  last  days  in  Christian  County.  In 
the  former  county,  Mr.  Waddell  cleared  and  de- 
veloped a  farm  of  about  two  hundred  acres,  and 
thereon  followed  agricultural  pursuits  throughout 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  in  1878,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  soon  afterward.  They  both 
lie  buried  in  Troy  Cemetery,  Madison  County. 

Our  subject  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  who  grew 
to  mature  years  and  became  heads  of  families. 
The  eldest,  John  L.,  removed  from  Madison  to  Lo- 
gan County,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1890. 
Ann  in  ta  J.  is  the  widow  of  Andy  Simpson,  of  Lo- 
gan County;  Thomas  \V.  is  the  next  younger; 
William  B.  is  an  agriculturist  of  Logan  County; 
and  Laurine  is  the  wife  of  Port  Simpson,  of  Iowa. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity,  Thomas  Waddell 
spent  his  boyhood  days,  and  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  neighborhood  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the 
<  ommon  English  branches  of  learning.  Upon  the 
home  farm  he  remained  until  he  had  attained  his 


majority,  and  then  chose  as  a  companion  and  help- 
mate Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Norris,  who  was  born  in 
Bond  County,  111.,  but  spent  the  days  of  her  maiden- 
hood in  Madison  County.  At  an  early  age  she  was 
left  an  orphan  and  was  reared  by  her  uncle,  Thomas 
Bowen.  Their  union  was  celebrated  in  Madison 
County  in  September,  1857,  after  which  they  re- 
moved to  Logan  County,  where  Mr.  Waddell  pur- 
chased a  small  farm,  which  he  operated  until  1863. 
It  was  in  that  year  that  he  came  to  Macon  County 
and  bought  eighty  acres  of  raw  land,  the  same  on 
which  he  now  resides.  It  was  entirely  uncultiva- 
ted, not  a  furrow  having  been  turned  or  an  im- 
provement made  thereon,  but  he  at  once  began 
breaking  and  fencing  it,  and  as  the  land  was  new 
and  rich,  it  soon  brought  forth  abundant  harvests 
for  the  labor  bestowed  upon  it.  The  boundaries 
of  the  farm  have  been  extended  by  additional  pur- 
chase, until  it  now  comprises  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres.  In  addition  to  the  neat  and  substan- 
tial residence,  there  are  good  barns  and  outbuild- 
ings, an  orchard  and  all  the  modern  improvements. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  1860,  Mr.  Waddell  has  sup- 
ported each  Presidential  candidate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  has  been  elected  to  several  offi- 
cial positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  has  served 
two  terms  as  Assessor,  has  been  Commissioner  of 
Highways  and  School  Trustee,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  served  his  district  as  School  Director. 
He  has  been  a  delegate  to  numerous  county  con- 
ventions. His  influence  has  ever  been  given  in 
behalf  of  good  schools,  and  his  hearty  support  and 
co-operation  aid  every  enterprise  that  he  believes 
calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit.  He  is  a 
member  and  Past  Grand  of  the  Odd  Fellows' 
lodge  of  Niantic,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church  of  that  place. 

This  worthy  couple  have  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren yet  living,  the  eldest  of  whom  is  W.  A.,  a 
farmer  of  this  county;  George  W.  is  married,  and 
makes  his  home  in  Niantie;  Adeline  is  the  wife  of 
Louis  Claypool,  of  Decatur;  Thomas  L.  is  married, 
and  carries  on  business  in  the  county  seat;  Ella, 
widow  of  Warren  Lindsay,  resides  at  home;  and 
Roy  and  Emma  complete  the  family.  They  also 
lost  three  children  in  infancy, 


388 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Waddell  arc  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  the  county,  where  for  thirty  years  they 
have  made  their  home.  The  former's  record  is 
that  of  a  self-made  man,  who  began  life  empty- 
handed,  his  possessions  consisting  of  nothing  but 
a  bright  hope  of  the  future  and  a  determination 
to  succeed.  His  untiring  labors  and  unflagging 
perseverance,  together  with  the  assistance  of  his 
estimable  wife,  have  brought  him  a  well-merited 
prosperity. 


EORGE  C.  KINSMAN,  of  Decatur,  is 
superintendent  of  the  Wabash  Railroad 
Telegraph  System,  which  position  he  has 
held  since  March,  1884.  His  appointment  to  this 
important  and  responsible  position  indicates  the 
confidence  reposed  in  his  ability,  and  his  long  con- 
tinuance in  the  service  shows  that  the  trust  has  not 
been  misplaced.  He  was  born  in  Ellington,  N.  Y., 
August  22,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Abner  B.  and 
Asenath  M.  (Chandler)  Kinsman,  the  former  a  na- 
tive of  Vermont,  and  the  latter  of  the  Empire  State. 
The  Kinsman  family  is  of  English  origin,  the 
ancestors  having  emigrated  from  Old  Albion  to 
America  in  1634.  The  Chandler  family  is  of 
Dutch  descent,  being  founded  by  emigrants  from 
Amsterdam,  Holland. 

The- father  of  our  subject  emigrated  from  his 
native  State  to  New  York  in  1834,  and  there  fol- 
lowed farming  throughout  the  greater  part  of  his 
life.  He  belonged  to  the  old  early  militia,  formed 
to  protect  the  settlers  from  the  Indians.  His 
death  occurred  in  Ellington  in  1892,  in  the  eighty- 
seventh  year  of  his  age.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  to  which  all  of  his  family 
belong.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  now 
eighty-five  years  of  age.  Of  their  family  Emily 
M.  is  the  wife  of  R.  P.  Boody,  of  Morenci,  Mich  ; 
Jolin  A.  is  living  in  Sugar  Grove,  Pa.;  James  M. 
is  deceased;  .Jennie  E.  resides  in  Ellington,  N.  Y.; 
Frances  M.  is  the  wife  of  Corlland  Bates,  of  Elling- 
ton, N.  Y.;  Ella  M.  is  the  wife  of  Chauncy  Crumb, 


of  Grant,  N.  Y.;  George  C.  is  the  next  younger; 
and  Willis  C..  of  Decatur,  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  Kinsman  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home 
until  fifteen  years  of  age  and  was  trained  to  farm 
work..  He  then  came  to  the  West  and  worked  for 
one  year  in  Morenci,  Mich., after  which  he  attended 
school  in  Oberlin,  Ohio.  His  connection  with  tel- 
egraphy began  with  his  appointment  to  the  position 
of  night  operator  for  the  Wabash  Railroad  at 
Napoleon,  Ohio,  August  8,  1868.  He  was  after- 
wards station  agent  and  operator  at  Rockfield  and 
Delphi,  Ind.,  where  he  remained  until  about  1870, 
when  he  became  operator  and  clerk  in  the  Super- 
intendent's office  at  La  Fayette,  Ind.  He  after- 
wards worked  as  freight  and  passenger  conductor 
for  the  same  company,  and  as  tram  dispatcher 
went  to  Springfield,  111.,  where  he  remained  until 
March  1,  1878,  when  lie  resigned  to  take  a  position 
as  special  agent  in  the  Postoffice  department.  He 
was  then  offered  the  position  of  chief  train  dis- 
patcher at  Springfield,  and  returned  in  1879  to 
that  city,  where  he  remained  until  August,  1881. 
At  that  time  he  was  appointed  assistant  superin- 
tendent of  telegraph  of  the  entire  Wabash  System, 
I  with  headquarters  at  St.  Louis.  It  was  in  the 
I  summer  of  1883  that  the  headquarters  were  trans- 
ferred to  Decatur,  and  in  March,  1884,  he  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  1873,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Kinsman  and  Miss  Lora  S.  Christ- 
iancy.  Her  father,  Hon.  I.  P.  Christiancy,  of 
Michigan,  was  Chief  Justice  of  the  State  Supreme 
Court  for  some  years,  and  was  afterwards  United 
States  Senator.  Mrs.  Kinsman  was  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  and  a  lady  whose  many  excel- 
lencies of  character  endeared  her  to  all.  She  died 
in  Ida,  Mich.,  August  1,  1877,  leaving  a  sou, 
Charles  C.,  who  was  born  December  14,  1873,  in 
Springfield,  111.  On  the  27th  of  February,  1884, 
Mr.  Kinsman  married  Miss  Jennie  W.  Sanford, 
daughter  of  Gen.  W.  W.  Sanford,of  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Her  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Confederate  army, 
was  taken  prisoner,  afterwards  paroled,  and  later 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army  as  a  private,  but 
became  a  Brigadier-General.  He  died  from  wounds 
j  received  in  the  service.  Two  children  have  been 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  Lora  and  Wilson. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


391 


In  connection  with  bis  other  business,  Mr. 
Kinsman  acts  as  superintendent  for  the  Western 
I'nion  Telegraph  Company  for  all  its  offices  along 
the  lines  of  the  Wabash  System,  and  the  Toledo, 
Peoria  &  Western,  and  the  Omaha  &  St.  Louis 
Railroads.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  true  to 
every  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  has  the  confidence 
and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  business  or 
social  relations  have  brought  him  in  contact.  In 
politics  he  is  a  supporter  of  Republican  principles. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Macon  Lodge  No.  8, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  at 
No.  641  Prairie  Avenue,  and  besides  this  property- 
Mr.  Kinsman  owns  a  partly  improved  section  of 
land  in  Buffalo  County,  Neb. 


VAVIDJ.  FREEL AND,  deceased,  was  born 
April  19,  1819,  in  Orange  County,  N.  C., 
where  he  remained  until  seventeen  years 
of  age,  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Illinois,  in  1836.  The  family  located  in  what  was 
then  Macon,  but  is  now  Moultrie  County,  at  the 
head  of  Marrowbone  Creek,  which  in  the  early  days 
was  called  Freeland's  Point.  There  our  subject 
remained  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  aid- 
ing in  the  labors  of  the  farm  and  teaching  school  in 
Moultrie  and  adjoining  counties.  In  the  spring  of 
1857,  he  purchased  a  half-section  of  railroad  land 
in  Milan  Township  and  began  its  improvement. 
He  was  the  second  settler  of  the  township,  and 
became  one  of  its  influential  and  leading  citizens. 
Mr.  Freeland  married  Miss  Sarah  Strain,  of  Moul- 
trie County,  who  died  in  1843,  leaving  a  son,  Alex- 
ander S.,  who  is  now  a  prosperous  agriculturist  of 
this  community,  and  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where in  this  work.  The  mother  is  a  daughter 
of  David  Strain,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of 
1830.  In  June,  1848,  Mr.  Freeland  was  again  mar- 
ried, his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Martha 
Sawyer,  who  was  born  June  15,  1831,  in  Coles 
County,  111.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah 

18 


(Radcliff)  Sawyer.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
England,  and  when  a  small  child  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  America.  He  followed  farming 
throughout  his  entire  life,  his  death  occurring  in 
Coles  County,  111.,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven.  His 
wife  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  died  in  Coles 
County  when  fifty-five  years  of  age.  By  the 
second  union  of  our  subject  ten  childien  were 
born,  three  of  whom  are  deceased.  Jaqueline  be- 
came the  wife  of  John  Blackwood,  a  stock-dealer 
of  Decatur,  and  at  her  death  left  a  daughter,  Dessie 
Grace,  who  is  making  her  home  with  her  grand- 
mother; Kate  Ida  died  at  the  age  of  eleven;  and 
Sarah  at  the  age  of  thirty-one.  The  last-mentioned 
daughter  was  finely  educated,  having  graduated 
from  the  Northern  Indiana  Normal  School,  and 
was  a  successful  teacher.  The  living  are  Mary  E., 
wife  of  David  Sanner,  a  leading  farmer  of  this 
county;  Charles  W.,  who  is  successfully  engaged 
in  farming  in  Milan  Township;  Eunice,  wife  of 
Eli  Scott,  a  resident  farmer  of  Moultrie  County; 
James  J.,  who  follows  the  same  pursuit,  and  who 
married  Miss  Ella  Mayes,  of  Dalton  City,  to  whom 
were  born  two  children:  a  daughter,  Oaksie,  de- 
ceased, and  a  son,  David  Ewing,  about  two  and 
a-half  years  old.  Martha  R.,  wife  of  John  Botwell; 
Josie  F.,  wife  of  Sherman  Keller,  a  traveling  sales- 
man, residing  in  Decatur;  and  Hannah  Jane,  wife 
of  Samuel  Ekiss,  who  attended  the  Illinois  State 
Normal  at  Normal,  and  for  many  years  was  one  of 
the  most  successful  teachers  in  Macon  County. 

As  Charles  W.  is  the  eldest  son,  he  remained  at 
home  a  part  of  the  time,  and  aided  in  the  labors 
of  the  farm  until  thirty-two  years  of  age.  He  at- 
tended the  Blackburn  University  of  Carlinville, 
and  afterwards  engaged  in  teaching  school  and  in 
teaching  music  in  this  and  adjoining  counties  un- 
til 1886,  when  he  began  farming,  and  now  is  the 
owner  of  two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Milan 
Township,  comprising  the  fine  farm  on  which  he 
now  resides.  He  has  served  as  Supervisor  of  his 
township  for  five  years,  has  been,  School  Trustee 
for  eight  years,  and  was  also  Tax  Collector.  In 
April,  1887,  he  married  Miss  Susan,  daughter  of 
William  K.  and  Susan  (Alexander)  Inman,  of  De- 
catur. Two  sons  have  been  born  unto  them,  An- 
ton and  Adin. 


392 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mr.  Freeland  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  left 
a  large  astate,  valued  at  some  $40,000,  which  had 
all  been  acquired  through  his  own  efforts,  and  as 
the  result  of  his  own  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment. He  possessed  good  business  ability,  was 
fair  and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  and  his 
word  was  as  good  as  his  bond.  The  utmost  confi- 
dence was  reposed  in  hitn,which  was  never  betrayed, 
and  he  was  one  of  the  prominent  and  influen- 
tial citizens  of  the  count}",  having  a  large  circle  of 
warm  friends.  He  held  membership  with  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church,  was  a  kind-hearted, 
generous  man,  and  his  life  abounded  in  good 
works.  Upon  the  old  home  farm  he  passed  away 
September  16,  1892.  and  in  his  death  the  county 
lost  one  of  its  best  citizens.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him  and  resides  on  the  old  farm.  She  is  a 
most  estimable  lady,  and  has  the  high  regard  of 
all  who  know  her. 


AVIS  BROWN  is  President  of  the  De- 
catur  Leader  Manufacturing  Company. 
This  thriving  city  is  noted  for  its  many 
and  varied  industries,  among  the  most 
important  of  which  is  the  one  just  mentioned.  The 
gentleman  at  the  head  of  this  enterprise  is  a  man 
of  fine  business  ability  and  inventive  genius,  and 
it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  here  give  this  record 
of  his  life. 

On  the  18th  of  August,  1860,  Mr.  Brown  was 
born  in  Portland,  Ind.  His  early  boyhood  days 
were  passed  in  play  and  work  in  his  native  town, 
and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  entered  a  repair  shop. 
Subsequently  he  located  in  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  where 
he  secured  employment  with  a  company  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  machinery  for  making  brick. 
He  remained  with  the  firm  of  Fry,  Sheckler  & 
Hoover  for  eight  years,  during  which  time  he 
worked  as  a  machinist,  designer  and  salesman. 
He  became  familiar  with  the  business  in  all  its  de- 
tails, and,  believing  that  he  could  improve  upon 


some  of  the  machinery,  he  began  making  models 
and  secured  patents  on  brick  machinery.  These 
patents,  however,  which  included  a  clay-crusher, 
cutting  table  and  brick  machine,  he  sold  to  the 
company  by  which  he  was  employed. 

On  the  2d  of  August,  1880,  Mr.  Brown  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  F.  Denney, 
who  resided  in  Portland,  Ind.  By  their  union 
has  been  born  a  son,  Elmer  Lewis.  Socially,  Mr. 
Brown  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Christian 
Church.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  but  has  found  no  time  to  devote  to 
office-seeking,  his  attention  being  fully  occupied 
by  his  business  interests. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Brown  left  Bucyrus,  and  established 
the  Brown-Frazier  Manufacturing  Company,  of' 
Portland.  Mr.  Frazier  was  formerly  foreman  of 
the  Chattanooga  Times,  but  became  interested  in 
the  manufacture  of  brick-making  machinery,  and. 
forming  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Brown,  has  since 
carried  on  the  business  in  Portland,  Ind.  The 
Decatur  Leader  Manufacturing  Company  was  in- 
corporated on  the  20th  of  April,  1891,  with  a  cap- 
ital stock  of  $35,000.  Mr.  Brown  was  elected  Pres- 
ident. Elmer  R.  Frazier  Secretary,  and  John  A. 
Dawson  Treasurer.  The  positions  are  now  filled 
by  the  same  gentlemen.  The  Board  of  Directors 
is  composed  of  J.  G.  Shea,  of  Danville;  Samuel 
Diller,  L.  B.  Casner,  J.  A.  Dawson  and  Davis 
Brown.  Immediately  after  the  incorporation  of  the 
company,  a  plant  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $23,000. 
The  Decatur  Leader  Manufacturing  Company  is 
the  successor  of  the  Brown-Frazier  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  Portland,  Ind.,  at  which  place  they 
had  a  plant  worth  $10,000.  Several  of  the  citi- 
zens taking  stock  in  the  concern,  the  business  was 
increased,  and  now  amounts  to  $42,000  annual!}-. 
They  employ  about  twenty-seven  men,  nearly  all 
of  whom  are  skilled  workmen,  and  they  have  two 
traveling  salesmen  upon  the  road.  The  company 
furnishes  complete  outfits  for  the  manufacture  of 
brick,  and  the  machinery  which  they  use  is  of  the 
best.  They  also  furnish  all  kinds  of  machinery  for 
the  manufacture  of  tile,  including  everything  req- 
uisite to  the  business.  Mr.  Brown  now  has  a  num- 
ber of  patents  pending,  including  the  automatic  cu> 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


393 


ter,  which  in  its  perfection  surpasses  all  others; 
the  mechanical  sander,  the  roller-brick  machine,  the 
"Gladiator,"  and  a  vertical  tile-making  machine 
for  the  manufacture  of  large-sized  tiles.  The  excel- 
lent inventive  genius  of  Mr.  Brown  has  placed 
upon  the  market  some  of  the  finest  machinery  in 
his  line.  His  ability  in  the  management  of  busi- 
ness affairs  is  equal  to  that  of  his  powers  of  in- 
vention, and  the  Decatur  Leader  Manufacturing 
Company  is  therefore  enjoying  a  marked  degree 
of  success.  In  social  circles,  Mr.  Brown  is  well 
liked,  and  by  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in 
contact  he  is  held  in  high  regard. 


GEORGE  DEMPSEY.  a  carpenter  and  paving 
,  contractor  of  Decatur,  is  well  known  in  this 
city,  where  for  almost  forty  years  he  has 
made  his  home.  He  is  numbered  among  the  early 
settlers  of  the  county,  where  he  located  in  1854, 
and  as  he  has  witnessed  nearly  its  entire  growth 
and  upbuilding  and  has  aided  largely  in  its  devel- 
opment and  progress,  he  is  well  deserving  of  repre- 
sentation in  this  volume.  A  native  of  Ohio,  he 
was  born  in  Chillicothe  February  10,  1825.  Both 
his  paternal  and  maternal  grandfathers  were  natives 
of  Ireland,  and  having  come  to  America  about 
1760.  served  as  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
They  married  Pennsylvania  ladies, and  the  parents 
of  our  subject,  Andrew  G.  and  Margaret  (Elmore) 
Dempsey,  were  both  born  in  the  Keystone  State. 
The  father  emigrated  Westward  to  Ohio  just  be- 
fore its  admission  into  the  Union,  and  there  made 
his  home  until  1865,  when  he  started  to  Missouri 
to  buy  land,  but  he  died  on  the  way.  His  death 
occurred  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  his 
wife,  who  survived  him  some  time,  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  eighty-three.  She  spent  her  lust  days 
at  the  home  of  her  sou  in  Memphis,  Mo.  Both 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  Church.  Of  their 
family  of  six  sons  and  five  daughters,  seven  are 
now  living:  John,  a  resident  of  Memphis.  Mo.; 
James,  of  Spokane  Falls,  Wash.;  William,  of  Green 


River  Junction;  Mrs.  Jane  Snodgrass,  of  Memphis, 
Mo.;  Catherine,  wife  of  John  Huffman,  of  Colum- 
bus, Ohio;  and  Mary,  wife  of  William  Miller,  of 
Chillicothe,  Mo. 

George  Dempsey  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth 
upon  a  farm,  and  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  where  his 
education  was  acquired.  He  left  home  when  fif- 
teen years  of  age  and  was  bound  out  to  Robert 
Lowery  to  learn  the  carpenter's  trade,  serving  a 
five-years  apprenticeship.  He  then  followed  that 
business  until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late 
war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Seven- 
tieth Illinois  Infantry,  for  ninetj'  days'  service. 
That  term  having  expired,  he  re-enlisted  in  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infan- 
try, and  served  until  September,  1865,  participat- 
ing in  the  siege  of  Vicksbuig  and  a  number  of 
other  engagements.  He  entered  the  service  as  a 
private  and  was  mustered  out  with  the  rank  of 
Second  Lieutenant. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1846,  Mr.  Dempsey 
wedded  Miss  Mary  J.  Lowery,  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Ellen  (Phillips)  Lowery,  natives  of  Maryland. 
Seven  children  were  born  unto  them,  but  two  died 
in  infancy.  Those  still  living  are  Ellen;  Charles 
C.,  who  resides  in  Chicago  and  for  twelve  years 
has  been  an  employe  of  the  Pacific  Express  Com- 
pany; Andrew  G.,  a  railroad  engineer  living  in 
Decatur,  who  married  Miss  Carrie  Moffett,  by  whom 
he  has  two  children.  Lewis  and  Frank;  Henry  C., 
who  married  Miss  Jennie  Hawks,  by  whom  he  has 
a  daughter,  Alice;  and  Maria,  who  is  the  wife  of 
John  Peniwell,  a  grocer  of  Decatur.  Henry  C.  is 
foreman  of  the  Decatur  Furniture  Factory,  with 
which  he  has  been  connected  for  eighteen  years. 

In  1854,  Mr.  Dempsey  came  to  Illinois,  his  first 
intention  being  to  locate  in  Springfield,  but  on 
the  14th  of  April  of  that  year  he  landed  in  Deca- 
tur, and  has  here  since  made  his  home.  In  1857, 
he  erected  a  dwelling  which  has  since  been  his 
place  of  residence.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he 
has  followed  his  trade  of  carpentering,  and  his  ex- 
cellent workmanship  has  brought  him  a  liberal 
patronage.  The  county  was  new  when  he  came 
here,  and  he  has  therefore  witnessed  almost  its 
entire  growth.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in 
everything  pertaining  to  its  upbuilding  and  ad- 


394 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


vancement,  and  has  long  been  recognized  as  a 
public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen.  Socially, 
he  is  a  member  of  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.;  and  Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.  His 
wife  holds  membership  with  the  Episcopal  Church. 
His  first  Presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Zachary 
Taylor,  find  he  supported  the  Whig  party  until  its 
dissolution,  when  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new 
Republican  party  and  under  its  banner  has  since 
marched.  He  served  as  Superintendent  of  Streets 
in  Decatur  from  1873  until  1879,  and  was  one  of 
the  first  Aldermen  on  the  city's  organization.  Dur- 
ing his  long  residence  in  this  community'  Mr. 
Dempsey  has  become  widely  known,  and  his  honor- 
able, upright  life  has  gained  him  the  warm  regard 
and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact.  As  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Ma- 
con  County  we  gladly  present  him  to  our  readers. 


WILLIAM  H.  DAVIS  is  the  efficient  and  ca- 
pable manager  of  the  Western  Union  Tel- 
egraph office  in  Decatur,  of  which  he  lias 
had  charge  for  six  years,  having  been  appointed 
to  the  position  in  April,  1887.  He  is  a  man  widely 
and  favorably  known  in  this  community,  and  we 
therefore  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his  life 
will  prove  of  interest  to  our  readers.  Mr.  Davis 
is  a  native  of  the  Hoosier  State  and  was  born  on 
the  8th  of  October,  1856,  in  Union  City,  Randolph 
County,  Ind.,  and  in  that  locality  was  reared  to 
manhood.  He  spent  a  considerable  portion  of  his 
youth  in  working  on  a  farm  by  the  month,  and 
from  quite  an  early  age  has  earned  his  own  liveli- 
hood. He  may  truly  be  numbered  among  the  self- 
made  men  of  Decatur,  for  whatever  success  he  has 
achieved  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts. 

On  attaining  his  majority  Mr.  Davis  left  home 
and,  going  to  Chicago,  entered  the  general  office 
of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  in 
order  to  learn  the  business.  After  he  had  mas- 
tered it  he  was  accepted  as  an  employe  of  the 
company,  in  1881,  and  given  work  in  the  Chicago 


office.  Later  he  was  sent  to  Bloomington  111., 
where  for  four  years  he  served  in  the  capacity  of 
telegraph  operator.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  telegraph 
office  in  Janesville,  Wis.,  where  he  remained  for  a 
year.  He  then  returned  to  the  general  office  in 
Chicago,  and  a  year  later  was  sent  to  Decatur,  as 
before  stated.  He  has  now  been  the  manager  of 
the  Decatur  office  for  six  consecutive  years,  and 
has  nine  employes  under  him. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1889,  Mr.  Davis  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Myra  R.  Smith,  of  Bloomington,  III. 
She  is  a  most  estimable  lady  and  a  consistent 
member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
They  reside  at  No.  667  West  Main  Street,  where 
they  have  a  pleasant  home.  Mr.  Davis  takes  con- 
siderable interest  in  civic  societies,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  lodge  of  Decatur.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  Past 
Noble  Grand  of  Celestia  Lodge  No.  186,1.  O.  O.  F. 
He  has  also  attended  the  Grand  Lodge.  In  poli- 
tics he  votes  with  the  Democratic  party,  but  has 
never  been  an  office-seeker,  political  preferment 
having  no  attraction  for  him.  His  faithfulness  :ind 
fidelity  to  the  company  by  which  he  is  employed 
are  attested  by  the  responsible  position  to  which 
he  was  appointed.  He  has  now  been  an  employe 
of  the  company  twelve  years  altogether,  in  which 
time  he  has  faithfully  labored  for  its  interests. 
He  is  an  enterprising  and  energetic  young  man, 
and  the  community  finds  in  him  a  valued  citizen. 


OHN  K.  WARREN  has  since  1855  been 
recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  Macon  County,  and  for 
many  years  has  been  one  of  the  most  en- 
terprising business  men  of  Decatur,  a  leader  in  all 
enterprises  calculated  to  promote  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  his  adopted  city,  and  he  well  de- 
serves representation  iu  this  volume.  He  was 
born  and  reared  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  yet 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


395 


on  coming  to  Illinois  was  not  altogether  unfamiliar 
with  agriculture,  having  spent  one  season  on  an 
uncle's  farm  in  New  Jersey,  together  with  several 
years  upon  his  mother's  farm  in  Pennsylvania, 
where,  being  of  an  inquiring  mind,  he  learned 
a  great  many  things  about  advanced  farming. 
When  a  young  man  he  determined  to  see  the 
West  and  in  some  of  its  thriving  towns  seek 
a  remunerative  occupation  that  might  give  his 
energies  full  scope.  His  first  resolve  was  to  en- 
ter into  the  grain  business  in  Chicago,  but  the 
keen  lake  breezes  of  that  city  did  not  agree  with 
him  and  made  his  asthma,  from  which  he  has  suf- 
fered from  childhood,  much  worse.  While  con- 
versing with  a  friend  one  day  about  the  advisa- 
bility of  a  change,  his  companion  suggested  that 
he  go  out  on  the  prairies  in  the  center  of  the 
State. 

In  consequence,  Mr.  Warren  started  out  with  a 
view  to  testing  the  prairie  atmosphere  and  if  con- 
genial make  a  home  in  the  West.  He  went  first  to 
Toulon,  from  there  to  Winona,  upon  the  invita- 
tion and  in  the  carriage  of  Mark  Bangs,  and 
thence  proceeded  south,  stopping  at  Decatur. 
After  a  night  spent  at  the  Cassell  House,  where 
the  St.  Nicholas  now  stands,  he  awoke  the  next 
morning  to  find  himself  free  from  asthmatic 
troubles.  Mr.  Warren  shouted  "Eureka,"  and 
determined  to  locate  here,  so  in  1856  his  mother, 
Mrs.  Ann  Warren,  left  her  friends  and  lifetime  as- 
sociates in  Philadelphia  and  joined  her  son.  They 
made  their  home  on  a  farm  in  the  northeast  corner 
of  Decatur  Township  until  the  fall  of  1858,  when 
Mr.  Warren  embarked  in  the  manufacture  of  wheat 
drills  as  a  partner  of  Stephen  H.  Boyakin,  having 
purchased  the  interest  of  Tilghman  H.  Alexander 
in  the  manufacture  of  Pennock's  Wheat  Drill.  In 
1859,  he  sold  out  his  manufacturing  interest  to 
Mr.  Boyakin  and  entered  upon  his  own  account 
into  the  insurance  and  real-estate  business.  His 
first  experience  as  a  solicitor  was  for  William  L. 
Hammer,  who  had  the  leading  fire  insurance  agencv 
in  Decatur  at  that  time.  In  1861,  Mr.  Warren 
entered  into  a  partnership  with  the  late  Henry  B. 
Durfee  in  the  real-estate,  insurance  and  title  ab- 
stract business,  under  the  name  of  Warren  & 
Durfee.  In  1863,  Bradford  K.  Durfee,  who  had 


charge  of  the  compiling  of  an  abstract  of  the  rec- 
ords of  Macon  County,  became  a  member  of  the 
firm,  which  was  known  as  Durfee,  Warren  &  Co. 
The  first  system  of  title  abstracting  that  was  ever 
copyrighted  was  known  as  "  H.  B.  Durfee's  Con- 
tinuous and  Self-Connective  System,  with  Dur- 
fee, Warren  &  Co.'s  Improvements,"  and  was 
largely  introduced  throughout  the  West  from 
1864-until  1869. 

In  May,  1867,  Mr.  Warren  married  Miss  Emma, 
daughter  of  George  W.  and  Almira  A.  (Giles) 
Powers,  and  a  niece  of  Orlando  and  Samuel  Pow- 
ers. They  took  up  their  abode  in  Decatur  and 
here  lived  until  1873.  They  then  spent  three 
years  in  California,  and  a  year  and  a-half  in  the 
South,  principal!}'  in  Texas,  on  account  of  Mr. 
Warren's  health,  returning  to  their  home  in  this 
place  in  1878.  While  in  California  Mr.  Warren 
had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  beloved  mother, 
from  whom  he  had  not  been  separated  except  for  a 
few  weeks  for  more  than  forty  years.  With  deep 
feeling,  he  says  that  had  he  made  the  greatest  suc- 
cess possible  in  this  life  he  would  have  owed  it  all 
to  her  example  and  self-sacrificing  devotion.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Warren  reside  at  No.  510  West  Decatur 
Street.  They  have  one  son,  Giles  R.,  a  rising 
young  comedian,  now  in  the  East. 

Since  the  organization  of  the  party,  Mr.  War- 
icn  has  been  a  stanch  Republican.  In  1867,  he 
was  the  first  Republican  candidate  for  Mayor,  and 
was  elected  by  a  good  majority  over  Franklin 
Priest,  the  Democratic  candidate,  who  was  a  pop- 
ular and  prominent  man.  He  has  also  been  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  nine  years 
and  has  done  effective  service  in  the  interest  of 
schools. 

From  1867  until  1872,  our  subject  was  promi- 
nent in  securing  the  establishment  of  railroad  lines 
through  Decatur.  By  the  action  of  the  people 
along  the  line  of  the  road  he  came  into  charge  of 
the  Indiana  &  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  now  the 
I.  S.  &  W.  R.  R.,  and  was  identified  with  project- 
ing and  building  the  Pekin,  Lincoln  &  Decatur 
Railroad  from  Decatur  to  Pekin,  since  merged  in- 
to the  Peoria,  Decatur  &  Evansville  R.  R.  By 
virtue  of  his  position  he  was  personally  instru- 
mental in  the  building  of  the  Illinois  Midland 


396 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Railroad,  which  subsequently  became  known  as 
the  Terre  Haute  <fe  Peoria  Railroad.  He  devoted 
his  time  to  attendance  upon  both  the  Indiana  and 
Illinois  Legislatures  in  1869,  and  was  very  active 
in  securing  tavorable  legislation  for  the  building 
of  railroads.  He  had  particular  satisfaction  in  the 
result  of  the  management  that  procured  the  special 
charter  for  the  Decatur  &  State  Line  Railroad 
from  the  Illinois  Legislature,  in  opposition  to  an 
adverse  railroad  interest  of  a  neighboring  city. 
The  present  Wabash  Line  to  Chicago  was  the  re- 
sult of  procuring  the  said  charter.  In  all  this  Mr. 
Warren  performed  for  Decatur  a  work  that  was  of 
the  utmost  importance  to  its  subsequent  growth 
and  prosperity. 

In  1868,  our  subject  became  one  of  the  principals 
in  establishing  the  present  gas  plant  of  the  city,  was 
its  first  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  for  years  has 
been  the  President  of  the  company.  He  holds  the 
same  position  with  the  Decatur  Electric  Company, 
the  works  for  which  were  first  started  by  Silas  T. 
Trowbridge,  who  sold  out  to  Joseph  M.  Clokey. 
The  latter  later  disposed  of  the  plant  to  the  firm  of 
Warren  &  Durfee,  through  whom  it  was  made  an 
adjunct  to  the  Decatur  Gas  Light  and  Coke  Com- 
pany's works.  Mr.  Warren  was  the  pioneer  pro- 
moter of  the  building  associations  in  Decatur.  In 
connection  with  Ira  T.  Harris,  of  the  Decatur 
Rolling  Mill  Co.,  he  made  the  first  move  in  1873, 
in  which  he  was  joined  by  B.  K.  Durfee,  and  the 
Savings  Fund  Building  and  Loan  Association  was 
organized.  The  association  progressed  beyond  the 
most  sanguine  expectations  of  its  friends,  until  it 
had  run  about  seven  years,  when,  those  who  are 
familiar  with  these  organizations  in  Illinois  will 
remember,  occurred  the  disastrous  effects  caused 
by  an  erroneous  and  illy-considered  decision  of 
the  Illinois  Supreme  Court,  rendered  in  1880,  de- 
claring building  and  loan  contracts  to  be  usurious 
and  unconstitutional.  At  this  time  the  office  of 
Warren  &  Durfee  was  the  headquarters  of  two 
flourishing  associations  in  Decatur — the  Savings 
Fund  Building  and  Loan  and  the  Decatur  Build- 
ing Benefit  Association.  That  decision  closed  up 
these  associations  and  nearly  all  the  others  in  the 
State.  Upon  a  rehearing  of  the  case,  however,  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Illinois  reversed  the  former  de- 


cision, and  once  more  the  firm  established  the 
business  in  that  line  by  the  organization  of  the 
Savings  Fund  Building  Association  of  Decatur, 
which  is  now  one  of  the  most  prosperous  in  the 
State.  When  Mr.  Warren  came  to  Illinois  he 
brought  with  him  many  Eastern  ideas,  the  build- 
ing and  loan  association  being  one  of  them.  Many 
of  his  friends  at  first  declined  to  consider  the 
scheme  practical,  saying  that  it  would  not  be  suc- 
cessful, as  our  population  is  of  too  transiUwy  a 
character.  What  Mr.  Warren  wanted  was  to  rem- 
edy the  evils  of  transitory  population  by  helping 
the  laboring  men  here,  as  in  Philadelphia,  to  be- 
come the  owners  of  their  homes,  thus  making 
them  permanent  residents;  and  hundreds  of  wage 
workers  have  boen  thus  aided.  H.  W.  Bartholo- 
mew is  now  President  of  the  Savings  Fund  Build- 
ing Association,  and  B.  K.  Durfee  Secretary  and 
Treasurer. 

In  1881,  Messrs.  Warren  &  Durfee,  owing  to  in- 
ducements made  by  the  honest  dealers  and  jobbers 
in  the  Grocers'  Veneer  Dish  line  in  St.  Louis  and 
Chicago,  and  considering  that  the  legitimate  busi- 
ness of  Decatur's  citizens  was  not  only  to  encour- 
age enterprise  but  also  to  engage  in  manfacturing 
in  some  one  line  or  other,  established  the  first  but- 
ter dish  factory  in  Illinois;  and  when  they  ascer- 
tained that  they  could  profitably  bring  the  gum 
logs  from  Southern  Illinois  and  furnish  No.  1 
dishes  at  $1.40  per  thousand,  when  they  were  of- 
fered $2  and  upward,  they  very  soon  secured  a 
good  trade  from  the  jobbing  interests  throughout 
the  country.  Later  on  they  found  that  the  price 
induced  others  witli  capital  to  start  factories  in 
the  heavily  timbered  southern  country,  knocking 
prices  down  to  eighty  cents  per  thousand,  and 
they  abandoned  the  business  in  1885  and  con- 
verted their  plant  into  one  for  the  manufacture  of 
automatic  grain  scales,  especially  the  grain  weigher, 
register  and  loader  for  threshing-machines.  The 
company  are  also  pioneers  in  this  line  of  manu- 
facturing. They  first  made  the  Wilbur  Dunkel 
Meter,  but  through  the  inventive  genius  of  the 
Superintendent  of  the  factory,  Charles  J.  Hartley, 
they  have  put  out  four  different  kinds  of  weighers: 
the  "  Monarch,"  "  Monarch  Jo,"  "  Triumph  "  and 
"Boss,"  besides  the  "I  XL"  Measurer,  any  one 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


397 


of  which  has  not  been  excelled  by  any  other  make 
in  the  country.  The  Boss  Weigher  and  Loader 
has  proved  the  most  popular,  and  stands  at  the 
head  of  all  machinery  in  that  line. 

Mr.  Warren  has  been  continuously  in  the  general 
insurance  business  since  1859 — in  1861  in  connec- 
tion with  the  late  H.  B.  Durfee,  and  from  1863  until 
July,  1893,  with  B.  K.  Durfee,  Mr.  Durfee  being 
then  appointed  Superintendent  of  Insurance  for 
Illinois,  and  Mr.  Warren  succeeding  to  the  busi- 
ness which  he  established  thirty-four  years  ago, 
and  which  is  now  conducted  under  the  name  of 
the  Warren  Insurance  Agency,  with  Henry  L. 
Otdham  as  manager. 


H.  HUNT,  one  of'  Decatur's  most  promi- 
J)  nent  business  men,  is  a  leading  partner  in 

the  firm  of  P.  H.  Hunt  &  Co.,  contractors. 

A  native  of  Iieland,  he  was  born  Decem- 
ber 5,  1844,  but  when  two  years  of  age  he  left  the 
Emerald  Isle  witli  his  parents  Edward  and  Cath- 
erine (Brannock)  Hunt,  crossing  the  Atlantic  to 
America.  The  family  settled  in  Niantic  Town- 
ship, and  afterwards  removed  to  Decatur  Town- 
ship. The  parents  are  still  living  and  make  their 
home  in  Decatur. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject 
was  reared  to  manhood,  and  he  aided  in  the  la- 
bors of  the  field  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  working  as  a  carpenter 
in  the  employ  of  the  Government  on  the  barracks 
at  Louisville  and  Nashville.  He  received  $3  per 
day  for  his  services.  After  two  years  spent  in  the 
employ  of  the  Government,  he  began  learning  the 
stone-cutter's  trade  in  Louisville,  completing  it  in 
Chicago,  and  receiving  $100,  $200  and  $300  for 
tbe  first,  second  and  third  years  of  his  apprentice- 
ship respectively.  He  then  worked  as  a  journey- 
man for  thirteen  years,  receiving  $4  and  $5  per  day. 
He  was  employed  in  Madison  (Wis.),  St.  Louis, 
Cincinnati,  Indianapolis  and  Chicago.  Mr.  Hunt 
was  a  designer  as  well,  and  could  letter,  mold  and 


carve,  and  became  a  skilled  workman,  his  taste 
leading  him  to  take  up  the  finer  class  of  marble 
work.  He  began  business  for  himself  about  1874, 
in  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  there  carried  on  a  marble 
shop  for  six  years,  after  which  he  came  to  Deca- 
tur, in  1880.  While  in  Louisville,  when  only 
twentj'-three  years  of  age,  he  was  President  of  the 
Stone  Cutters'  Union,  although  one  of  its  young- 
est members. 

On  the  5th  of  March,  1878,  in  that  city,  Mr. 
Hunt  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Tierney,  a  native  of  Louisville.  Unto  them  were 
born  six  children,  but  Edward,  the  eldest,  was 
drowned  in  the  Sangamon  River  at  the  age  of  ten 
years,  and  the  loss  to  his  parents,  though  softened, 
has  never  been  obliterated  by  time.  The  other 
children  are  Winfield,  Carlisle,  John,  Katie  and 
Pettie. 

On  coming  to  Decatur,  Mr.  Hunt  opened  a  mar- 
ble shop,  erecting  monuments  and  furnishing 
building  material.  He  soon  afterwards  secured 
contracts  from  the  State  on  the  new  capitol  and 
on  the  new  court  house  for  Sangamon  County. 
He  also  made  large  contracts  in  the  city  of  Spring- 
field for  stone-cutting,  and  did  the  first  stone- 
paving  in  that  city.  From  that  time  on  he  has 
had  charge  of  extensive  public  contracts  and  has 
done  a  large  and  constantly  increasing  business. 
He  continued  alone  for  about  eight  years,  when, 
in  1888,  the  present  company  was  organized.  It 
is  composed  of  himself,  Dan  W.  and  Eli  Brenne- 
man  and  W.  P.  Shade.  They  do  a  general  busi- 
ness of  about  $150,000  per  annum,  contracting  for 
railroad  bridges  and  street-paving,  and  they  erect 
all  kinds  of  public  buildings,  etc.  Their  business 
during  the  past  year  required  about  $50,000  to 
conduct.  Heretofore  employment  has  been  fur- 
nished to  some  three  hundred  men,  but  in  this  year, 
1893,  employment  is  furnished  to  about  seven 
hundred  men,  requiring  a  pay-roll  of  about  $16,- 
000  per  month.  Up  to  the  1st  of  August  they 
have  laid  two  miles  of  brick  pavement,  and  their 
contracts  will  require  the  finishing  of  four  miles 
additional  this  year. 

Mr.  Hunt  usually  votes  the  Democratic  ticket, 
and  he  is  a  member  of  St.  Patrick's  Catholic 
Church.  When  he  came  to  Decatur  he  had  a  capital 


398 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  only  about  $500,  but  in  the  legitimate  channels 
of  business  he  has  achieved  success.  He  has  in- 
vested in  Decatur  real  estate  and  is  the  owner  of 
several  pieces  of  choice  property,  including  valu- 
able building  sites  on  North  Water  Street  and  a 
three-room  brick  store  block  on  Broadway.  Pos- 
sessed of  excellent  business  and  executive  ability 
and  of  good  judgment,  he  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward  to  a  position  in  the  foremost  ranks 
of  Macon  County's  leading  men,  and  to  a  similar 
position  among  her  substantial  citizens. 


-f=^ 


ISAAC  R.  MILLS  is  State's  Attorney  of  Deca- 
tur, and  has  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in 
this  city  for  many  years.  He  is  also  exten- 
sively engaged  in  stock-raising,  and  is  the  owner  of 
one  of  the  finest  farms  of  Macon  County,  com- 
prising six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land.  A 
native  of  this  State,  he  was  born  in  Putnam 
County  September  5,  1853,  and  comes  of  an  old 
Pennsylvanian  family.  His  father,  Eli  R.  Mills, 
was  born  in  the  Keystone  State,  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois about  1841.  He  was  a  civil  engineer,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  was  on  steamboats  on  the  Illi- 
nois and  Mississippi  Rivers.  In  Putnam  County 
he  owned  a  good  farm,  upon  whicli  he  reared  his 
family.  He  married  Elizabeth  Kimber,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  six  of  whom  are 
now  living,  two  having  died  in  early  childhood, 
while  Joseph  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty 
years,  leaving  a  family  of  five  children.  The  sur- 
viving members  of  the  family  are  Thomas  K.; 
Henry  C.;  Andrew  H.;  Isaac  R.;  Susan  K.,  wife  of 
Robert  N.  West;  and  Sarah  M.,  wife  of  Alonzo  F. 
Given.  The  parents  of  this  family  were  members 
of  the  Society  of  Friends.  The  father  died  at  his 
home  in  Putnam  County  in  1855,  at  the  age  of 
forty-two  years,  and  his  wife  survived  him  only  a 
few  weeks. 

The  life  record  of  Isaac  R.  Mills  is  as   follows: 
In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  the  days  of  his 


boyhood  and  youth  were  passed.  After  attending 
the  common  schools,  he  entered  Lincoln  Univer- 
sity, of  Lincoln,  111.,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  1876.  Having  determined  to  make 
the  practice  of  law  his  life  work,  he  removed  to 
Chicago  and  began  studying  with  the  law  firm  of 
Dent  &  Black.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
1878,  after  which  he  spent  a  3rear  in  Chicago,  and 
then  returned  to  Decatur,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home. 

On  the  llth  of  September  previous,  Mr.  Mills 
and  Miss  Mattie  A.,  daughter  of  Stephen  and 
Mary  J.  (Wilson)  Mahannah  were  married.  Four 
children  were  born  of  their  union:  Walter  H., 
Mary  J.,  Ida  A.  and  Gertrude  A.  The  mother 
died  February  14,  1888,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two, 
having  been  a  member  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church.  On  the  31st  of  March,  1891,  Mr. 
Mills  married  Miss  Mary  R.  Hachenberg,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  C.  and  Rachel  R.  Hachenberg,  of 
Christian  County.  They  have  a  little  daughter, 
Jennie. 

After  coming  to  Decatur,  Mr.  Mills  began  prac- 
tice and  has  since  followed  his  profession.  In  an 
earl}r  day  in  his  practice  he  was  appointed  by  the 
court  to  defend  William  E.  Westbrook  against  the 
charge  of  murder.  The  first  trial  resulted  in  the 
verdict  of  the  death  sentence,  but  Mr.  Mills  re- 
garded this  as  unjust,  and  at  his  own  expense  car- 
ried the  case  to  the  Supreme  Court,  where  the  de- 
cision was  reversed,  resulting  in  a  sentence  for 
manslaughter  for  a  penitentiary  term  of  twelve 
years.  After  four  years'  imprisonment  Westbrook 
was  pardoned.  There  has  never  been  but  one  man 
hung  in  Macon  County  for  murder,  and  that  was 
William  H.  Crawford,  whose  hanging  was  brought 
about  through  Mr.  Mills'  prosecution.  It  was  the 
most  noted  case  ever  tried  in  the  county.  In 
1883,  our  subject  was  elected  City  Attorney  of 
Decatur,  and  served  for  six  consecutive  years.  In 
June,  1888,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  of  Macon  County  to  fill  the  unexpired 
term  of  Judge  E.  P.  Vail,  who  was  then  State's 
Attorney,  and  had  been  elected  Circuit  Judge.  In 
the  fall  of  that  year  Mr.  Mills  was  elected  to  the 
office,  was  re-elected  in  1892,  and  will  have  served 
for  eight  years  on  the  expiration  of  his  present 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


JACOB     SPANGLER 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


401 


term.  The  fact  of  his  appointment  and  elec- 
tion indicates  his  skill  and  ability  and  the  confi- 
dence reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow-townsmen,  a 
trust  he  will  never  betray.  Under  his  supervision 
while  he  was  City  Attornej-  a  great  many  public 
improvements  were  carried  forward. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills  are  members  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican. Socially,  he  is  a  Knight- Templar  Mason,  and 
belongs  to  Chevalier  Bayard  Lodge  No.  189,  K.  P. 
He  is  a  public-spirited  citizen  and  has  made  num- 
erous investments  which  have  aided  in  upbuilding 
Decatur.  He  was  and  is  largely  interested  in  the 
development  of  the  street  railway  system,  and  to- 
gether with  W.  H.  Starr  established  Riverside 
Park,  the  principal  public  resort  and  park  of  the 
city.  He  also  laid  off  Riverside  Place,  the  finest 
addition  to  the  city.  He  was  one  of  the  organiz- 
ers and  is  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Columbia 
Manufacturing  Company.  He  is  quite  a  horse 
fancier  and  is  engaged  in  breeding  and  raising 
some  very  fine  horses,  making  a  specialty  of  driv- 
ing horses.  He  controls  one  of  the  finest  farms  in 
the  county,  comprising  six  hundred  and  forty 
acres  in  Mt.  Zion  Township,  which  he  devotes  to 
farming  purposes  and  stock-raising.  In  the  var- 
ious lines  of  work  which  he  has  undertaken,  Mr. 
Mills  has  won  success  and  has  worked  his  way  up- 
ward until  he  is  numbered  not  only  among  the 
prominent  men  of  his  profession,  but  is  also  ac- 
counted one  of  the  wealthy  citizens  of  Decatur. 


'ACOB  SPANGLER  was  widely  known 
throughout  Macon  County,  and  had  the 
respect  and  high  regard  of  all.  His  friends 
were  many  and  he  had  few,  if  any,  enemies. 
He  was  born  in  York  County,  Pa.,  on  the  10th  of 
July,  1814,  and  in  the  Keystone  State  was  reared 
to  manhood.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  left 
the  parental  roof  and  started  out  to  seek  his  for- 
tune in  the  wilds  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  be- 
ing the  first  of  his  family  to  brave  the  dangers  of 


the  times  and  undergo  the  hardships  of  those  per- 
ilous days.  He  bought  land  in  Illinois,  and  after 
making  several  trips  to  his  possessions  in  the  West 
he  induced  his  father  to  seize  the  opportunity  of 
acquiring  property  at  Government  prices,  and  as 
the  result  of  these  investments  the  father  after- 
ward became  quite  wealthy. 

Locating  first  on  his  farm  in  Whitmore  Town- 
ship, Macon  County,  our  subject  aided  his  father 
in  erecting  what  was  known  as  Spangler's  Mill, 
about  four  miles  east  of  Decatur.  In  1843  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Letitia  Hall,  of  Ma- 
cou  County,  and  unto  them  were  born  two  sons: 
James,  who  died  in  1878;  and  Jacob,  who  lives  in 
Sherman,  Tex.  The  mother  died  in  February, 
1846,  and  the  following  year  Mr.  Spangler  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Ellen  Walton,  of  Decatur.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  William,  now  a  res- 
ident of  Oreana,  111.;  Eliza,  wife  of  A.  J.  Dai  ley, 
of  Sacramento,  Cal.  Anna,  wife  of  W.  J.  Long,  of 
Decatur;  Maggie,  widow  of  Henry  Rhodes,  of 
Whitmore  Township,  who  died  April  11,  1892; 
Emma,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  Frank, 
who  died  in  infancy;  Susan,  wife  of  Henry  Ren- 
shaw,  of  Alvord,  Tex.;  and  Lula,  wife  of  .John  La- 
ver,  a  resident  of  Chicago. 

By  his  industry,  enterprise  and  well-directed 
efforts,  Mr.  Spangler  acquired  about  five  hundred 
acres  of  as  fine  farming  land  as  could  be  found  in 
Macon  County,  of  the  greater  part  of  which,  how- 
ever, he  later  became  dispossessed.  He  was  of  a 
very  generous  nature  and  very  public-spirited. 
No  friend  sought  his  aid  in  vain,  and  he  was 
forced  to  pa}'  many  security  debts  for  his  neigh- 
bors. He  also  gave  freely  of  his  means  to  the  poor 
and  needy,  and  no  destitute  one  was  ever  turned 
from  his  door  empty-handed,  but  all  this  did  not 
.  increase  his  personal  prosperity;  on  the  other  hand, 
his  means  kept  growing  less  on  account  of  the  fre- 
quent demands  made  upon  his  resources.  But  who 
shall  say  that  he  was  not  blessed  in  the  gratitude 
and  thankfulness  of  those  who  shared  his  bounty? 
"Inasmuch  as  ye  have  given  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these, ye  have  given  it  unto  me."  At  his  death, 
however,  he  only  had  sixty  acres  of  the  farm  which 
he  had  entered  fifty  years  before. 


402 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


In  his  family  the  true  life  of  Mr.  Spangler  shone 
out.  His  second  wife  died  leaving  him  with  six 
small  children,  whom  he  tenderly  cared  and  pro- 
vided for,  and  for  whom  he  could  never  do  too 
much  to  enhance  their  happiness  or  promote  their 
welfare.  He  possessed  a  spirit  of  more  than  ordin- 
ary merit,  was  quick  to  introduce  improvements, 
and  when  told  that  he  would  never  be  able  to  en- 
joy them,  would  respond.  "Well,  if  I  do  not  live 
to  enjoy  them  others  will."  He  was  a  charter 
member  of  the  Universalist  Church  and  was  buried 
with  the  rites  of  Odd  Fellowship.  He  passed  away 
May  10,  1886,  when  an  unselfish,  honorable  life 
came  to  a  close.  Surely  the  world  is  better  for  his 
having  lived. 


ENRY  CASSELL,  a  prominent  farmer  of 
Macon  County,  who  is  now  living  a  retired 
life,  resides  on  section  12,  Decatur  Town- 
ship, and  his  home  adjoins  the  city  limits 
of  the  county  seat.  A  native  of  the  Keystone 
State,  his  birth  occurred  in  Dauphin  County,  Pa., 
in  February,  of  the  year  1826.  The  Cassell  family 
is  of  German  origin.  The  father  of  our  subject, 
William  Casseil,  was  born  and  reared  in  Lebanon 
County,  Pa.,  and  there  became  inured  to  the  labors 
of  the  farm.  After  his  marriage,  he  removed  to 
Dauphin  County,  and  in  1839  Ire  emigrated  West- 
ward to  I  llinois,where  his  death  occurred  in  Putnam 
County.  He  was  a  well-educated  young  man,  and 
in  his  younger  years  engaged  in  teaching  school. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth 
Liedle,  and  was  also  born  in  Lebanon  County,  Pa. 
They  were  both  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church,  an'd  were  greatly  interested  in  church 
work,  giving  liberally  in  support  of  the  cause  and 
aiding  its  advancement  in  all  possible  ways.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Cassell  was  first  a  Whig  and  after- 
wards a  Republican. 

The  family  numbered  ten  children  who  grew 
to  maturity.  Augustus,  the  eldest,  who  for  many 
years  was  County  Judge  of  Putnam  County,  111., 


is  now  living  at  the  age  of  eighty-one;  Rosa  Ann 
is  deceased;  Joseph  died  in  Putnam  County; 
Esther  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  B.  Albert,  of  Decatur; 
Christopher  has  passed  away.  B.  H.  is  represented 
elsewhere  in  this  work;  Michael,  who  was  one  of 
the  boys  in  blue  of  the  late  war,  now  makes  his 
home. in  Decatur;  Henry  is  the  next  younger; 
and  John  is  a  merchant  of  Niantie.  All  of  the 
children  were  born  in  Dauphin  County. 

The  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  not  days 
of  ease  and  luxury.  His  father  was  in  limited  cir- 
cumstances and  he  early  began  work  upon  the 
farm,  learning  to  swing  the  axe,  cradle  and  scythe, 
which  were  the  principal  farm  implements  during 
those  early  days.  Sometimes  during  the  winter 
season  he  attended  school,  which  was  held  in  a  log 
cabin,  and  upon  a  slab  bench  he  conned  his  lessons. 
He  remained  at  home  and  gave  his  father  the 
benefit  of  his  services  until  he  had  attained  to  man 's 
estate,  when  with  his  parents  he  left  home  and 
started  on  the  canal  from  Harrisburg  to  Pitts- 
burgh. On  reaching  the  latter  place,  the  water  was 
so  low  that  steamers  could  not  run,  and  they  took 
a  keelboat  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  being  twenty-one 
days  upon  the  trip.  The  family  then  rented  a 
house  in  Louisville  to  wait  for  low  water,  and 
after  a  time  purchased  a  team  and  came  by  land 
to  Decatur,  where  they  arrived  about  the  20th  of 
November,  1839.  The  snow  was  then  four  feet 
deep  and  the  weather  was  so  cold  that  they  could 
proceed  no  further  until  a  brother  of  our  subject, 
living  in  Putnam  County,  came  with  a  sled  and 
took  them  on  to  his  home. 

Our  subject  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by 
working  as  a  farm  hand,  and  as  soon  as  he  had 
acquired  some  capital  he  purchased  a  farm  of  his 
own.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's 
journey,  he  chose  Miss  Sarah  Ann  Basehore,  a 
native  of  Dauphin  County,  Pa.,  who  during  her 
girlhood  came  with  her  parents  to  Illinois.  They 
were  married  in  Putnam  County,  September  18, 
1847,  and  in  that  community  resided  until  the  fall 
of  1854,  when  they  came  to  Macon  County, 
locating  upon  a  farm  owned  by  Mr.  Cassell 's 
brother,  which  adjoins  his  present  homestead. 
Ten  years  later  he  bought  fifty  acres  of  land  on 
section  12,  Decatur  Township,  and  to  it  has  since 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


403 


added  until  he  now  owns  one  hundred  and  thirty 
acres,  a  valuable  tract,  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation. His  home  is  a  fine  residence,  substantially 
built;  his  barns  and  outbuildings  are  models  of 
convenience,  and  his  farm  is  equipped  with  all 
modern  accessories.  Mr.  Cassell  began  life  here 
with  a  team  of  horses,  five  head  of  cattle  and  $60 
in  money,  and  his  possessions  have  all  since  been 
acquired  as  the  result  of  industry,  enterprise  and 
perseverance.  He  is  now  living  a  retired  life, 
resting  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  his 
former  toil. 

For  the  past  ten  years,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cassell  have 
held  membership  with  the  First  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  of  Decatur.  For  nine  years,  he  served 
as  Township  Commissioner,  discharging  his  duties 
with  promptness  and  fidelity.  His  first  Presiden- 
tial vote  was  cast  for  Gen.  Taylor,  and  he  supported 
the  Whig  party  until  1861,  when  he  voted  for 
President  Lincoln.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  a 
stalwart  Republican.  During  the  long  years  of 
his  residence  in  Macon  County,  he  has  not  only 
witnessed  its  growth  and  upbuilding,  but  has  also 
taken  a  prominent  part  in  its  development  and 
aided  in  its  advancement.  He  well  deserves  rep- 
resentation among  the  early  settlers  and  the  best 
citizens  of  his  adopted  county. 


'  OHN  MILLER,  a  farmer  residing  on  section 
25,  Niantic  Township,  is  a  native  of  Ger- 
many. He  was  born  February  18,  1826, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  Miller,  who  was  also 
born  in  the  same  country.  The  father  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  the  New  World  in  1832,  and 
after  the  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  landed  in 
New  Orleans,  during  the  summer.  While  pro- 
ceeding up  the  Mississippi  River  he  was  stricken 
with  cholera,  and  died  at  Red  Church,  twenty- 
eight  miles  north  of  the  Crescent  City.  His  wife 
and  children  continued  on  their  way  to  St.  Louis, 
and  from  there  went  to  St.  Clair  County,  where 
Mrs.  Miller  reared  her  family.  She  afterward 


came  to  Macon  County  and  lived  with  her  son 
until  her  death,  in  1872.  In  the  family  of  six 
children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter  grew  to  ma- 
ture years,  but  John  and  Joseph  are  the  only  ones 
now  living.  The  latter  follows  fanning  in  Texas 
County,  Mo. 

Mr.  Miller,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  and  remained  with  and  took  care  of 
his  mother  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  there 
married,  August  20,  1852,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Mrs.  Rebecca  Thompson,  daughter  of  William 
Simpson,  who  was  of  English  descent,  and  was  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  this  State.  Her  brother,  W. 
G.  Simpson,  was  a  pioneer  of  Macon  County,  and 
cleared  and  developed  two  large  farms  in  Niantic 
Township,  which  he  still  owns.  They  are  now 
occupied  by  his  sons,  and  lie  makes  his  home  in 
Illiopolis,  Sangamon  Count}-.  Mrs.  Miller  at  the 
time  of  her  second  marriage  was  the  widow  of 
James  Thompson,  who  died  of  cholera  at  the  age 
of  thirty  years,  July  1,  1849.  They  were  married 
in  1844,  and  their  home  was  thirteen  miles  east  of 
St.  Louis.  They  had  three  children,  but  one  died 
in  infancy.  The  two  living  are  Mary,  wife  of 
Henry  Blackford,  of  Vernon  County,  Mo.;  and 
Harriet  J.,  wife  of  David  White,  of  Mechanics- 
burgh,  111. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  been  born  seven 
children.  William  and  Andy  operate  the  home 
farm;  George  is  a  carpenter  and  joiner  residing  in 
Bement,  111.;  Lizzie  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Brown, 
of  Pawnee,  111.;  Clementine,  Clara  and  Eva  com- 
plete the  family.  The  mother  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church  for  a  number  of  years.  In 
politics  Mr.  Miller  is  a  stanch  Democrat,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  office. 

After  his  marriage  our  subject  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  a  number  of  years  in  St.  Clair  County,  but 
in  1865  came  to  Macon  Count}',  where  he  bought 
fifty  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  his  present  farm.  Af- 
ter a  few  years  he  purchased  an  adjoining  eighty- 
acre  tract  and  ten  acres  of  timberland.  The  farm 
is  now  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  fields 
are  well  tilled, and  the  place  is  improved  with  good 
buildings,  an  orchard  and  other  modern  conven- 
iences. Among  the  thrifty  and  well-to-do  farmers 


404 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  Niantic  Township  Mr.  Miller  is  now  numbered, 
and  his  life  has  been  well  and  worthily  spent. 
His  care  for  his  mother  was  but  a  foreshadowing 
of  the  faithfulness  and  trust  with  which  he  has 
discharged  every  duty,  either  public  or  private, 
which  has  been  reposed  in  him. 


\ljRA  WARNICK  is  one  of  Macon  County's 
most  honored  pioneers,  having  resided  longer 
/|l  within  its  borders  than  any  other  of  its  citi- 
zens. He  now  makes  his  home  on  section  35, 
Blue  Mound  Township.  As  he  is  so  widely  and 
favorably  known,  we  feel  assured  that  this  record 
of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our 
readers.  He  was  born  in  Tennessee,  August  23, 
1823,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Nancy  (Griffin) 
Warnick.  The  paternal  grandfather,  James  War- 
nick,  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  who,  emigrating  to 
America,  landed  at  Castle  Garden  August  15, 
1758.  His  son  William  was  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina in  1784,  and  having  attained  to  mature  years 
wedded  Miss  Griffin,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
State  and  in  the  same  year.  With  his  father  he 
removed  to  Rutherford  County,  Tenn.,  whence  he 
came  to  Macon  County,  111.,  in  1825.  After  the 
organization  of  the  county  he  served  as  its  first 
Sheriff,  holding  the  office  from  1825  until  1835. 
In  1840,  he  was  again  re-elected  for  a  term  of 
three  years.  It  was  Mr.  Warnick  who,  as  County 
Sheriff,  whipped  Redman  and  Wyatt  for  horse- 
stealing,  by  order  of  the  court,  giving  them  thirty- 
nine  lashes  each.  This  was  the  only  punishment 
of  the  kind  ever  inflicted  in  the  county.  Mr. 
Warnick  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  becoming 
Captain  of  the  Rangers,  and  participated  in  the 
famous  Stillman  defeat,  where  he  received  a  slight 
ttesh  wound.  He  had  entered  land  from  the  Gov- 
ernment and  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to 
the  development  of  the  farm. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  in  his  third  year 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Macon  County. 
Here  he  has  since  made  his  home.  In  the  early 


days  he  was  a  great  hunter,  when  deer  and  other 
wild  game  were  to  be  had  in  abundance.  lie  ex- 
perienced all  the  hardships  and  privations,  as 
well  as  the  delights,  of  pioneer  life,  and  can  relate 
many  interesting  incidents  of  Macon  County  when 
it  was  situated  on  the  frontier.  In  his  early  boy- 
hood he  knew  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was  then  a 
young  man  and  often  came  to  visit  one  of  Mr. 
Warnick's  sisters.  Our  subject  was  early  inured 
to  the  arduous  labor  of  developing  wild  land,  and 
remained  upon  the  home  farm  until  eighteen  j'ears 
of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself. 
His  first  work  was  to  help  drive  a  herd  of  cattle 
to  Galena,  III.  On  reaching  his  destination,  he 
worked  in  that  vicinity  in  breaking  prairie  at  $8 
per  month  until  December  of  the  same  year,  when 
he  returned  to  his  home,  walking  all  the  way,  a 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 

On  the  17th  of  April,  1843,  Mr.  Warnick  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  Burk,  who  was 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  came  with  her  parents 
to  this  county  in  1840.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  nine  children:  James  W.,  the  eldest,  is  a 
prosperous  farmer  and  farms  the  old  homestead 
which  his  grandfather  entered  from  the  Govern- 
ment; Ellen  is  the  wife  of  James  Hill,  a  sketch  of 
whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Arthusa  is 
the  wife  of  Winfield  Chandler,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Macon  County;  Thomas  is  also  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  in  this  community;  Major  is 
engaged  in  hotel-keeping  im  Decatur;  Nancy  C.  is 
the  wife  of  Prate  Falconer,  of  Blue  Mound;  Au- 
gusta is  the  wife  of  Raymond  Moffett,  a  well- 
known  agriculturist;  and  Ira  G.  is  also  engaged  in 
farming. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Warnick  entered  a  small 
farm,  which  he  operated  until  he  could  secure 
land  of  his  own.  At  length  he  secured  from  the 
Government  a  tract  of  land,  and  began  the  de- 
velopment of  a  farm,  transforming  the  wild  prai- 
rie into  rich  and  fertile  fields  and  making  many 
improvements  upon  the  place,  such  as  are  found 
on  a  model  farm.  He  now  owns  about  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  the  choicest  land  in  Macon  County. 

Mr.  Warnick  is  a  well-preserved  old  gentleman, 
his  eyesight  being  still  so  good  that  he  can  bring 
a  squirrel  off  the  highest  tree,  and  he  is  so  active 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


405 


that  he  often  makes  a  whole  day's  journey  after 
game.  Like  his  father,  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat, 
but  has  never  been  an  oltice-seeker.  In  1893,  he 
was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
who  died  on  the  9lh  of  September,  and  was  laid 
to  rest  in  fSalem  Cemetery.  He  is  still  living  on 
the  old  homestead,  which  has  so  long  been  his 
place  of  residence.  For  sixty-eight  years  he  has 
been  numbered  among  the  citizens  ol  Macon 
County,  and  no  person  who  was  a  resident  at  the 
time  of  his  arrival  is  yet  living  within  its  borders 
with  the  exception  of  his  brother  Robert,  who  is 
the  only  other  survivor  of  the  family  of  eleven 
children.  Familiar  with  the  history  of  Macon 
County  from  the  days  of  its  early  infancy,  Mr. 
Warnick  has  watched  its  progress  and  develop- 
ment and  has  aided  greatly  in  its  upbuilding  and 
advancement.  His  name  is  inseparably  connected 
with  its  history,  for  he  is  one  of  its  founders. 


!  LI  NAP,  a  farmer  of  Ninntic  Township,  liv- 
ing  on  section  26,  was  born  in  Yancey 
County,  N.  C.,  December  20,  1828,  and  is  of 
Scotch  descent.  His  father,  John  Nap,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Scotland,  and  when  a  youth  of  sixteen 
summers  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  America, 
locating  in  North  Carolina,  where  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  and  wedded  Miss  Lydia  Falks.  He 
followed  farming  in  Yancey  County  throughout 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  his  death  occurred 
there  when  our  subject  was  fourteen  years  of  age. 
Being  thus  left  fatherless,  Eli  Nap  emigrated  to 
Indiana,  and  in  Lawrence  County  worked  on  a 
farm  by  the  month  until  he  had  arrived  at  years 
of  maturity.  He  then  chose  as  a  companion  and 
helpmate  on  life's  journey  Miss  Emily  Newland, 
a  native  of  Indiana.  The  marriage  ceremony  was 
performed  in  185f>,  and  the  young  couple  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  re.ited  land,  living  thus 
until  their  united  labors  had  brought  them  a  suf- 
ficient sum  to  purchase  property.  Mr.  Nap  then 
bought  a  farm  in  Lawrence  County,  and  continued 


its  operation  until  1861,  when  he  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Macon  County,  111.  For  two  years  he 
rented  a  farm  in  Harristown  Township,  and  then 
made  a  purchase  of  eighty -six  acres  of  land,  to  which 
he  afterward  added  a  tract  of  thirty-two  acres, 
making  a  nice  farm  of  one  hundred  and  nineteen 
acres.  He  erected  good  buildings  upon  it  and 
placed  the  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
but  after  a  time  he  sold  out  and  bought  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-three  acres  on  section  3,  Niantic 
Township.  That  farm  he  operated  for  eight  years, 
when  he  again  sold,  and  purchased  his  present 
home.  The  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  of  this 
place  indicates  the  careful  supervision  of  the  pro- 
gressive owner.  In  the  midst  of  the  fields  of  wav- 
ing grain  stands  a  comfortable  home,  good  barns 
and  outbuildings,  a  well-kept  orchard  and  the 
other  accessories  of  a  model  farm.  As  Mr.  Nap 
commenced  life  for  himself  a  poor  boy,  with  no 
capital  and  not  even  a  change  of  clothing,  he  cer- 
tainly deserves  great  credit  for  his  success  in  life, 
which  has  placed  him  among  the  substantial  farm- 
ers of  the  community. 

In  1865  our  subject  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  23d  of  Feb- 
ruary, leaving  two  children:  Dr.  W.  Ilerschel,  a 
man  of  superior  education,  who  for  three  years  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Niantic  and 
for  two  years  in  Bloomington,  but  who  is  now 
holding  a  responsible  business  position  in  Chi- 
cago; and  Genevra,  who  is  at  home.  On  the  4th 
of  February,  1872,  Mr.  Nap  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Nanc}'  A.,  daughter  of  Thomas  Lawton, 
whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  She 
was  born  in  Indiana,  and  by  her  marriage  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  two  children:  Thomas,  who 
aids  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm;  and  Rob- 
ert Bruce,  a  lad  of  six  summers,  attending  the 
home  school. 

Our  subject  is  a  Master  Mason  and  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church  at  Niantic.  lie 
proudly  cast  his  first  vote  in  1856,  supporting  at 
that  time  President  James  Buchanan.  In  I860 
he  cast  his  ballot  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and 
has  since  been  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic 
party.  He  was  elected  and  served  for  three  3'ears 
as  Commissioner  of  Highways,  discharging  Uis 


406 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


duties  in  an  able  and  creditable  manner,  but  has 
never  sought  political  preferment.  He  has  been 
content  to  live  a  quiet  life,  and  his  unassuming 
manner,  free  from  all  ostentation  and  display,  has 
won  him  a  well-merited  regard. 


HARLES  E.  CONNARD,  who  resides  on 
section  2,  South  Wheatland  Township,  was 
born  in  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  in  Nov- 
ember, 1829.  His  grandfather  was  Ebenczer  Con- 
nard,  and  his  father  was  John  C.  Connard,  who 
was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  and  there  acquired 
a  liberal  education.  He  married  Miss  Dorothy 
Shriver,  a  lady  of  German  descent,  and  in  1830 
emigrated  with  his  family  to  Ross  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  lived  ten  years.  In  1840  he  came  with 
a  team  and  wagon  to  Illinois,  and  made  a  location 
near  where  our  subject  now  resides.  His  death  oc- 
curred November  6,  1876,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years,  and  his  wife  died  March  27,  1891,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-nine.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics  was  a 
Democrat  until  1856,  when  he  joined  the  Repub- 
lican party.  The  following  children  constituted 
the  family:  Sarah  Ann,  wife  of  John  King,  of 
Elwin;  Hannah,  who  was  the  wife  of  James  Lowry, 
of  Decatur,  and  died  in  1856;  Mrs.  Catherine 
Widich,  who  is  living  in  Webster  County,  Iowa; 
Maria  Angeline,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty; 
and  Charles  E. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  very  limited 
school  privileges,  but,  being  ambitious  to  learn,  he 
has  by  reading  and  observation  become  well  in- 
formed. He  was  associated  with  his  father  in 
farming,  and  on  the  death  of  the  latter  became 
owner  of  four  hundred  acres  of  land,  the  greater 
part  of  which  has  been  improved  by  Mr.  Connard, 
only  sixty  acres  having  been  fenced,  while  a  log 
cabin  constituted  the  only  building  when  it  came 
into  his  possession.  In  1855,  in  Elwin,  our  sub- 
ject was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy 
Eagur,  They  at  once  located  upon  the  farm,  and 


Mr.  Connard  immediately  turned  his  attention  to 
the  further  development  of  his  land.  He  has  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  besides 
having  dealt  in  grain  for  thirty  years.  He  now 
carries  on  operations  in  that  line  in  Elwin,  being 
associated  with  his  son,  M.  A.  He  built  the  ele- 
vator in  Elwin,  with  a  capacity  of  fifty  thousand 
bushels,  and  also  erected  large  cribs.  To  his  son 
he  has  given  part  of  his  land,  but  he  still  retains 
possession  of  a  valuable  tract  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres. 

In  1878  Mr.  Connard  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  30th  of  Sep- 
tember, in  the  faith  of  the  Methodist  Church,  with 
which  she  held  membership.  Unto  them  were  born 
the  following  children:  George,  a  farmer  of  South 
Wheatland  Township,  who  married  Rebecca  Cline, 
who  is  now  deceased;  M.  A.,  who  is  living  in 
Elwin;  Carrie,  whose  husband  is  a  merchant  of 
Ohio;  Martin  A.,  who  is  in  the  railroad  office  in 
Elwin;  Charles  H.,  a  cashier  and  book-keeper  in 
Marseilles,  111.;  and  Hattie,  who  keeps  house  for 
Milton.  In  1879  Mr.  Connard  wedded  his  second' 
wife,  Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Roswell,  who  was  born  in 
Macon  County,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Michael  and 
Isabella  (Davis)  Roswell.  Her  father,  who  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county,  was  a  na- 
tive of  South  Carolina,  and  his  wife  was  horn  in 
Tennessee.  They  were  married  November  4,  1845, 
and  he  became  a  fanner  of  Long  Creek  Township. 
His  death  occurred  on  Christmas  Day  of  1888,  and 
his  wife  died  in  September,  1880.  She  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  children  of 
the  Roswell  family  are:  David,  a  farmer  of  Tennes- 
see, and  Postmaster  at  Dug  Hill;  Mrs.  Connard, 
who  was  born  October  5,  1851;  Isabella,  wife  of 
Scott  Sapp,  a  shoemaker  of  Whileboro,  Tex.;  Anna, 
wife  of  James  Withgott,  of  Decatur;  and  Lillie, 
who  is  living  with  her  sister  in  Texas.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Connard  have  been  born  three  children: 
Curtis,  Marcus  and  Walter. 

Our  subject  has  been  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  since  1849,  and  has  held 
oftice  in  it  much  of  the  time.  He  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Fremont  in  1856,  and  has 
since  been  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party.  Since  1840  he  has  been  connected  with 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


407 


this  county,  and  his  name  is  inseparably  associated 
with  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  this  com- 
munity. He  has  been  prominent  in  public  affairs, 
and  has  aided  largely  in  the  progress  and  advance- 
ment of  the  county.  Those  who  know  him  esteem 
him  highly  for  his  many  excellencies  of  character, 
and  he  well  deserves  representation  among  the 
honored  pioneers  of  the  county. 

M.  A.  Connard,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm 
of  M.  A.  Connard  &  Co.,  grain-buyers  of  Elwin, 
was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  South  Wheat- 
land  Township  in  1858.  His  boyhood  days  were 
spent  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  and  the 
public  schools  afforded  him  his  primary  education. 
In  1881  and  1882.  however,  he  attended  the 
WeMcyan  College,  of  Bloomington.  He  has  always 
been  identified  with  farm  work,  and  since  1882  he 
lias  been  engaged  in  business  as  a  dealer  in  grain. 
Previous  to  that  time  he  had  purchased  grain  for 
his  father,  but  some  eleven  years  ago  the  present 
partnership,  which  has  since  continued,  was  formed. 
Mr.  C'oiinarrl  now  buys  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  bushels  of  corn  per  year  and  one  hun- 
dred thousand  bushels  of  oats.  The  large  elevator 
has  a  capacity  of  forty  thousand  bushels.  There 
is  a  telegraph  line  connected  with  the  city  markets, 
which  is  operated  by  M.  A.  He  also  handles  coal. 

In  June,  1885,  M.  A.  Connard  married  Miss  Eva 
L.  Foster,  a  native  of  Decatur,  and  a  daughter  of 
David  and  Margaret  (Trice)  Foster.  She  died  in 
December,  1891,  leaving  three  children:  Arthur 
F.,  Nellie  and  May.  Mr.  Connard  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  of  Decatur,  holds 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
of  Elwin,  and  while  in  college  was  connected  with 
the  Phi  Delta  Theta  Society.  In  politics,  he  takes 
an  active  interest,  and  is  a  warm  advocate  of  Re- 
publican principles.  His  worth  and  ability  as  well 
as  his  popularity  are  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he 
is  one  of  three  Republicans  who  have  held  the 
office  of  Supervisor  of  South  Whtatland  Town- 
ship in  twenty-five  years.  He  is  a  genial  and 
pleasant  gentleman  and  has  the  high  regard  of  all 
who  know  him. 

George  S.  Connard,  another  member  of  this 
honored  and  representative  family,  so  well  known 
in  this  county,  was  born  on  his  father's  farm 


March  15,  1856.  He  became  familiar  with  the 
rudiments  of  education  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  was  afterward  graduated  from 
Eastman's  National  Business  College,  of  Pough- 
kcepsie,  N.  Y.,  in  1875.  His  life  has  been  spent  as 
a  farmer,  as  a  railroad  agent  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  and  as  a  grain-dealer  in  Elwin.  He  ran 
the  first  check-rower  in  the  county,  which  was 
made  by  Haworth  <fe  Sons  in  1869,  and  was  pur- 
chased by  his  father.  He  continued  farming  on 
the  home  farm  until  1883,  when  he  bought  eighty 
acres  of  land  formerly  belonging  to  his  grandfa- 
ther. He  now  has  a  fine  place,  well  improved  and 
highly  cultivated,  with  a  good  residence  and  build- 
ings and  all  the  other  accessories  of  a  model  farm. 
George  Connard  was  married  February  3,  1883, 
to  Miss  Rebecca  Crum,  a  native  of  Dauphin  County, 
Pa.,  who  came  to  Macon  County  in  1877  with  her 
parents,  Jonas  L.  and  Elizabeth  Crum.  She  died 
April  1,  1893,  in  the  faith  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  of  which  she  was  a  consistent  and 
faithful  member,  and  her  death  was  mourned  by 
many  friends.  Mr.  Connard  also  belongs  to  the 
same  church, and  is  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  and  Class-leader.  He  cast  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  Garfield,  but  for  the  past  eight 
years  has  been  a  Prohibitionist.  He  served  as 
Township  Clerk  before  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity. He  is  an  enterprising  citizen,  and  his  good 
management,  perseverance  and  industry  have 
gained  for  him  a  comfortable  and  pleasant  home 


<fl       (MLLIAM   THOMAS  M<  LEAN,   M.    I).,  is 

\aj//    enga^e(J  in  medical  practice  in  Maroa  as  a 

\y$l/      member  of  the  well-known  firm  of  Morgnn 

&  McLean.     He  comes  from    Kentucky,  his  birth 

having  occurred  in    Harrison  County,  that  Stale, 

July   31,    1858.     His   parents,   Chambers    A.  and 

Lucy  A.  (Taylor)  McLean,    were    both   natives  of 

Kentucky,    and   in    early    life    the    father    began 

school  teaching,  which  he  followed  until  he  entered 


408 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


upon  the  practice  of  medicine  in  1868.  In  1864, 
he  came  to  Illinois,  and  for  twenty  years  made 
his  home  in  Maroa.  In  1884  he  came  to  Decatur, 
where  he  still  continues  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  lie  was  the  first  Principal  in  the  pres- 
ent school  building  in  Maroa,  and  since  coming 
to  the  West  has  been  a  prominent  citizen  of  Macon 
County.  In  the  McLean  family  were  four  sons 
and  two  daughters,  namely:  Sabina  A.  (deceased), 
William  T.,  Joseph,  Charles,  James  and  Mabel  C. 

Dr.  McLean  whose  name  heads  this  record  was  a 
lad  of  only  six  summers  when,  with  his  parents,  he 
came  to  Maroa.  In  its  public  schools  he  acquired  his 
primary  education,  which  was  afterward  supple- 
mented by  a  course  in  the  State  University  at 
Champaign.  Desiring  to  enter  the  medical  pro- 
fession and  make  its  practice  his  life  work,  he  be- 
gan a  course  of  study  in  Rush  Medical  College, 
of  Chicago,  from  which  institution  he  was  grad- 
uated on  the  22d  of  February,  1881.  Having  re- 
ceived his  degree,  he  then  returned  to  his  old  home, 
where  he  has  since  continued  practice,  with  the 
exception  of  ten  months  spent  in  Warrensburg. 
On  the  1st  of  March,  18!>0,  the  present  partner- 
ship with  Dr.  Morgan  was  formed,  and  has  con- 
tinued mutually  pleasant  and  profitable  up  to  this 
writing. 

On  the  16th  of  June,  1885,  Mr.  McLean  was 
married  to  Miss  Margaret  P.  Crocker,  a  daughter 
of  ,Iohn  II.  and  Louise  V.  (Philbrook)  Crocker,  of 
Maroa.  Four  children  have  been  born  unto  them, 
three  sons  and  a  daughter,  John  Crocker,  Franklin 
Chambers,  Edwin  Philbrook  and  Anna  Louise. 
The  parents  hold  membership  with  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  which  the  Doctor  is  serving  as  Trustee, 
and  take  nn  active  interest  in  its  growth  and  up- 
building. Socially,  lie  is  connected  with  Maroa 
Lodge  No.  455,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Maroa  Chapter 
No.  192,  R.  A.M.;  Maroa  Lodge  No.  314,  I.  O. 
O.  F.;  and  the  Knights  of  the  Globe.  He  votes 
with  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  recently  been 
appointed  on  the  Board  of  Pension  Examiners  of 
Decatur.  The  Doctor  has  had  a  prosperous  career 
and  is  now  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  valuable  and  well-improved  land  in  Aus- 
tin Township,  that  yields  to  him  a  good  income, 
and  he  also  1ms  considerable  property  iii  this  city. 


While  he  does  a  general  practice,  he  has  for  some 
time  made  a  specialty  of  the  study  of  the  eye  and 
ear  and  does  considerable  practice  along  those 
lines.  He  took  a  special  course  in  1890  at  the 
Chicago  Opthalmic  College,  and  in  1892  at  the 
Post-Graduate  Medical  School  of  New  York  City. 
He  keeps  abreast  with  all  the  discoveries  and  the- 
ories connected  with  the  science,  has  been  a  close 
student  of  his  profession,  and  has  therefore  won  a 
high  reputation,  which  is  well  merited. 


I/ARRY  M.  PRESCOTT,  an  enterprising  and 
™  progressive  business  man  of  Decatur,  and 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  Decatur  Lum- 
bering  and  Manufacturing  Company,  is  a 
native  of  tiie  old  Granite  State  and  is  also  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  early  families  of  Macon 
County.  He  was  born  in  Manchester,  N.  II.,  Jan- 
uary 20,  1854,  and  when  a  child  of  four  years  was 
brought  to  Decatur  by  his  parents,  David  G.  and 
Clara  C.  (Barrett)  Prescott.  The  father  died  on 
the  9th  of  September,  1892,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
four  years,  and  his  wife  is  still  living  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two  years,  making  her  home  with  her  son. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Decatur,  but  in  1869  his 
father  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  from  which  he 
never  fully  recovered.  This  caused  Harry  to 
abandon  his  textbooks  and  engage  in  some  pursuit 
which  would  bring  him  in  a  livelihood.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  entered  the  Elwood  A  Brother 
Plan  ing-Mi  11;  and  received  for  his  services  seventy- 
five  cents  per  day  at  the  beginning.  As  he  be- 
came more  familiar  with  the  business,  he  wasgiven 
more  responsible  work  to  do,  and  his  wages  were 
correspondingly  increased.  He  remained  with 
that  firm  for  seven  years,  and  was  finally  placed 
in  charge  of  the  molding  and  scroll-sawing  de- 
partment. Being  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  six 
children,  he  assisted  largely  in  the  support  of  his 
mother  and  sisters. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBAN/I 


1 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


413 


After  severing  his  connection  with  the  firm  of 
Elwood  &  Brother,  Mr.  Prescotl  worked  for  one 
year  in  a  furniture  factory,  running  a  scroll  saw. 
He  then  spent  one  winter  in  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Burrows  in  the  Union  Iron  Works,  being  employed 
in  the  wood-work  department.  He  next  secured 
a  position  witli  the  firm  of  Mills  <k  Harry,  now  the 
Mills  Lumber  Company,  with  which  he  remained 
five  years,  in  the  planing-mill  and  carpentering 
department.  In  the  winter  of  1884-85,  he  served 
in  the  same  capacity  with  Lyon  &  Gibson,  and  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1886,  in  company  with  Thomas 
V.  Jones,  he  purchased  stock  in  the  Niagara  Pump 
Company.  The  business  was  established  by  James 
Wiswell  and  William  Acuff,  but  on  its  incorpora- 
tion became  known  as  the  Niagara  Pump  Corn- 
pan}-.  Mr.  Prescott  continued  his  connection 
with  that  company  until  the  1st  of  January,  1888, 
when  it  was  consolidated  with  the  Gaddis  it  Huff 
Lumber  Company,  under  the  name  of  the  Decatur 
Lumber  and  Manufacturing  Company.  Its  incor- 
porators  were  Frank  Gaddis,  Will  J.  Huff,  T.  V. 
Jones,  Harry  Prescott,  James  M.  Wiswell  and 
William  Acuff.  In  1889,  Messrs.  Wiswell  and 
Acuff  retired,  and  Mr.  Huff  later  left  the  company. 
Mr.  Kauff,  the  present  Secretary,  and  Mr.  Alsup, 
the  present  Treasurer,  have  since  become  members 
of  the  company.  The  Decatur  Lumber  and  Manu- 
facturing Company  is  doing  a  fine  business  and 
yields  to  its  members  a  good  income.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Prescott  is  a  Democrat,  and,  socially,  belongs 
to  Decatur  Lodge  No.  65, 1.  O.  O.  F. 


RS.  ELIZABETH  CHAMBERS,  who  re- 
sides in  Piatt  County,  just  across  the  line 
from  Macon  County,  where  she  is  widely 
known,  was  born  on  the  4th  of  November, 
1822,  in  Lauderdale  County,  Ala.,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Dickey,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
the  State  of  Kentucky.  In  the  year  1825  he  re- 
moved to  the  North,  accompanied  by  his  family, 

19 


and  settled  in  White  County,  111.,  where  he  spent 
two  years,  and  April  17th,  1829,  he  became  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Macon  County.  He  located  in 
Friends'  Creek  Township,  and  was  one  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  the  community  until  his  death.  He 
passed  away  in  October,  1846,  and  was  laid  to  rest 
in  Cumberland  Cemetery,  in  Friends'  Creek  Town- 
ship. 

Elizabeth  Dickey  spent  the  days  of  her  maiden- 
hood under  the  paternal  roof,  and  on  the  25th  of 
October,  1848,  went  to  a  home  of  her  own,  as  on  that 
day  she  became  the  wife  of  James  R.  Chambers,  a 
native  of  Pendleton  County,  Ky.,  born  February 
21,  1825.  They  began  their  domestic  life  in  a  log 
cabin  home  on  section  21,  Oakley  Township. 
They  had  no  capital,  and  the  early  days  were  ones 
of  hardships  and  struggle,  but  it  was  also  a  period 
of  perseverance,  industry  and  economy,  and  with 
mutual  confidence  and  love  they  traveled  life's 
pathway  together,  and  their  arduous  labors  and  un- 
tiring efforts  at  length  secured  them  a  small  farm. 

Eight  children  came  to  bless  the  home,  namely: 
Martha  E.,  Nancy,  William,  Lucinda  Jane,  Isaac, 
John  F.,  Margaret  and  Anna.  Nancy  died  at  the 
age  of  four  years,  and  John  F.  died  in  December, 
1891.  Both  are  buried  in  Peck's  Cemetery.  All 
the  other  members  of  the  family  are  living  and  all 
have  left  home  with  the  exception  of  Lucinda 
Jane  and  Margaret,  who  remain  with  their  mother 
on  the  farm,  just  east  of  the  Macon  County  line, 
in  Piatt  County.  This  farm  comprises  over  five 
hundred  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be  found  in 
eastern  Illinois  and  is  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation and  well  improved.  The  daughters,  how- 
ever,  have  just  purchased  a  fine  home  in  Cerro 
Gordo,  valued  at  $2,300,  situated  in  the  midst  of 
three  acres  of  land,  whither  they  intend  to  remove 
in  the  near  future.  The  Chambers  household  is 
always  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  family  are  prominent  and  respected 
citizens  of  the  various  communities  in  which  they 
live. 

Mrs.  Chambers  can  with  just  pride  review  her 
life  work.  She  has  been  a  consistent  member  of 
the  Covenant  Presb3'terian  Church  for  nearly 
sixty  years,  and  has  done  all  in  her  power  for  the 
upbuilding  of  the  cause  of  Christianity.  Her  bus- 


414 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


band  was  a  practical  farmer  and  a  man  of  sterling 
worth.  During  his  life  he  held  many  positions  of 
honor  and  trust  in  his  township,  including  the  of- 
fices of  School  Director  and  Supervisor,  and  was 
honest  and  upright  in  all  his  dealings  and  faithful 
to  every  trust.  In  politics,  he  affiliated  with  the 
Republican  party.  He  died  December  23,  1890,  and 
was  laid  to  rest  in  Peck's  Cemetery,  leaving  his  life 
companion  and  six  children  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
a  kind  and  loving  husband  and  father. 


SHELTON,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  11,  Milan  Township,  is 
one  of  the  worthy  citizens  that  Ohio  has 
furnished  to  Macon  County.  He  was 
born  in  the  Buckeye  State,  on  the  6th  of  De- 
cember, 1823.  His  father,  Jeremiah  Shelton,  was 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  when  quite  a  small 
child  went  with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood  and  married  May  Augusta  Shel- 
ton. She  was  of  German  extraction  and  was  born 
in  Ohio.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  of  Irish 
lineage  and  in  1844  removed  with  his  family  to 
Hamilton  County  III.,  where  he  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  being  called  to  the  home  be- 
yond at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years. 

The  Shelton  family  numbered  five  children,  but 
with  the  exception  of  our  subject  all  are  now  de- 
ceased. He  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth.  The 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed  in  the 
home  of  his  parents,  but  on  attaining  his  majority 
he  left  home  and  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  be- 
gan work  on  a  farm  at  twenty-five  cents  per  day. 
He  was  employed  at  farm  labor  for  five  years, 
after  which  he  operated  a  rented  farm  for  the 
same  length  of  time.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  we  find  him  in  Missouri,  where  he  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits  for  seven  years,  when  he 
removed  to  Christian  County,  111. 

In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Sheldon  was  married,  Miss 
Sarnh  J.  Taylor,  of  Ohio,  becoming  his  wife.  Their 
union  was  celebrated  in  January,  1848,  and  unto 


them  were  born  ten  children.  Those  still  living 
at  this  writing  are:  J.  N.,  a  Presbyterian  minister 
of  Illinois;  James,  a  resident  farmer  of  Macon 
County;  Alonzo.  who  resides  in  Louisiana;  and 
Albert,  who  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  this 
county.  The  mother's  death  occurred  in  1870, 
and  Mr.  Shellon  afterwards  married  Miss  Mary  A. 
Reynolds,  of  Moultrie  County,  111.  One  child  has 
been  born  of  this  union,  Robert,  who  is  still  at 
home  and  carries  on  the  farm. 

On  coming  to  Macon  County  in  1866,  our  sub- 
ject purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw 
prairie  land.  Although  it  was  then  a  barren  tract, 
with  characteristic  energy  he  began  its  develop- 
ment and  soon  placed  acre  after  acre  under  the 
plow,  until  now  the  entire  amount  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  the  waving  fields  of  grain 
delight  the  eye  of  the  passer-by.  All  that  Mr.  Shel- 
ton possesses  has  been  acquired  through  his  own 
labors,  and  as  he  now  has  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence we  see  that  his  life  must  have  been  a  busy 
one.  Idleness  is  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature,  and 
through  well-directed  efforts  and  good  manage- 
ment he  has  gained  the  prosperity  which  numbers 
him  among  Macon  County's  substantial  citizens. 
Like  all  true  American  citizens,  he  feels  an  inter- 
est in  political  affairs  and  keeps  himself  well  in- 
formed on  the  political  affairs  of  the  day.  His 
ballot  is  deposited  in  support  of  the  Democracy, 
and  his  religious  belief  led  him  to  become  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church. 


>ALTER  HUTCHIN,a  boot  and  shoe  dealer 
of  Decatur,  who  carries  on  business  at  No. 
117  North  Water  Street,  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  progressive  citizens  of  Macon  County. 
It  is  to  the  enterprise  of  her  merchants  that  De- 
catur owes  much  of  her  prosperity  and  her  present 
advanced  position  among  her  sister  cities  of  this 
commonwealth. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Kansas,  and  was   born 
in  Linn  County  on  the  24th  of  February,  18(jO, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


415 


being  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of 
four  sons  and  two  daughters  whose  parents  were 
Wallace  and  Miranda  (Monson)  Hutchin,  both 
natives  of  Ohio.  Of  the  children,  Charles,  the 
eldest,  and  Elmer,  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth,  are 
now  deceased.  Elwood,  Minnie  and  Elfa  are  still 
living.  The  father,  who  is  a  blacksmith  by  trade, 
came  to  Illinois  at  an  early  day  and  located  in  De 
Witt  County,  from  where,  after  a  residence  of 
some  years,  he  removed  to  Kansas.  In  1862,  he 
returned  to  Illinois,  and  is  now  living  in  Clinton. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Hutchin,  was 
born  in  the  Buckeye  State,  and  was  of  French  de- 
scent. He  was  a  farmer  and  stock-dealer,  and 
died  when  more  than  eighty  years  of  age,  in  the 
faith  of  the  Universalist  Church.  The  maternal 
grandfather,  Bushrod  W.  Monson,  is  still  living, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years,  and 
makes  his  home  with  Mrs.  Hutchin  in  Clinton,  be- 
ing numbered  among  the  pioneers  of  this  State. 
Soon  after  his  arrival  he  entered  land,  the  value  of 
which  increased  as  the  years  went  by,  until  he  be- 
came quite  well-to-do. 

Our  subject  was  two  years  old  when  his  father 
returned  to  De  Witt  County,  where  he  was  reared 
to  manhood.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
graded  schools  of  Clinton,  and  when  quite  young 
he  began  clerking  in  a  boot  and  shoe  store.  When 
he  had  accumulated  sufficient  capital  lie  embarked 
in  business  for  himself.  The  year  1880  witnessed 
his  arrival  in  Decatur,  at  which  time  he  began 
clerking  for  the  firm  of  W.  F.  Busher  &  Co.  Sub- 
sequently he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Busher, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Busher  &  Hutchin,  which 
connection  was  continued  for  five  years,  when  our 
subject  sold  out  and  embarked  in  business  for  him- 
self, and  has  now  carried  on  operations  at  his 
present  location  for  about  four  years.  He  is  do- 
ing a  good  business,  enjoys  a  liberal  trade,  and 
employs  several  men. 

A  marriage  ceremony  performed  on  the  8th  of 
September,  1881,  united  the  destinies  of  Mr. 
Hutchin  and  Miss  Annie  C.,  daughter  of  Benjamin 
F.  and  Martha  E.  Dillehunt,  of  Decatur.  Two 
children  were  born  of  their  union,  Everett  M.  and 
Claire  E.,  but  the  former  died  in  infancy.  The 
parents  are  both  members  of  the  First  Baptist 


Church  and  take  an  active  part  in  its  work.  Mr. 
Hutchin  serves  on  the  Board  of  Trustees,  of  which 
he  is  Clerk.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Macon 
Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Chevalier  Bayard 
Lodge  No  189,  K.  P.;  and  the  Grand  Order  of  the 
Orient.  In  politics  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party.  In  connection  with  his  store,  he 
owns  a  pleasant  residence,  and  his  wife  has  a  farm 
of  forty  acres  in  Blue  Mound  Township.  His  life 
has  been  a  busy  one,  and  to  his  own  efforts  may  be 
attributed  the  success  he  has  achieved. 


UFUS  W.  CHILSON  is  the  proprietor  of  the 
Chilson  Dye  House,  which  is  located  at 
No.  134  South  State  Street,  Decatur.  This 
business  was  established  in  July,  1879,  and 
has  since  been  successfully  continued.  The  dye 
house  is  a  two-story  building,  supplied  with  all 
the  machinery,  appliances  and  conveniences  nec- 
essary to  the  work,  and  employment  is  furnished 
to  about  five  hands.  Mr.  Chilson  enjoys  a  good 
business,  of  which  he  is  well  deserving. 

Born  in  Belleville,  Mich.,  on  the  18th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1855,  our  subject  there  made  his  home  until 
1867,  when,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  he  went  to 
Detroit.  The  following  year  he  began  learning 
the  dyeing  business,  and  for  three  years  served  as 
an  apprentice,  receiving  no  compensation  what- 
ever. In  his  seventeenth  year  he  started  in  busi- 
ness with  his  brother,  who  was  also  a  dyer,  open- 
ing an  establishment  in  Flint,  Mich.  They  after- 
ward did  business  in  Port  Huron  for  three  years, 
and  in  1878  went  to  Jacksonville,  111.,  where  they 
opened  a  dye  house,  carrying  on  business  at  that 
place  for  a  time.  In  1879,  they  came  to  Decatur 
and  established  a  dye  house  in  this  place.  The 
partnership  continued  for  one  year,  when  J.  I. 
Chilson  retired,  leaving  our  subject  alone. 

On  the  9th  of  September,  1878,  Mr.  Chilson 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Julia  Hubbard, 
their  union  being  celebrated  in  Port  Huron,  Mich. 
They  hold  membership  with  St.  John's  Episcopal 


416 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


&HOMAS  JEFFERSON  ROBERTS,  who  owns 
and  operates  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  good  land  on  section  1,  Niantic  Town- 
ship, ranks  among  the  enterprising  and  substan- 
tial agriculturists  of  the  community,  and  is  num- 
bered among  the  early  settlers  of  the  county,  his 
residence  here  dating  from  November,  1852.  He 
was  born  in  Warrick  County,  Ind.,  September  28, 
1845.  His  grandfather,  John  Roberts,  removed 
with  his  family  from  Georgia  to  the  Hoosier  State 
in  1817,  locating  first  in  Gibson  County,  and 
afterwards  in  Warrick  County.  The  father  of  our 
subject,  Norman  Roberts,  was  born  in  Georgia  in 
1800,  and  accompanied  the  family  to  the  Hoosier 
State.  His  marriage  took  place  in  Indiana,  to 
Miss  Temperance  Lockhart,  by  whom  he  had  seven 
children,  one  of  whom,  William  P.  Roberts,  lives 
in  Sangamon  Counts'.  His  second  wife,  Mrs.  Orpha 
(Whittinghill)  Lockhart,  was  the  widow  of  James 
Lockhart,  brother  of  Temperance  Lockhart  and 
she  had  six  children  by  her  former  marriage,  one 
of  whom,  Jesse  Lockhart,  is  living  in  Niantic.  For 
a  number  of  years  Norman  and  his  wife  resided 
upon  a  farm  in  Warrick  County,  but  1852  witnessed 
their  removal  to  Illinois.  After  three  years  spent 


Church,  but  Mr.  Chilson,  who  possesses  a  fine 
voice,  is  now  the  tenor  singer  in  the  choir  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Socially,  he  is  connected  ' 
with  Chevalier  Bayard  Lodge  No.  189,  K.  P.,  in 
which  he  takes  an  active  interest,  and  is  also  a 
member  of  Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
Decatur.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party,  and  though  he 
feels  an  interest  in  politics,  as  every  true  American 
citizen  should  do,  he  has  never  been  a  politician 
in  the  sense  of  office-seeking.  As  a  citizen  he  is 
public  spirited  and  progressive  and  does  all  in  his 
power  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  Decatur, 
and  to  aid  in  its  upbuilding.  Himself  and  wife 
have  many  friends  in  this  community  and  rank 
high  in  the  social  circles  in  which  they  move. 


in  Sangamon  County,  they  came  to  Macon  Coun- 
ty, in  1855,  and  located  in  Niantic  Township, 
where  Mr.  Roberts  purchased  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres  of  raw  land  and  opened  up  a  farm,  to  the 
improvement  of  which  he  devoted  his  time  and 
attention.  His  death  occurred  June  26,  1890,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  His  wife  was 
called  to  the  home  beyond  February  6,  1870,  and  a 
marble  monument  in  Long  Point  Cemetery  marks 
their  last  resting-place. 

The  Roberts  family  numbered  three  sons  and  a 
daughter  who  grew  to  mature  years.  John  W., 
the  eldest,  is  a  farmer  of  Harristown  Township, 
Macon  County;  Norman  is  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Harristown  Township;  T.  J.  is 
the  next  younger;  and  Madeline  is  the  wife  of 
Lewis  Blankinship,  a  farmer  of  Harristown  Town- 
ship. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
has  been  a  resident  of  Macon  County  since  lie 
was  a  lad  of  seven  j'ears.  The  public  schools 
afforded  him  his  educational  privileges,  but  ho  is 
mostly  self-educated,  having  acquired  a  good 
practical  knowledge  through  experience  and  ob- 
servation. At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  he  left 
home  to  make  his  way  in  the  world,  and  was  em- 
ployed as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month  during  the 
five  succeeding  years  of  his  life.  From  the  wages 
which  he  had  received,  he  managed  to  save 
enough  at  the  expiration  of  that  period  to  pur- 
chase a  farming  outfit.  Buying  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  Harristown  Township  on  time,  lie  built 
thereon  a  small  house  and  began  the  development 
of  a  farm,  but  after  four  years  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Sangamon  County,  where  he  purchased 
'  eighty  acres  of  land.  To  this  he  afterwards  added 
an  adjoining  forty  acres.  One  decade  was  passed 
in  that  county,  after  which  Mr.  Roberts  bought 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  improved  land 
where  he  now  lives.  This  he  broke  and  fenced, 
transforming  the  undeveloped  land  into  rich  and 
fertile  fields.  None  of  the  accessories  of  a  model 
farm  are  lacking,  the  place  being  complete  in  all 
its  appointments.  The  pleasant  residence  is  situ- 
ated on  a  beautiful  knoll  and  commands  a  view  of 
Niantic  and  the  surrounding  country. 

In    Sangamon    County,  August   13,   1868,  Mr, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


417 


Roberts  married  Miss  Henrietta  Clay  Cash,  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Cash, 
who  became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Morgan 
County,  111.  Seven  children  have  been  born  unto 
them.  Arthur  and  Rufus  aid  in  carrying  on  the 
home  farm.  The  younger  members  are  Genevra, 
Fannie,  Bessie,  Bertha  and  Katie,  all  at  home.  The 
mother  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Roberts  is  a  stalwart  Democrat.  The 
cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend  and 
he  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  of  Niantic.  His  life  record  is  that  of  a 
self-made  man,  who  started  out  for  himself  empty- 
handed,  but  by  determined  will  and  energy  has 
overcome  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path 
and  gained  the  goal  of  his  hopes. 


H.  BRYNER,   an    honored  veteran  of  the 
late  war  and  a  farmer  residing  on  section 

tii  35,  South  Wheatland  Township,  is  a  native 
y  of  the  Keystone  State.  He  was  born  in 
Fayette  County,  May  28,  1834,  and  when  he  was 
only  three  days  old  his  father  died.  With  his 
mother  he  remained  until  ten  years  of  age,  and 
since  that  time  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
In  the  family  were  four  children:  Allen  and  Perry, 
both  living  in  Pennsylvania;  Mar}',  who  died  in 
that  State;  and  J.  H.  The  family  was  scattered 
on  the  death  of  the  father,  and  our  subject  and  his 
brother  have  never  met  but  twice. 

Mr.  Bryner  whose  name  heads  this  record  re- 
ceived very  meagre  school  privileges,  but  by  his 
own  efforts  has  become  a  well-informed  man.  He 
worked  on  a  farm  in  his  native  State  until  1848, 
when,  hearing  of  the  better  advantages  afforded 
by  the  West,  he  emigrated  to  Champaign  County, 
111.  He  started  with  twenty-five  hundred  head  of 
sheep,  which  he  sold  along  the  way  aud  in  this 
State.  In  the  spring  of  1849,  he  went  to  Missouri, 
and  in  1860  arrived  in  Decatur,  whence  he  went 
to  Moultrie  County.  Prompted  by  patriotic  im- 
pulses, he  enlisted  in  July,  1862,  as  a  member  of 


Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  under  Capt.  Van  Fleet  and  Col. 
Richmond.  His  company  and  Company  I  took 
three  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners  to  Sandusky, 
Ohio,  and  afterwards  went  South,  participating  in 
the  battle  of  Hot  Springs,  after  which  they  spent 
the  winter  guarding  railroads.  During  this  time 
a  hard  battle  occurred  at  La  Grange,  where  our 
subject  was  taken  sick;  however,  he  rejoined  the 
army  at  Vicksburg  and  served  in  the  Twenty-fifth 
Ohio  Batter}'  during  the  siege.  He  joined  his 
regiment  at  Helena,  Ark.,  aided  in  the  capture  of 
Little  Rock,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Balls 
Bluff,  where  he  was  detailed  for  the  commissary 
department.  After  eighteen  months,  he  made  a 
perilous  journey  down  the  White  River  with  & 
heavily  laden  boat,  and  then  remained  at  Pine 
Bluff  until  July  12,  1865,  after  which  his  regiment 
was  discharged,  and  with  the  One  Hundred  and 
Sixth  Illinois  he  started  across  the  country  to  St. 
Charles  to  take  the  boat  for  home.  This  was  a 
wearisome  march  in  rain  and  snow,  and  several 
men  lost  their  lives  on  the  way. 

On  his  return,  Mr.  Bryner  again  came  to  Macon 
County  and  was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  and  as 
a  sheep-herder  until  he  was  enabled  to  purchase  a 
small  tract  of  land  and  begin  farming  for  himself. 
With  a  determination  to  win  success,  he  has  labored 
long  and  earnestly,  and  prosperity  has  rewarded 
his  faithful  and  persevering  efforts.  He  is  now 
the  owner  of  a  fine  farm,  which  yields  him  a  good 
income,  and  he  also  receives  a  pension  from  the 
Government. 

In  1851,  in  Piatt  County,  our  subject  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Miranda  Bryner,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Pickavvay  Count}',  Ohio.  The 
following  children  have  been  born  unto  them: 
William,  who  was  born  in  Missouri,  and  married 
Miss  Weaver,  but  is  now  deceased;  Clarinda,  wife 
of  Robert  Waits,  a  farmer  of  Wheatland  Township; 
Sarah,  wife  of  William  Rice,  who  is  Mayor  of  Ml. 
Pulaski,  111.;  Annie,  wife  of  Joseph  Jones;  and 
Perry  Allen,  of  Decatur,  a  carpenter  in  the  employ 
of  the  Wabash  Railroad  Company.  The  family  is 
one  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  commu- 
nity, for  its  members  are  people  of  sterling  worth. 
Mr.  Bryner  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Bu- 


418 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


chanan,  then  supported  Douglas,  afterward  voted 
for  Lincoln,  and  lias  since  been  identified  with  the 
Republican  party,  whose  principles  he  now  warmly 
advocates.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Grand 
Army  post  of  Decatur.  He  has  many  friends 
throughout  this  neighborhood,  for  his  excellencies 
of  character  have  gained  him  universal  confidence 
and  esteem. 


AMES  DING  MAN,  who  resides  on  section 
14,  Niantic  Township,  is  one  of  the  exten- 
sive land-owners  of  the  county,  owning 
more  than  a  thousand  acres.  He  is  also 
numbered  among  the  enterprising  and  progressive 
farmers,  and  his  name  deserves  to  be  enrolled 
among  tke  honored  pioneers,  for  since  1845  he  has 
lived  in  this  county,  and  since  November,  1833, 
has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois.  A  native  of  Ohio, 
he  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  January  7,  1820, 
and  is  descended  from  one  of  the  Revolutionary 
heroes.  His  grandfather,  Capt.  James  Dingman, 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  for  seven  years 
and  three  months  fought  for  the  independence  of 
the  Colonies,  being  for  four  years  under  the 
command  of  Washington.  His  title  was  won  in 
that  conflict.  When  he  died  he  had  some  $14,000 
pension  money  due  him,  but  he  would  never  draw 
a  cent.  His  remains  were  interred  in  New  River- 
ton  Cemetery,  in  Sangamon  County,  111.,  where  a 
monument  marks  his  last  resting-place. 

Abraham  Dingman,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  when  a  lad  went  with 
his  parents  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  and 
married  Miss  Jemima  Bobo,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  a  daughter  of  Townsend  G.  Bobo.  In  1833, 
Mr.  Dingman  emigrated  with  his  family  to  Sanga- 
mon County,  111.,  locating  on  what  was  known  as 
German  Prairie,  six  miles  east  of  Springfield.  He 
bought  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  quite  a  large 
portion  of  which  was  a  timber  tract  along  the  San- 
gamon River.  The  present  town  of  Riverton  was 
situated  on  the  old  homestead.  He  there  spent  his 


remaining  days,  dying  July  2,  1835,  at  the  age  of 
forty-eight  years.  His  remains  were  interred  by 
those  of  his  father.  His  wife  survived  him  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  passed  away  August  12, 1881, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight,  being  laid  to  rest  in 
Long  Point  Cemetery,  in  Niantic  Township. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  and  only  survivor  in 
the  family  of  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  though 
all  grew  to  mature  years.  He  came  to  Illinois 
when  a  lad  of  thirteen  and  grew  to  manhood  upon 
the  old  homestead  in  Sangamon  County,  remain- 
ing with  his  mother  and  operating  the  farm  for 
a  number  of  years  after  his  father's  death.  Our 
subject  was  married  in  Sangamon  County,  iu  May, 
1841,  to  Miss  Emily  Danley,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Danley,  of  that  county,  who  removed  there  from 
Kentucky  in  1817.  A  brother,  Levi  Danley,  aged 
ninety  years,  has  lived  with  Mr.  Dingman  for  the 
past  ten  years.  Mrs.  Dingman  was  born  in  Sanga- 
mon County  in  1824.  Two  years  after  their 
marriage,  the  3'oung  couple  came  to  Macon  County, 
and  Mr.  Dingman  purchased  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  improved  land  in  Niantic  Town- 
ship, known  as  the  Strickland  Farm,  and  his  home 
became  the  stopping-place  for  all  travelers.  From 
time  to  time  more  laud  was  added  to  the  farm, 
which  now  comprises  one  thousand  and  five  acres. 
It  is  situated  only  a  half-mile  from  Niantic,  and, 
being  improved  with  all  modern  conveniences,  it 
is  a  very  valuable  and  desirable  place. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dingman  were  born  seven 
children:  Richard  R.,  who  is  married  and  lives 
on  the  old  homestead;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  S. 
Kiser,  who  is  also  living  on  the  old  home  farm; 
Abraham,  a  farmer  of  Iroquois  County,  111., 
located  four  miles  east  of  Watseka;  Mary  Ann, 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Van  Hook,  who  is  living  on  the 
old  homestead;  William,  an  agriculturist  residing 
in  Niantic;  Melissa  E.,  who  is  the  wife  of  William 
Ttlley,  who  lives  on  the  old  home  farm;  and  John 
H.,  who  is  still  with  his  parents. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Dingman  was  first  an  old-line 
Whig,  and  in  1860  voted  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas. 
He  was  personally  acquainted  with  both  Douglas 
and  Lincoln,  the  latter  having  resided  on  a  farm 
only  four  miles  from  the  home  of  our  subject.  Mr. 
Dingman  has  never  sought  public  office,  but  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


419 


elected  and  served  two  terms  as  Supervisor,  dis- 
charging liis  duties  with  the  same  faithfulness  and 
promptness  that  have  characterized  his  entire 
career.  Himself  and  wife  are  prominent  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Long  Point  Christian 
Church,  which  was  established  in  1856,  and  are 
highly  respected  citizens,  their  upright  lives  hav- 
ing gained  for  them  warm  regard.  For  sixty 
years,  Mr.  Dingman  has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois, 
and  for  almost  half  a  century  has  lived  in  Macon 
County.  He  lias  been  a  witness  of  the  growth  of 
the  county  since  the  days  of  its  infancy,  has 
watched  its  progress  and  upbuilding-,  and  bas 
aided  in  its  development.  Although  he  has  never 
been  prominent  in  public  affairs,  yet  in  his  quiet 
and  unassuming  manner  he  has  borne  his  part  in 
the  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of  the  commu- 
nity, and  well  deserves  to  be  ranked  among  those 
to  whom  the  county  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  for 
what  they  have  done  in  her  behalf. 


HARLES  J.  HARTLEY,  who  holds  the  re- 
sponsible  position  of  superintendent  of 
the  Warren  &  Durfee  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, of  Decatur,  is  a  native  of  this  State.  He  was 
born  in  Quincy  September  4,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of 
James  and  Sarah  (Moltitt)  Hartley.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Thomas  Hartley,  was  a  native  of 
Virginia  and  served  as  a  soldier  under  Washing- 
ton in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  afterward 
emigrated  to  Kentucky,  and  was  drowned  in  the 
Licking  River  while  on  a  bear  hunt. 

James  Hartley,  one  of  his  seven  children,  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  whence  he  removed  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  became  a  carriage  manufacturer,  follow- 
ing that  business  for  many  years.  In  1848  he 
went  to  Quincy,  111.,  and  was  engaged  as  a  mill- 
wright until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1852, 
when  he  was  almost  fifty  years  of  age.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah  Moffltt,  who  was  a  native  of  the  Emer- 
ald Isle,  as  was  her  father,  Thomas  Moffitt,  who 
emigrated  with  his  family  to  America  about  1820 


and  settled  in  New  York.  After  a  short  time, 
however,  he  came  to  Illinois,  locating  on  a  farm 
near  Nauvoo.  He  was  formerly  a  seaman  and  was 
the  first  man  to  shoot  the  rapids  at  Louisville. 
After  coming  to  Illinois,  however,  he  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death.  Mrs.  Hart- 
ley survived  her  husband  many  years,  and  after 
his  death  became  the  wife  of  William  McKinney, 
of  Nauvoo,  111.,  who  died  in  1865.  They  had  one 
son,  William,  who  died  in  1882.  The  mother  died 
the  same  year  in  Quincy,  at  the  age  of  sixty -seven. 
The  parents  of  our  subject,  who  were  members  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  had  a  family  of  eight 
children,  all  sons. 

Charles  J.  Hartley  was  only  eleven  years  of  age 
when  he  began  working  on  a  farm  in  Iowa,  where 
he  spent  about  a  year.  He  then  returned  to  his 
native  State  and  once  more  entered  the  public 
schools  of  Quincy,  where  his  education  was  ac- 
quired. At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  began  learning 
the  trade  of  a  pattern-maker,  but  was  soon  after- 
ward taken  sick.  When  he  recovered,  several 
changes  had  taken  place  in  the  shop  where  he  was 
employed  and  he  began  learning  the  machinist's 
trade,  with  which  line  of  business  he  has  been  con- 
nected almost  continuously  since. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1871,  Mr.  Hartley 
married  Miss  Eunice  Spencer,  daughter  of  William 
and  Eunice  (DeLong)  Spencer.  They  became  the 
parents  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  but  one 
died  in  infancy,  and  Florence  also  passed  awa}' 
when  quite  young.  Those  still  living  are  Arthur, 
Joseph  and  Inez. 

Mr.  Hartley  followed  the  machinist's  trade  in 
Quincy  for  a  number  of  years  and  then  removed 
to  Hannibal,  Mo.,  where  he  remained  for  about  a. 
year,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  city  of  his 
birth.  It  was  in  1878  that  he  first  came  to  Deca- 
tur. At  that  time  he  spent  about  a  year  in  this 
city,  after  which  he  removed  to  Iowa,  but  when  a 
short  period  had  elapsed  he  again  came  to  Decatur, 
where  he  secured  the  position  of  foreman  in  the 
Novelty  Works,  being  there  employed  for  two 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  took 
charge  of  the  shops  of  the  Warren  &  Durfee  Man- 
ufacturing Company  as  superintendent,  which  po- 
sition he  now  holds.  Affairs  are  ably  managed 


420 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


under  his  careful  supervision,  and  the  company 
finds  in  him  the  right  man  for  the  place. 

An  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Hartley  well  worthy 
of  mention  is  his  service  in  the  late  war.  In  May, 
1864,  although  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  en- 
listed asa  private  of  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  for  the  one  hun- 
dred-days service,  and  when  that  time  had  expired 
he  re-enlisted  in  Memphis,  Tenn..  in  Company  A, 
Sixth  Illinois  Cavalry,  in  which  he  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated  in  a  number 
of  engagements,  including  the  battles  of  Franklin 
and  Nashville,  and  was  woundc"d  at  Shoal  Creek. 
He  also  had  two  brothers  in  the  army:  Henry,  a 
member  of  Company  E,  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry; 
and  Robert,  one  of  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company 
L,  Tenth  Illinois  Cavalry. 

In  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Hartley  is  a 
Democrat,  and,  socially,  is  a  member  of  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen;  also  of  Celestial 
Lodge  No.  186, 1.  O.  O.  F.,  and  the  Encampment. 
Himself  and  wife  hold  membership  with  the  Epis- 
copal Church.  He  was  a  faithful  soldier  during 
the  late  war,  is  now  a  public-spirited  and  progress- 
ive citizen,  and  a  man  true  to  every  trust  and 
confidence  reposed  in  him. 


OSEPH  SHAFER  belongs  to  that  important 
class  of  citizens  who  goto  make  up  the  bone 
and  sinew  of  this  country — the  farmers. 
He  is  one  of  the  substantial  and  progressive 
agriculturists  of  Macon  County  and  owns  and  op- 
erates three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on 
sections  21  and  28,  Niantic  Township.  His  life 
record  is  as  follows:  He  was  born  in  Germany, 
August  4,  1828,  and  in  his  native  land  grew  to 
manhood,  receiving  a  good  German  education. 
He  is  entirely  self-educated  in  English,  however, 
as  after  coming  to  this  country  he  taught  himself 
to  read  and  write  the  language  of  the  people,  anil 
he  is  now  a  well-informed  man.  He  served  for 


three  years  in  the  German  army,  being  Lieutenant, 
or  drilling  officer,  of  his  company,  and  he  partici- 
pated in  the  famous  battle  of  Holstein  in  1849. 

After  receiving  his  discharge.  Mr.  Shafer  re- 
mained in  the  Fatherland  for  two  years,  and  then, 
bidding  adieu  to  home  and  friends,  he  took  pass- 
age on  a  sailing-vessel  at  Bremen  in  1853,  which 
after  a  voyage  of  sixty-seven  days  dropped  anchor 
in  the  harbor  of  New  Orleans  on  Christmas  Day. 
From  New  Orleans  he  at  once  proceeded  up  the 
Mississippi  River  to  St.  Louis,  whence  he  went  to 
Springfield,  where  he  joined  some  friends  who  had 
come  to  this  country  several  years  previous.  He 
soon  afterward  secured  employment  in  a  hotel  in 
Elkhart,  111.,  but  subsequently  returned  to  the 
capital  city  where  he  served  as  bar-tender  for  a. 
year.  This  business,  however,  did  not  suit  him, so 
he  rented  land  and  engaged  in  farming.  After  a 
few  years,  with  the  capital  which  he  had  acquired, 
he  purchased  a  good  farm  in  Sangamon  County, 
near  Rochester,  and  continued  its  cultivation  until 
1873,  when  he  sold  out  and  bought  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  28,  Niantic 
Township,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
Since  locating  thereon  he  has  erected  a  neat  and 
commodious  residence  and  a  substantial  barn,  and 
has  made  other  improvements  which  add  greatly 
to  the  value  and  attractive  appearance  of  the 
place.  He  has  planted  an  osage  hedge  around  the 
entire  farm  and  divided  it  into  fields  of  conven- 
ient size  with  the  same.  All  the  accessories  and 
improvements  of  a  model  farm  are  there  found, 
and  the  well-tilled  fields  and  neat  appearance  of 
the  place  indicate  the  careful  supervision  of  an  en- 
terprising owner. 

In  Sangamon  County,  March  20,  1856,  Mr. 
Shafer  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Caroline 
Mescheta,  a  native  of  Germany.  Seven  children 
were  born  unto  them,  six  of  whom  are  living:  Te- 
resa, at  home;  Joseph,  who  is  employed  in  Chi- 
cago; William  and  Tony,  who  aid  in  carrying  on 
the  home  farm;  Lizzie,  who  is  deaf  and  dumb, 
but  has  been  highly  educated  in  the  Jacksonville 
Deaf  and  Dumb  Institute,  which  she  attended  for 
six  years,  and  in  St.  Louis,  where  she  remained  one 
year;  and  Henry,  who  completes  the  family. 
Mary,  the  deceased  daughter,  was  the  wife  of 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBAN* 


W. J.TULLY 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


423 


Henry  Harbli.  The  children  have  all  been  pro- 
vided with  good  educational  privileges  and  are 
thus  fitted  for  the  practical  duties  of  life.  Mr. 
Shafer  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Illiopolis 
Catholic  Church.  His  wife  died  August  6,  1890, 
and  his  daughter  Mary  died  on  the  27th  of  the 
same  month,  and  both  lie  buried  in  the  Springfield 
Catholic  Cemetery,  where  Mr.  Shafer  owns  a  beau- 
tiful lot,  on  which  he  has  erected  a  monument  to 
their  memory. 

Our  subject  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity,  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  this  and  adjoining  counties.  In  1890, 
he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  on  section  21,  Niantic  Township,  adjoining 
the  home  farm — a  tract  of  rolling  prairie  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  His  has  been  a  busy 
life,  and  the  reward  of  his  labor  and  toil  is  seen  in 
the  fine  farm  which  he  now  owns. 


^INGATR  J.  TULLY,  who  for  many  years 
was  one  of  the  leading  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  of  Macon  County,  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  Decatur.  He  has  been  a  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  citizen  and  is  well  known 
to  the  people  of  the  community  as  a  man  of  ster- 
ling worth.  He  was  born  in  Sussex  County,  Del., 
on  the  20th  of  September,  1809,  and  is  a  son  of 
Joshua  and  Lavina  (Jones)  Tully,  who  were  also 
natives  of  the  same  State.  In  1811  the  parents 
emigrated  to  Ross  County,  Ohio, where  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject  was  reared  to 
manhood.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  began  farm- 
ing for  himself.  He  purchased  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  land  in  Pickaway  County  at  $2  per 
acre, and  immediately  began  its  development.  As 
lie  had  not  money  enough  to  carry  on  the  work 
without  replenishing  his  exchequer,  he  labored 
for  a  time  as  a  farm  hand  at  $10  per  month,  and 
in  1834  worked  in  a  sawmill  near  Columbus,  Ohio, 
for  $  12  per  month. 


It  was  in  1854  that  Mr.  Tully  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Macon  County,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  He  purchased  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  prairie  land  in  South  Wheatland 
Township  at  113  per  acre,  and  forty  of  timber- 
land  at  $10  per  acre.  There  were  very  few  im- 
provements on  the  place,  but  he  at  once  began  its 
development,  and  his  toil  and  labor  soon  wrought 
a  wonderful  transformation,  changing  the  raw 
prairie  into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  His  parents 
had  accompanied  him  to  the  West  and  made  their 
home  with  him  until  death.  The  father  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven,  having  survived  his 
wife  a  few  years.  In  the  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren, but  four  died  in  early  life.  Two  sisters  are 
now  living,  Lurana  and  Mary,  who  make  their 
home  with  our  subject.  Nancy  became  the  wife 
oi  Josiah  Timmons,  of  Ohio,  and  after  her  hus- 
band's death  she  came  to  Macon  County,  living 
near  her  brother  until  called  to  her  final  rest,  some 
fifteen  years  ago. 

Mr.  Tully  added  to  his  farm  until  it  comprised 
four  hundred  acres,  but  he  has  since  sold  forty 
acres  and  now  has  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
remaining.  It  is  a  well-improved  place  and  is 
considered  the  finest  stock  farm  in  Wheatland 
Township.  It  is  well  watered  by  Sand  Creek  and 
its  rich  pastures  make  it  an  excellent  place  for 
raising  stock.  Mr.  Tully  kept  on  hand  the  finest 
grades  of  horses  and  cattle  and  was  extensively 
engaged  in  the  breeding  of  hogs.  The  house  upon 
the  farm  is  a  two-story  residence  and  there  are 
good  barns  and  other  necessary  outbuildings.  I  n 
fact,  the  place  is  one  of  the  best  improved  in  the 
locality. 

On  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Tully  cast  his 
first  Presidential  vote  for  Henry  Clay,  and  since 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  has  sup- 
ported each  of  its  candidates.  For  six  years  he 
has  served  as  School  Director  of  his  district  and 
the  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend. 
He  is  strongly  in  favor  of  compulsory  education, 
for  he  believes  the  public  schools  one  of  the  most 
important  factors  in  producing  good  citizens.  He 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
having  been  made  a  Mason  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio. 
He  was  a  charter  member  of  Mt.  /ion  Lodge,  later 


424 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


became  a  member  of  the  organization  in  Macon, 
and  now  holds  membership  with  Macon  Lodge  No. 
8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Decatnr.  For  half  a  century 
lie  has  been  connected  with  this  fraternity,  in  the 
growth  of  which  he  feels  a  deep  interest. 


JOHN  H.  MILLER  is  successfully  engaged 
in  farming  on  section  1,  South  Wheatland 
Township.  He  is  a  prominent  and  repre- 
sentative citizen  of  the  community,  and  is 
an  honored  veteran  of  the  late  war,  who  faithfully 
fought  to  preserve  the  Union,  and  left  the  service 
with  the  consciousness  of  no  duty  left  undone.  He 
is  numbered  among  the  earl}'  settlers  of  Macon 
County,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Decatur 
Township,  a  mile  north  of  the  county  seat,  August 
8,  1841.  His  father,  David  Miller,  was  born  in 
Virginia,  December  27, 1790,  and  emigrated  to  this 
county  before  1830,  becoming  one  of  the  honored 
pioneers.  He  was  married  October  9,  1827,  to 
Miss  Mary  Muirhead,  who  was  born  July  17,  1808, 
and  died  September  19,  1832.  Three  children 
were  born  of  that  union:  James  D.,  who  is  now 
a  farmer  of  California;  William  M.  and  Thomas, 
both  of  whom  died  in  childhood.  For  his  second 
wife,  Mr.  Miller  chose  Mrs.  Mary  Y.  Wheeler,  a 
sister  of  J.  Y.  Braden,  and  the  widow  of  Henry 
Wheeler.  Their  union  was  celebrated  April  13, 
1834.  She  had  five  children  by  her  first  marriage. 
Elizabeth,  who  was  born  in  1826  and  is  now 
deceased,  was  the  wife  of  David  Britt;  Samuel  R. 
resides  in  Decatur;  William  E.  is  deceased;  Nancy 
J.  is  the  wife  of  Mason  Packard,  of  San  Jose,  Cal.; 
and  A.  J.  is  a  stockman  of  Harristown  Township. 
Unto  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  born  sixteen 
children,  but  of  this  number  several  died  in  child- 
hood. Margaret  T.,  who  was  born  in  1835,  is  the 
widow  of  Abraham  Travis  and  lives  in  Carlinville, 
III.;  Laura  is  deceased;  Mary  H.  is  the  wife  of 
George  Orin,  a  dairyman  of  Decatur;  George  S. 
is  deceased;  John  H.  is  the  next  younger;  Mrs. 


Lavina  Cramer  is  living  near  Carlinville;  Mrs. 
Lucetta  Groves  makes  her  home  in  Carlinville; 
Daniel  operates  a  fruit  farm  in  California;  and 
Mrs.  Harriet  Robinson  and  Triphosa  are  deceased. 

On  coming  to  this  county,  Mr.  Miller  entered 
land  from  the  Government,  and  upon  the  farm 
which  he  developed  spent  his  remaining  days.  He 
endured  all  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  not  the 
least  among  which  was  having  to  go  to  Chicago 
and  St.  Louis  to  trade.  He  was  in  limited  circum- 
stances but  became  well-to-do,  and  at  his  death, 
which  occurred  October  6,  1853,  he  left  a  good 
farm  of  two  hundred  acres.  He  and  his  wife  were 
among  the  earliest '  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  of  Decatur.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Whig. 
He  lived  a  quiet,  unassuming  life  and  had  the 
warm  regard  of  all  who  knew  him. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  boyhood 
upon  the  old  farm  north  of  Decatur.  The  city 
was  then  a  small  hamlet,  and  he  used  to  buy  dry 
goods,  boots  and  shoes  and  groceries  all  in  the 
same  store,  and  when  he  went  to  mill  with  a  sack 
of  grain  would  wait  until  it  was  ground,  and  then 
return  with  his  flour.  His  educational  privileges 
were  such  as  the  subscription  schools  afforded  un- 
til in  later  life,  when  he  attended  the  schools  of 
Decatur  for  two  terms.  His  father  died  when  he 
was  twelve  years  old,  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
farm  work  then  devolved  upon  him,  but  he  became 
inured  to  the  arduous  duties  and  early  learned  to 
swing  the  axe  and  scythe. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  1862,  Mr.  Miller  left 
home  and  joined  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and 
Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  at  Decatur.  The  reg- 
iment was  organized  and  drilled  at  Camp  Macon, 
and  went  to  Vicksburg,  joining  Sherman's  army. 
Mr.  Miller  participated  in  the  battle  of  Arkansas 
Post,  was  under  Grant's  command  at  Vicksburg 
during  the  forty  days'  siege,  took  part  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Champion  Hills,  Jackson,  Missionary  Ridge 
and  Chattanooga,  and  his  regiment  was  one  of  the 
first  to  cross  on  the  pontoons.  Mr.  Miller  was 
elected  Second  Sergeant  at  Camp  Macon,  was 
made  Second  Lieutenant  at  Young's  Point,  and 
later  became  First  Lieutenant.  He  was  slightly 
wounded  in  the  thigh  by  a  spent  ball  at  Lookout 
Mountain.  He  served  in  the  Atlanta  campaign, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


425 


and  on  the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea  and  went 
through  the  Carolinas  to  Petersburg  and  Richmond- 
When  the  war  was  over,  he  took  part  in  the  Grand 
Review  at  Washington,  where  wave  after  wave  of 
bayonet-crested  blue  passed  by  the  stand  where 
the  President  of  the  United  States  stood  watching 
the  troops  that  had  preserved  the  Union.  Mr. 
Miller  received  his  discharge  in  the  Capitol  City, 
and  reached  his  home  in  July  of  18G5,  after  three 
years  of  faithful  service. 

Our  subject  was  married  November  8,  1867,  to 
Miss  Lottie  Cox,  a  native  of  this  county  and  a 
daughter  of  William  Cox.  They  began  their  do- 
mestic life  upon  a  farm  north  of.Decatur  and  there 
lived  until  1873,  when  they  removed  to  their  pres- 
ent farm  in  South  Wheatland  Township.  Mrs. 
Miller  died  in  January,  1889, leaving  flvechildren: 
William,  who  married  Miss  Jacobs  and  is  a  farmer 
of  South  Wheatland  Township;  Mattie,  the  wife 
of  David  Diller.  a  ranchman  of  Albany,  Tex.;  Ada, 
who  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  in  a 
business  college,  and  is  now  an  employe  in  the 
County  Treasurer's  office;  Ettie  and  Minnie,  who 
are  at  home.  Mr.  Miller  was  again  married,  De- 
cember 8,  1891,  in  Blue  Mound  Township,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Mary  Muirhead,  a  daughter 
of  William  Muirhead.  Her  father  has  for  sixty- 
three  years  been  a  resident  of  this  county.  Mrs. 
Miller  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Mo.,  and  at 
the  age  of  eight  years  came  to  this  county.  For 
three  years  she  was  successfully  engaged  in  teach- 
ing in  this  locality. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  a  pleasant  home,  con- 
veniently located  upon  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  good  land  that  yields  a  golden 
tribute  to  the  care  and  cultivation  of  the  owner. 
Besides  his  residence  there  are  good  barns  and 
oilier  necessary  buildings,  and  the  place  is  well- 
equipped  with  everything  found  upon  a  model 
farm,  while  the  owner  is  ranked  among  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  neighborhood.  He 
was  the  organizer  and  is  a  member  of  Tom  White 
Post  No.  529,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Mt.  Zion,  and  has 
served  as  Commander.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Miller  cast  his  first 
vote  for  Seymour  and  has  since  been  a  Democrat. 
In  1872,  he  was  candidate  for  Sheriff.  For  five 


years,  he  served  as  Supervisor  of  his  township,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  building  committee  under 
whose  supervision  the  county  court  house  was 
erected.  He  also  served  as  Collector  for  two  years, 
and  in  that  office,  as  in  all  others,  discharged  his 
duties  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to 
Ins  constituents. 


RS.  ELIZABETH  SPANG LER,  who  is 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Ma- 
con  County,  resides  on  section  13,  Deca- 
tur  Township.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
Zorger,  who  was  born  in  York  County,  Pa., 
in  1803,  and  was  of  German  descent,  his  parents 
having  been  natives  of  Germany.  His  boyhood 
days  were  spent  upon  the  home  farm,  and  he  after- 
ward worked  in  a  distillery  for  five  years.  He  was 
married  October  9,  1827,  to  Miss  Mary  Furringer, 
who  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  also  of 
German  lineage.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  and 
was  an  honorable  and  upright  man,  whose  family 
numbered  fourteen  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zorger  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  farm  and  there  resided  for  nine  years.  In 
1839  with  his  wife  and  six  children,  the  father 
started  Westward.  The}'  had  two  good  teams,  a 
tent  and  a  stove,  and  thus  the  discomforts  of  the 
journey  were  somewhat  relieved,  although  the 
trip  was  a  very  tedious  one.  On  the  wild  prairie 
were  deer  and  wolves  and  Indians  still  passed 
through  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Zorger  secured 
land  from  the  Government,  at  Danville,  111.,  a 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  to  which  he 
added  until  he  had  three  hundred  acres  in  Whit- 
more  Township.  He  built  the  first  two-story 
frame  house  in  the  county,  and  made  other  excel- 
lent improvements  upon  his  place,  which  added 
greatly  to  its  value  and  desirability.  Although 
he  came  here  poor,  by  economy,  enterprise  and 
good  management  he  gained  a  handsome  compe- 
tence. His  death  occurred  in  1888,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  years.  His  wife  died  May  29,  1878,  in 


426 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


her  seventy -seventh  year.  They  had  traveled 
life's  journey  together  for  almost  half  a  century, 
sharing  with  each  other  the  sorrows  and  joys,  the 
adversity  and  prosperity  of  life.  In  politics,  the 
father  was  a  Democrat,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Weinbrenarian  Church.  His  wife  held  membership 
with  the  German  Lutheran  Church. 

Mrs.  Spangler  and  her  sister  Caroline  were  twins 
and  the  eldest  children  in  the  family.  The  latter 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven.  Andrew  is  a  i 
large  land-owner  of  Kansas.  John  and  Ann  both 
reside  upon  the  old  home  farm.  Mary,  twin  sister 
of  John,  is  a  widow  and  lives  with  her  son  in 
Macon  County;  and  Mrs.  Susan  Morrison  com- 
pletes the  family. 

The  lady  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  spent 
her  girlhood  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmers'  chil- 
dren. Her  educational  privileges  were  quite  lim- 
ited, as  there  were  only  subscription  schools  in  the 
neighborhood.  She  used  to  spin,  weave  and  dye 
cloth  and  perform  other  such  labor  as  fell  to  the 
daughters  of  the  household  in  those  days.  In  1849 
she  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Spangler,  who  came 
from  York  County,  Pa.,  and  had  served  as  a  team- 
ster, distiller  and  miller  in  the  Keystone  State,  be- 
coming quite  wealthy.  He  was  married  in  Penn- 
sylvania to  Barbara  Bentzly,  and  unto  them  were 
born  nine  children.  The  mother  died  in  March, 
1847,  at  the  age  of  sixt3f-tbree  years.  To  each  of 
his  children,  Mr.  Spangler  gave  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land.  Only  two  daughters  of  the 
family  are  now  living:  Mrs.  Connelly,  of  Decatur; 
and  Mrs.  Daniels,  of  this  county. 

After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spangler 
lived  at  Spangler's  Mill,  on  the  Sangamon  River, 
and  later  removed  to  Hickor}'  Point  Township, 
whence  they  came  to  the  farm  in  Decatur  Town- 
ship. Here  Mr.  Spangler  died  February  17,  1862. 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Universalist  Church,  to  which  his  widow 
also  belongs,  and  in  politics  was  a  supporter  of  the 
Democracy.  In  the  fall  of  183.5,  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois, and  built  one  of  the  first  mills  in  Macoii 
County.  He  was  a  prominent  and  enterprising 
citizen,  and  an  honored  pioneer,  whose  loss  in  the 
community  was  deeply  mourned. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spangler  were  born  the  fol- 


lowing children:  Lydia  Strong,  who  resides  in  La 
Harpe,  Hancock  County,  111.;  Mrs.  Caroline  Mc- 
Daniels,  who  died  in  Kansas,  leaving  four  sons; 
Hattie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  and 
Frank,  who  operates  the  old  home  farm,  of  which 
he  has  had  charge  since  seventeen  years  of  age. 
Mrs.  Spangler  is  an  intelligent  and  estimable  lady, 
widely  known  throughout  the  community,  and  is 
held  in  high  regard  for  her  many  excellencies  of 
character. 


PHRAIM  BEAR,  who  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  Decatur,  is  numbered  among 
the  honored  early  settlers  of  Macon  Coun- 
ty, where  for  more  than  forty  years  he  has  made 
his  home.  His  birth  occurred  in  Cumberland 
Count}-,  Pa.,  on  the  20th  of  July,  1818,  but  he 
comes  of  an  old  New  England  family.  His  grand- 
father, Jacob  Bear,  was  born  in  1747,  and  died  in 
1793.  Ephraim  Bear,  Sr.,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  1784,  and  died  in  1865.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Bowers, 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1861,  and  both  were 
buried  in  Macon  County.  The  family  was  origin- 
ally of  Swiss  origin. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  man- 
hood upon  the  old  home  farm,  and  early  became 
familiar  with  agriculture  in  all  its  details.  Having 
attained  to  mature  years,  he  was  married  at  the 
age  of  twenty-six  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Mounts,  who 
died  four  years  later.  She  had  had  a  son,  Joseph 
Hartman,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
months. 

Mr.  Bear  of  this  sketch  remained  on  the  old 
homestead  until  thirty  years  of  age,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Franklin  Count}',  Pa.,  there  making  his 
home  until  1852.  On  the  3d  of  June  of  that  year 
he  landed  in  Decatur,  coming  to  the  West  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  Jacob  Bear,  and  Isaac  Shel- 
labarger.  They  drove  overland  to  this  place  and 
settled  in  Harristown  Township,  six  miles  west  of 
this  city.  Our  subject  secured  one  hundred  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


427 


twenty  acres  of  land,  for  which  he  paid  $7  per 
acre,  and  at  once  began  its  development.  After 
six  years  he  removed  to  a  new  farm  near  Bears- 
dale,  in  Hickory  Point  Township,  and  there  his 
brother  Samuel  located  some  five  years  later. 
Jacob  Bear  died  in  November,  1891,  and  Samuel 
died  February  25,  1880,  both  leaving  families,  who 
still  live  in  this  count}'.  Mr.  Bear  of  this  sketch 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
near  Bearsdale,  paying  $14  per  acre  for  eighty 
acres  and  §7  per  acre  for  the  remaining  land.  To 
the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  that  farm  he 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  until  1878,  and 
made  it  one  of  the  best  places  in  the  locality.  It 
is  still  in  his  possession  and  yields  to  him  a  good 
income. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1849,  Mr.  Bear  was 
ngain  married,  in  Franklin  Count}",  Pa.,  his  sec- 
ond union  being  with  Miss  Susan  Hamsher,  sister 
of  B.  Hamsher,  of  Decatur.  She  was  born  June  3, 
1828,  in  Franklin  County,  and  died  February  13, 
1882.  The  children  born  of  that  union  are  as  fol- 
lows: Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  K.  Braden; 
David  Franklin,  of  Illini  Township;  John  Newton, 
who  follows  farming  in  Hickory  Point  Township; 
Charles  Cain,  a  harness-dealer  of  Decatur;  Elmer 
Knisl?y,  who  died  in  infancy;  Martha  Ellen, 
widow  of  Henry  C.  Blaine,  of  Decatur;  Ulysses 
Grant,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  Leah  Lou  and 
Olive  May,  both  of  whom  graduated  from  the 
High  School  of  Decatur,  and  were  graduated  from 
Knox  College  in  the  Class  of  '91.  Both  the  latter 
have  successfully  engaged  in  school  teaching,  and 
Olive  is  employed  in  that  vocation  at  the  present 
time,  while  Leah,  who  has  received  a  musical  ed- 
ucation, is  teaching  instrumental  music. 

On  coming  to  Decatur  in  1878,  Mr.  Bear  em- 
barked in  the  grocery  business,  which  he  carried  on 
for  tome  four  years,  but  he  is  now  practically  living 
a  retired  life,  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest.  His  life 
has  been  a  busy  one,  and  as  the  result  of  his  enter- 
prise, good  management  and  perseverance,  he  has 
acquired  a  handsome  competency,  which  surrounds 
him  with  many  comforts.  In  politics,  he  was  in 
early  life  a  supporter  of  the  Whig  party,  but  on 
its  dissolution  joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  Re- 
publican party,  with  which  he  has  since  affiliated. 


For  forty  years  he  has  been  a  member  and  faith- 
ful worker  in  the  Church  of  God,  and  has  served 
as  Elder  since  coming  to  Illinois.  His  honorable, 
upright  career  and  his  many  excellencies  of  char- 
acter have  made  him  highlj-  esteemed  and  his  life 
is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


?ILLIAM  H.  SHORB,  of  Decatur,  is  a  well- 
known  and  popular  citizen,  who  is  now 
serving  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Decatur 
Township.  .  He  entered  upon  the  duties  of  this 
office  in  November,  1892,  having  been  elected  to 
fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  Ira  B. 
Curtis.  The  term  was  to  expire  on  the  1st  of 
May,  1893,  but  at  the  election  held  on  the  4th  of 
April  of  that  year  he  was  chosen  his  own  successor, 
being  elected  for  a  four-years  term,  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket.  He  had  already  given  evidence  of 
the  policy  he  would  follow,  and  his  fellow-towns- 
men knew  that  they  would  find  in  him  a  prompt 
and  efficient  officer,  faithful  in  the  discharge  of 
every  duty.  This  same  straightforwardness  in  all 
tire  affairs  of  life,  and  his  genial  manner,  have  won 
Mr.  Shorb  the  respect  of  all  and  made  him  a  popu- 
lar man. 

The  life  record  of  our  subject  is  as  follows:  He 
was  born  in  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  on  the  6th  of  April, 
1829,  and  the  6rst  twenty -seven  years  of  his  life 
were  there  passed.  During  his  youth  he  served  an 
apprenticeship  to  the  cabinet-maker's  trade,  but 
afterward  opened  a  buggy  and  carriage  manufac- 
tory in  his  native  city.  In  1855  he  removed  to 
Greencastle,  Pa.,  where  he  carried  on  a  more  ex- 
tensive business  in  the  same  line  until  1859.  In 
1861  we  find  Mr.  Shorb  as  a  patriotic  citizen  offer- 
ing his  services  to  his  country.  He  was  accepted 
and  mustered  in  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Sec- 
ond Pennsylvania  Regiment.  He  had  not  only 
responded  to  the  first  call  for  troops,  hut  had  as- 
sisted in  raising  the  company,  of  which  he  was  made 
Orderly-Sergeant.  On  the  31st  of  July  his  term 
expired,  and  on  the  15th  of  August  he  re-enlisted 


428 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  the  Fifty-fifth  Pennsylvania  Infantry  for  three 
years'  service.  He  was  made  Orderly-Sergeant 
and  sent  to  Norfolk,  later  going  to  Hilton  Head, 
S.  C.  He  participated  in  the  Banks'  expedition, 
after  which  he  did  guard  duty  until  the  spring  of 
1864.  In  1862,  while  attempting  to  destroy  Poco- 
t:iligo  Bridge  lie  received  a  wound  in  the  neck. 

During  his  service  Mr.  Shorb  was  made  Sergeant- 
Major,  later  received  promotion  to  the  rank  of 
Second  Lieutenant,  and  was  afterward  made  First 
Lieutenant.  On  the  15th  of  June,  in  front  of 
Petersburg,  just  after  the  fort  was  blown  up,  he 
was  wounded,  a  piece  of  shell  striking  his  shoulder. 
For  sixty  days  he  lay  in  the  hospital,  and  then  re- 
joined his  regiment  in  front  of  Petersburg.  On 
the  evening  on  which  he  again  met  his  regiment 
lie  was  placed  in  command  of  his  compan}',  but  by 
exposure  he  became  disabled,  and  in  consequence 
was  made  Regiment  Quartermaster,  which  position 
he  held  until  mustered  out  of  the  service  in  Janu- 
ary, 1865.  His  service  was  long  and  arduous,  and 
he  has  never  yet  fully  recovered  his  health. 

While  home  on  a  furlough  after  being  wounded, 
Mr.  Shorb  was  married  in  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  in  Au- 
gust, 1864,  to  Miss  Mary  Magdalen  a  Zarger.  After 
his  return  from  the  war  he  located  in  Harrisburg, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  agricul- 
tural implements,  and  later  in  carpenter  work,  it 
was  in  April,  1867,  that  he  came  to  Decatur,  and 
here  he  carried  on  contracting  and  building  until 
his  ill-health  forced  him  to  abandon  that  occupa- 
tion in  1871.  In  1877  he  was  made  Superintend- 
deut  of  Streets,  and  held  that  position  for  seven 
years,  during  which  time  he  had  employed  under 
him  from  sixty  to  eighty  men.  He  then  purchased 
an  interest  in  the  La  Fayette  Street  Railway,  at 
La  Fayette,  Ind.,  and  became  its  Secretary  and 
manager,  but  after  a  year  the  road,  which  was 
owned  entirely  by  Decatur  men,  was  sold.  On  his 
return  to  this  city  our  subject  was  made  Overseer 
of  the  Poor  for  Decatur  Township,  serving  one 
year. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shorb  have  been  born  the 
following  children:  Mary,  wife  of  Phil  Muhller, 
of  Decatur;  Ella  Gertrude,  who  graduated  with 
honor  from  the  High  School,  then  engaged  in 
teaching  German  in  the  High  School  for  a  year, 


and  is  now  pursuing  the  regular  course  at  the  Ann 
Arbor  University  of  Michigan;  and  William  Ar- 
thur, a  member  of  the  firm  of  Zimmerman  &  Shorb, 
plumbers  and  steam-fitters  of  Decatur.  The  mo- 
ther of  this  family  died  about  1880. 

Mr.  Shorb  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in  poli- 
tical affairs  and  is  one  of  the  leading  Republicans 
of  this  locality.  He  warmly  advocates  the  princi- 
ples of  his  party  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  in- 
sure its  success  and  promote  its  progress.  Socially, 
he  is  Past  Commander  of  Dunham  Post  No.  141, 
G.  A.  R.  He  is  also  Past  Chancellor  of  his  lodge 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Our  subject  was  a 
faithful  soldier  in  the  hour  of  his  country's  peril, 
and  is  alike  true  as  a  citizen  in  her  days  of  peace. 


HOMAS  LAWTON,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  13,  Niantic  Township, 
deserves  to  be  mentioned  among  the  early 
settlers  of  the  county,  for  his  residence  covers  a 
period  of  almost  forty  years,  dating  from  1854. 
He  was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Pa.,  December 
17,  1823,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Lawton,  Sr.,  n 
native  of  Vermont.  The  grandfather  and  great- 
grandfather also  bore  the  same  name.  The  latter 
was  a  native  of  England  and  in  early  life  followed 
the  sea.  Later  he  came  to  this  country,  locating  in 
Vermont,  and  was  one  of  the  Green  Mountain  he- 
roes of  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  also  served 
as  a  drummer  in  the  French  and  Indian  Wai,  and 
lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and 
four  years.  His  son  Thomas,  the  grandfather,  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  lived  to  be 
ninety- three  years  old. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in 
Vermont,  and  in  an  early  day  removed  to  Alle- 
gheny County,  Pa.,  where  he  married  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth (Cooper)  Newell,  who  was  born  on  the  At- 
lantic Ocean,  while  her  parents  were  emigrating 
from  Ireland  to  America.  Mr.  Lawton  was  a  man 
of  good  education  and  engaged  in  teaching  in 
early  life.  He  also  worked  as  a  carpenter  and  joiner 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


429 


and  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  In  1831 
he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  there  built 
the  first  rolling-mill  west  of  Pittsburgh.  For  five 
years  he  resided  in  that  city,  and  then  returned  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  until  1837. 
That  year  witnessed  his  emigration  to  Indiana. 
He  became  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Bartholomew 
County,  where  he  cleared  and  opened  up  a  farm,  and 
also  did  some  mechanical  work.  A  few  years  later 
he  went  to  Washington  County,  111.,  and  subse- 
quently to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  worked  in  a 
foundry  and  afterward  kept  a  hotel.  His  death 
occurred  in  1883  at  Oakdale,  Neb.,  at  the  age  of 
eighty -seven  years. 

Thomas  Lawton  whose  name  heads  this  sketch 
removed  with  his  parents  to  Indiana  and  grew  Id 
manhood  in  Bartholomew  County.  He  received 
good  educational  advantages,  and  to  his  father  he 
gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  on  the  farm  until 
he  had  attained  his  majorit3',  when  he  operated  a 
stationary  engine  for  a  few  years.  In  1854  he 
became  a  resident  of  Macon  County,  and  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  from 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  in  connec- 
tion with  his  brother,  Robert  Bruce  Lawton.  To- 
gether they  cleared  and  broke  the  land,  and  as  it 
was  new  and  rich  soil  soon  gathered  abundant 
harvests.  They  worked  together  until  1873,  when 
Robert  met  his  death  by  accident  while  running  a 
mowing-machine.  He  was  then  forty-eight  years  of 
age.  Our  subject  has  built  a  large,  substantial 
residence  upon  the  farm,  erected  good  barns  and 
other  outbuildings,  planted  an  orchard,  and  has 
to-day  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  desirable 
places  of  the  community,  his  farm  being  pleasantly 
located  within  two  miles  of  Niantic, 

Mr.  Lawton  was  married  in  Indiana  in  1846  to 
Miss  Margaret  Oram,  a  native  of  Ohio.  She  died 
in  1850,  leaving  two  children.  Thomas  J.,  who 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  this  county,  located  in 
Putnam  County,  Mo.,  and  afterward  moved  to 
Mercer  County,  where  he  died  in  September,  1892. 
Nancy  Ann  is  the  wife  of  Eli  Nap,  a  substantial 
farmer  of  Niantic  Township.  Mr.  Lawton  was 
again  married,  July  20,  1862,  his  second  union  be- 
ing with  Miss  Elizabeth  Ann,  daughter  of  William 
S,  and  Mary  Johnson.  Her  father  was  drowned 


in  the  Miami  River,  in  Ohio,  in  1842;  after  which 
the  mother  came  to  Illinois  with  her  children. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawton  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren: William,  who  is  married  and  operates  a 
part  of  the  old  homestead;  John  L.,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  nineteen;  Robert  Bruce,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  four  years;  Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
William  Elder,  a  farmer  of  Christian  County,  111.; 
Minnie  Alice,  wife  of  John  Dingman,  of  this  county; 
Lucy  attending  school;  and  Flora  and  Cora,  twins. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawton  are  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  in  which  our  subject  holds  office,  and 
are  leading  and  faithful  workers.  In  politics  he 
is  an  old  Jackson  Democrat  and  cast  his  first  vote 
for  Franklin  Pierce.  He  has  ever  been  a  friend  to 
the  public  schools,  and  for  the  cause  of  education 
he  did  effective  service  while  on  the  School  Board. 
Commencing  life  for  himself  empty-handed,  he 
has  by  his  own  labor  and  enterprise  accumulated 
a  valuable  farm  and  good  home  and  deserves  all  the 
praise  that  is  conveyed  in  the  term  "a  self-made 
man."  He  has  witnessed  the  growth  and  devel- 
opment of  the  county  and  has  aided  in  its  promo- 
tion and  progress.  A  man  of  integrity  and  up- 
right character,  he  has  the  confidence  of  all,  and 
he  and  his  estimable  wife  have  the  esteem  of  a 
large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 


ASIL  M.  STAHL,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
on  section  16,  Niantic  Township,  where  he 
owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  is  numbered  among  Macou 
County's  native  sons,  and  first  saw  the  light  of 
day  January  25,  1858,  in  the  township  where  he 
still  makes  his  home.  His  father,  John  Stahl,  was 
born  in  Fail-field  County,  Ohio,  and  remained  in 
his  native  State  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  In 
1850,  he  journeyed  Westward  to  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  where  he  began  working  as  a  farm 
hand  by  the  month.  He  there  married  Miss  Sarah 
M.  Wood,  who  was  born  in  Sangamon  County, 
but  spent  her  maidenhood  days  partly  in  Greene 


430 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


County.  Mr.  Stahl  entered  eighty  acres  of  land 
from  the  Government,  securing  the  same  with  a 
land  warrant  which  his  father,  Alexander  Stahl, 
had  received  for  services  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
There  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  three 
years,  after  which  he  came  to  Macon  County, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  reared  his  fam- 
ily. He  was  called  to  the  home  beyond  in  June, 
1889,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  His  wife  still 
survives  him  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Niantic. 
To  them  were  born  four  children,  who  all  grew  to 
mature  years,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being  the 
second  in  order  of  birth;  Minerva,  the  eldest,  is  liv- 
ing in  Niantic;  George  A.  isa  farmer  of  tins  count}'; 
and  Clara  B.  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Pritchett,  of 
Macon  County. 

Basil  Stahl  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  upon  the  old  homestead  farm,  and  is  famil- 
iar with  the  experiences  of  frontier  life.  He  had 
but  limited  educational  privileges,  but  in  farm 
work  his  training  was  not  so  meagre.  He  aided 
his  father  until  after  he  attained  to  mature  years, 
and  then  assumed  the  management  of  the  old  home- 
stead. His  entire  life  has  been  devoted  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  his  thorough  understanding  of 
the  business  in  all  its  details,  combined  with  energy 
and  enterprise,  have  made  him  a  successful  farmer. 

In  February,  1883,  Mr.  Stahl  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Laura  A.  Dingman,  a  daughter  of 
George  W.  Dingman,  one  of  the  honored  pioneers 
of  the  county.  She  too  was  born  in  this  commu- 
nity. Two  children  grace  the  union,  Ora  Grace, 
aged  ten,  and  Walter  Dingman,  aged  two  years,  and 
the}-  also  lost  one  daughter  in  infancy. 

The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  a  farm,  Mr.  Stahl  operating  rented  land  in 
Harristown  and  Niantic  Townships  for  a  few  years. 
In  the  spring  of  1889,  he  purchased  and  located 
upon  the  farm  which  has  since  been  his  home,  and 
to  the  further  cultivation  and  improvement  of  the 
place  devotes  his  energies  untiringly.  His  land 
is  well  tilled,  and,  as  the  result  of  his  care,  the  fer- 
tile fields  3'ield  to  him  a  golden  tribute.  The  home 
is  pleasantly  located  about  four  miles  from  Niantic. 
Mr.  Stahl  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican 
party  since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Gen.  James  A- Garfield.  Himself  and  wife  are  mem- 


bers of  the  Christian  Church,  and  in  the  commu- 
nity where  they  have  always  lived  they  have  the 
respect  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances, which  fact  attests  their  well-spent  lives. 


S  BOMMERSBACH,  a  florist  of 
111  Decatur,  doing  business  at  No.  702  South 
Spring  Avenue,  opened  his  present  estab- 
lishment, which  is  the  oldest  in  the  city,  on  the  17th 
of  March,  1881.  He  invested  about  $2,400  in  the 
business,  and  his  annual  trade  now  amounts  to  • 
over  12,000,  having  increased  from  3rear  to  year. 
He  now  has  150x500  feet  of  ground,  and  ten 
thousand  square  feet  are  covered  by  glass.  His 
greenhouses  are  heated  by  hot-water  pipes  and  are 
supplied  with  all  the  modern  improvements  known 
to  the  trade.  He  does  a  good  business  outside  of 
Decatur,  as  well  as  in  the  city,  and  makes  a  spec- 
ialty of  supplying  cut  flowers,  plants,  bulbs,  etc., 
employing  from  two  to  four  hands  to  help  him 
in  his  work. 

Mr.  Bommersbach  is  a  native  of  France,  having 
been  torn  in  the  city  of  Metz,  on  the  Moselle, 
June  25,  1845.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  began  to 
learn  the  trade  of  a  florist,  for  which  privilege 
he  had  to  pay  $350,  and  during  the  first  year  he 
received  no  wages.  In  the  War  of  1870,  our  sub- 
ject served  in  the  French  army,  and  went  to  Bel- 
gium, and  from  there  to  Paris.  He  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Weissenberg,  and  in  the  battle  of 
Sedan,  where  Napoleon  was  captured.  In  Paris 
he  was  stationed  in  the  Fort  of  St.  Etienne,  and 
took  part  in  many  actions  in  the  siege  of  that 
summer.  He  was  afterward  at  Verseilles,  where 
he  did  guard  duty  until  the  6th  of  April,  1871. 
The  soldiers  had  many  hardships  and  trials  to  en- 
dure and  frequently  had  hardly  enough  food  to 
keep  them  from  starving. 

After  being  mustered  out  of  the  service,  Mr. 
Bommersbach  returned  to  his  home  in  Metz,  but 
the  idea  of  seeing  his  country,  Alsace,  become  a 
province  of  Germany  was  SO  distasteful  to  him 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBAN* 


' 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


438 


that  he  determined  to  emigrate  to  America,  and  in 
1871  he  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  the  United 
.States.  He  first  located  in  Albany,  Ind.,  but  after 
a  short  time  went  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  where  he 
remained  for  more  than  two  years,  working  as  a 
florist.  We  next  find  him  in  Indianapolis,  Ind., 
where  he  was  employed  in  the  same  capacity  dur- 
ing the  eleven  succeeding  years  of  his  life.  For 
nearly  nine  years  of  that  time  he  was  Superinten- 
dent of  the  greenhouses  belonging  to  the  insane 
asylum.  From  Indianapolis  he  came  to  Decatur, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1876,  while  a  resident 
of  Indianapolis,  Mr.  Bommersbach  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Katie  Baker,  a  native  of  the 
capital  city  of  the  Iloosier  State.  By  their  union 
have  been  born  four  children,  three  sons  and  a 
daughter,  John  Nicholas,  Albert,  Arthur  and  Clara, 
who  are  all  still  under  the  parental  roof.  In  his 
political  views,  Mr.  Bommersbach  is  a  Republican. 
Since  coming  to  the  New  World  he  has  met  with 
good  success  in  his  undertakings  and  has  now  a 
comfortable  home,  many  friends  and  a  good  busi- 
ness. His  labors  and  his  untiring  energy  and  per- 
severance have  secured  him  a  trade  which  is  con- 
stantly increasing  and  one  which  he  well  merits. 


jZj^  HARLES  FOSTER  Mr  ELROY  was  the  son 
(l(  of  Elder  George  W.  McElroy,  who  died 
^^^7  very  suddenly  in  Smith  County,  Kan.,  Oc- 
tober 30,  1880.  Elder  McElroy  was  one  of  the 
most  self-sacrificing  men  of  his  time.  His  educa- 
tional talents  were  commensurate  with  his  indus- 
try and  energ3\  and  the  citizens  of  the  commu- 
nity in  which  he  resided  appreciated  him  both  as  a 
minister  and  as  an  educator.  Had  he  lived  three 
days  longer  he  would  have  been  elected  Superin- 
tendent of  Public  Instruction  in  his  county.  Dy- 
ing so  young,  only  in  his  thirty-third  year,  he  left 
Charles  at  the  age  of  four  and  his  younger  sister 
to  be  cared  for  by  the  mother. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mrs.   Laura  Ophelia 

20 


McElroy,  was  born  at  Franklin,  Morgan  County, 
111.,  March  2,  1853.  She  was  married  to  Elder  G. 
W.  McElroy,  County  Evangelist  of  Macoupin 
County,  at  Bloomington,  111.,  April  25,  1875.  Two 
children,  Charles  F.,  born  April  26,  1876,  and 
Georgia  Pearl,  born  October  22,  1878,  were  the  re- 
sult of  this  union.  After  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band Mrs.  McElroy  returned  to  Macoupin  County, 
and  for  four  years  taught  in  the  High  School  at 
Girard,  111.,  and  later  taught  two  years  in  Niantic, 
Macon  County,  where  she  met  and  married  .1.  M. 
Hawk. 

Charles  Foster  McElroy  is  the  grandson  of  Elder 
Robert  Foster  McElroy,  who  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neer preachers  of  Illinois.  He  died  at  Palmyra, 
111.,  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  He 
joined  the  church  when  he  was  thirteen  years  old, 
and  for  this  was  driven  from  home  by  his  father, 
who  was  opposed  to  the  particular  faith  which  he 
professed.  He  returned  afterward  to  his  native 
town  and  held  a  meeting,  at  which  he  baptized 
his  mother,  two  brothers  and  a  sister.  His  father 
would  not  go  to  the  meeting,  and  the  son  was  too 
proud-spirited  to  go  home  without  his  father  ask- 
ing him. 

Our  subject,  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  ranked 
first  in  the  advanced  class  at  Niantic,  grading  even 
higher  than  some  who  held  certificates.  He  learned 
printing  in  Springfield,  111.,  and  began  his  career 
at  the  age  of  fourteen.  A  year  later  he  conse- 
crated his  young  life  to  Christ,  and  was  baptized 
by  Elder  J.  B.  Briny,  at  Springfield,  111. 

The  true  mettle  of  our  young  editor  was  brought 
out  by  the  necessity  that  demanded  energy  and 
industry,  and  his  young  talents  were  well  directed 
by  the  noble-minded  mother,  whose  articles  have 
lit  up  the  pages  of  many  papers  and  magazines, 
and  find  a  permanent  place  in  "The  Poets  of  Am- 
erica." 

As  an  example  of  her  writing,  we  here  present 
the  poem  entitled,  "  Thoughts  Awakened  by  the 
Snow,"  which  was  first  published  in  the  Chicago 
Ledger  in  1892: 

I  am  sitting  at  my  window 

While  the  snowflakes  gently  fall, 

Forming  drifts  upon  the  pavement, 
Shrouding  white  the  rugged  wall; 


434 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


And  I'm  thinking  how  good  actions, 
Silently  performed,  may  prove 

Canopies  of  sheerest  beauty, 

Hiding  faults  from  those  we  love. 

Yet,  as  snow  beneath  the  sun's  rays 

Melts  so  quickly  from  our  sight, 
So  God's  eye  observes  the  evil, 

Hates  the  wrong,  approves  the  right. 
As  it  vanishes,  revealing 

Once  again  the  wall  so  bare, 
So  impure  or  upright  motives 

He  discerns  with  insight  rare. 

Life  is  like  the  fleeting  snow-drift, — 

Hopes  must  perish,  hearts  must  break; 
Earthly  pleasures  prove  but  phantoms, 

Heav'nly  aims  their  place  should  take. 
Let  our  lives  be  like  the  snowflake, 

White  and  spotless,  always  pure; 
May  our  cares  as  quickly  vanish, 

Earthly  woes  heav'n's  joys  procure. 


1  AMES  M.  DODD,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
real-estate,  loan  and  insurance  business  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Dodd  <fe  Sauner, 
claims  Indiana  as  the  State  of  his  nativity, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  New  Albany,  Sep- 
tember 17.  1850.  He  is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of 
four  children,  born  unto  Thomas  S.  and  Lucinda 
M.  (Mitchell)  Dodd.  His  paternal  grandfather 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  in  1820  emigrated 
to  Missouri,  locating  in  Rails  County,  where  he 
entered  land  from  the  Government  and  followed 
farming.  His  death  occurred  about  ten  years 
later.  The  maternal  grandfather,  James  Mitchell, 
was  born  near  New  Albany,  Ind.,  and  there  spent 
his  entire  life,  being  called  to  the  home  beyond  at 
the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  He  was  a  brick- 
mason,  farmer  and  merchant,  and  was  one  of  the 
early  members  of  the  Christian  Church  in  the  days 
of  the  Reformation.  Thomas  Dodd,  our  subject's 
fa'.her,  was  born  in  Missouri,  his  wife  being  a  na- 
tive of  the  Hoosier  State.  He  became  a  steamboat 
captain  and  pilot  on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 


Rivers,  spending  forty  years  of  his  life  in  that 
way.  He  is  now  living  retired  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years,  on  a  farm  adjoining  New  Albany,  Ind. 
During  the  war  he  was  on  transportation  steamers 
used  in  the  interest  of  the  Government.  Himself 
and  wife  are  faithful  members  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Only  two  of  their  children,  James  and 
Charles,  are  now  living.  San  ford  died  at  the  age 
of  three  years,  and  the  only  daughter  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

The  boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  quietly 
passed  in  New  Albany,  Ind.,  and  he  there  acquired 
his  education.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  years  lie 
started  out  in  life  for  himself  and  has  since  made 
his  own  way  in  the  world,  so  that  whatever  suc- 
cess he  has  achieved  is  due  entirely  to  his  own 
efforts.  He  was  first  employed  for  three  years  as 
a  salesman  in  a  book  and  stationery  store,  after 
which  he  became  the  general  delivery  clerk  in  the 
postotfice  in  New  Albany,  spending  the  succeed- 
ing year  and  a-half  in  that  way.  In  1869  he  re- 
moved to  Evansville,  Ind.,  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Mark,  Warren  &  Co.,  wholesale  dealers  in 
glass  and  queensware,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
more  than  ten  years,  a  trusted  and  faithful  em- 
ploye of  the  firm,  as  is  indicated  by  his  long-con- 
tinued service. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1870,  Mr.  Dodd  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Abbie  R.,  daughter  of  John 
R.  and  Sarah  R.  (Reherrel)  Daniel,  residents  of 
New  Albany,  Ind.  Three  children  have  been 
born  of  their  union,  namely:  Frank  S.;  Nellie 
Estella,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  Earl  B. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Dodd  left  Evansville,  Ind.,  and 
came  to  Decatur.  Here  he  entered  the  china, 
glass  and  queensware  establishment  of  E.  D.  Bar- 
tholomew &  Co.,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
eleven  years.  His  experience  in  the  State  of  his 
nativity  well  fitted  him  for  his  position,  and  his 
employers  found  him  an  excellent  salesman.  He 
left  that  house,  however,  in  1891,  to  become  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Dodd  it  Sanner.  These 
gentlemen  can-}'  on  a  real-estate,  loan  and  insur- 
ance business  at  No.  153  Merchant  Street,  and 
have  already  secured  a  liberal  patronage.  Mr. 
Dodd  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  and 
of  the  National  Union.  In  politics,  he  is  a 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


435 


porter  of  Republican  principles,  and  has  recently 
been  elected  Alderman  of  the  Third  Ward  for  a 
period  of  two  years.  His  life  has  been  an  honor- 
able and  upright  one,  and  he  is  accounted  one  of 
the  worthy  citizens  of  Decatur.  Himself  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  have  a 
pleasant  home  at  No.  647  West  Decatur  Street. 


)  LI  BRENNEMAN  is  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  D.  W.  Brenneman  &  Co.,  wholesale  liquor 

' — •£,  dealers  of  Decatur.  He  resides  at  No.  226 
Franklin  Street  and  does  business  at  No.  116 
Franklin  Street.  He  claims  Indiana  as  the  State 
of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  New- 
castle on  the  1st  of  December,  1847.  Under  the 
parental  roof  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  and  when 
a  youth  of  seventeen  years  entered  the  service  of 
his  country  for  the  late  war,  enlisting  in  1864  as  a 
member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  Indi- 
ana Infantry.  He  did  service  in  Tennessee,  being 
stationed  at  Nashville  and  at  Memphis.  Later  the 
regiment  was  sent  to  North  Carolina  to  join  Sher- 
man's army.  Our  subject  was  taken  ill  with  ty- 
phoid fever  in  Murfreesboro,Tenn.,  but  rejoined  his 
command  in  North  Carolina,  and  was  in  that  State 
when,  after  the  surrender  of  Lee,  he  was  honor- 
ably discharged  under  the  general  order. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Indiana,  Mr.  Brenne- 
man there  remained  until  1869,  when  he  came  to 
Decatur  and  secured  a  position  as  clerk  with  his 
brother,  D.  W.  Brenneman.  He  served  thus  for 
three  years,  and  in  1872  became  a  partner  in  the 
business,  since  which  time  he  has  been  associated 
with  his  brother  in  all  his  business  relations.  Eli 
Brenneman  has  full  charge  of  all  their  house  in- 
terests, which  are  in  a  thriving  condition  under 
his  able  management.  He  is  also  interested  in  the 
Elm  Grove  Stock  Farm,  where  are  bred  some  of 
the  finest  trotting-horses  to  be  found  in  the 
country. 

In  the  year  1871,  Mr.  Brenneman  was  united  in 


marriage  witli  Miss  Mary  Clanton,  who  died  fif- 
teen years  later,  in  1886.  He  was  again  married , 
on  the  14th  of  July,  1888,  his  second  union  being 
with  Mrs.  Mary  Leonard,  widow  of  Thomas  Leon- 
ard, a  well-known  and  prominent  citizen  of  De- 
catur. The  lad}'  is  a  native  of  Waterloo,  N.  Y., 
and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Gettings.  By 
her  former  marriage  she  had  two  children,  both 
sons,  'Raymond  and  Herman  Leonard,  who  are 
now  thirteen  and  eleven  years  of  age,  respect- 
ively. 

Mr.  Brenneman  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Republican  party,  with  which  he 
has  affiliated  since  attaining  his  majority.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  His  residence  in  Decatur  covers  a  period 
of  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century,  during  which 
time  he  has  been  prominently  connected  with  some 
of  its  leading  business  interests.  The  firm  of 
Brenneman  &  Co.  is  well  known,  not  only  through- 
out Macon  County,  but  throughout  a  wide  ex- 
tended territory.  Their  enterprise  and  good  busi- 
ness management  have  brought  them  a  comforta- 
ble competency,  and  they  are  now  numbered 
among  Decatur's  substantial  citizens. 


*==*==* 


ft-  ERBERT  C.  JONES,  M.  D.,  is  a  member  of 
the  well-known  firm  of  Catto  <fe  Jones, 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  Decatur.  Born 
in  Athens,  Ohio,  on  the  7th  of  January, 
1855,  he  is  a  son  of  J.  Lindley  and  Ellen  (Cameron) 
Jones,  the  former  born  in  Athens,  Ohio,  and  the 
latter  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  of  Virginia.  They 
had  but  two  children,  the  elder  being  Mattie  J., 
wife  of  A.  H.  Crippen,  of  Ft.  Reed,  Fla.  The  fa- 
ther was  a  school  teacher  in  his  early  life  in  Ohio, 
and  afterwards  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Green- 
field and  Athens,  of  that  State.  He  served  in  the 
late  war  and  went  with  Sherman  as  far  as  Atlanta. 
He  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  of  Athens,  and  he  is  the 


436 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Treasurer  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  Gilbert  Jones,  died  in  1885  at  the  age 
of  ninety-seven  years.  He  was  a  native  of  New 
York  and  was  of  Welsh  descent,  but  his  wife  was 
of  German  lineage.  He  served  in  the  War  of  1812 
and  afterward  drew  a  pension  in  recognition  of 
his  services.  Of  his  ten  children,  two  served  in 
the  late  war,  Lewis  and  Wallace.  The  former  was 
taken  to  Libby  Prison,  and  the  latter  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Stone  River. 

Dr.  Jones  was  brought  up  in  Athens,  Ohio,  and 
there  began  his  school  life,  but  he  was  graduated 
from  the  High  School  of  Greenfield,  Ohio,  in  1871. 
He  afterward  attended  the  Ohio  University  at 
Athens,  and  subsequently,  studying  medicine,  was 
graduated  from  the  Medical  College  of  Ohio,  in 
Cincinnati,  in  1876.  After  completing  his  course 
the  Doctor  engaged  in  the  drug  business  for  four 
years  in  Jacksonville  and  Sanford,  Fla.,  and  while 
in  the  former  place  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Florence  Correa,  daughter  of  Gabriel  A.  and 
Sarah  A.  (Woods)  Correa,  natives  of  the  Danish 
West  India  Islands.  Their  union,  celebrated  on 
the  3d  of  September,  1879,  has  been  blessed  with 
two  children,  Lindley  and  Florence. 

In  1881,  Dr.  Jones  sold  his  interests  and  came  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  Cerro  Gordo,  where  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  Dr.  Harsha,  which  continued 
three  years,  when  Dr.  Harsha  came  to  Decatur. 
Our  subject  continued  alone  in  Cerro  Gordo  until 
the  fall  of  1887,  when,  on  account  of  the  failing 
health  of  his  wife,  he  returned  to  Florida  and 
there  spent  the  succeeding  two  years.  On  the_ex- 
piration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Decatur  and 
formed  the  existing  partnership  with  Dr.  Catto. 
They  now  have  the  largest  practice  in  the  city,  and 
it  is  well  deserved,  both  being  men  of  skill  and 
ability.  Dr.  Jones  has  been  a  close  student  of  his 
profession  and  keeps  abreast  with  all  the  improve- 
ments and  theories  connected  with  the  medical 
science. 

The  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Politically,  he  is  an  inde- 
pendent Democrat,  and  while  in  Sanford,  Fla., 
served  as  Alderman.  He  tnkes  considerable  inter- 
est in  civic  societies  and  is  now  a  member  of  Ionic 
Lodge  No.  312,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No, 


1,  R.  A.  M.;  Decatur  Council  No.  16,  R.  <fe  S.  M.; 
Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T.;  Chevalier 
Bayard  Lodge  No.  189,  K.  P.,  and  Medinah  Tem- 
ple of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  twice  served  as 
Master  of  the  Blue  Lodge  in  Cerro  Gordo  and  once 
in  Florida.  He  belongs  to  the  Illinois  State  Med- 
ea 1  Society  and  the  Central  District  Medical  Soci- 
ety. He  owns  a  nice  home  in  Decatur,  and  also 
some  property  in  Winter  Park.  Fla. 


DAM  BALMER,  a  florist  doing  business  in 
the  enterprising  city  of  Decatur,  claims 
I)  England  as  the  land  of  his  birth.  He  was 
born  in  Durham,  on  tjie  1 1th  of  May,  1861, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Margaret  (Anderson) 
Balmer,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Scotland. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Jo.-eph 
Balmer,  was  a  Scotch  farmer,  and  in  the  land  of 
his  nativity  his  death  occurred  at  the  nge  of 
eighty-six  years.  Leaving  his  native  home,  his 
son,  Thomas  Balmer,  emigrated  to  England.  He 
is  a  gardener  and  florist  and  carries  on  business 
in  that  line  in  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  England,  where 
for  some  years  he  has  made  his  home.  His  wife 
died  in  1873,  in  the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  with  which  she  held  membership.  Mr. 
Balmer  is  also  a  member  of  t!ie  same  church  and 
serves  as  Deacon  in  the  local  congregation.  Their 
family  numbered  three  sons  and  two  daughters: 
Thomas,  Margaret,  John,  Mary  and  Adam. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  in  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  and 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He  remained 
with  his  parents  until  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
and  under  his  father's  directions  learned  the  florist 
trade,  becoming  familiar  with  the  business  in  all 
its  details.  He  also  served  a  three-years  appren- 
ticeship to  the  business  in  England. 

Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  our  subject 
determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  New  World, 
where  he  believed  that  superior  privileges  and  ad- 
vantages were  afforded  young  men.  Crossing  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


43? 


broad  Atlantic  and  landing  in  the  United  States, 
he  made  his  way  West  to  Danville,  111.,  where  he 
secured  a  position  as  Superintendent  of  a  green- 
house, being  thus  employed  for  about  nine  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  De- 
catur,  in  the  spring  of  1892,  and  established  busi- 
ness for  himself.  lie  now  has  a  large  greenhouse 
at  No.  925  North  Union  Street,  and  can  fill  all 
orders  for  potted  plants  and  cut  flowers.  His  trade 
has  steadily  increased  and  he  is  now  enjoying 
a  liberal  patronage. 

On  the  30th  of  October,  1888,  Mr.  Balmer  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Annie  Will- 
iams, a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Ann  (McConahie) 
Williams,  who  were  natives  of  Newcastle,  England. 
Three  children  grace  their  union,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter:  Thomas,  Joseph  and  Hazel.  The  par- 
ents are  both  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and 
Mr.  Balmer  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  iw  sup- 
port of  the  Democracy.  The  wisdom  of  his  choice 
of  a  home  is  shown  in  the  success  that  has  attended 
his  efforts. 


OHN  R.  HAYS,  one  of  Macon  County's  ex- 
tensive land-owners,  lesiding  on  section 
23,  Hickory  Point  Township,  claims  the 
Hoosier  State  as  the  place  of  his  birth.  He 
was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Wayne  County, 
Ind.,  September  5,  1830.  and  is  one  of  eight  chil- 
dren, whose  parents  were  John  and  Rebecca  (Had- 
ley)  Hays.  The  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent, 
and  the  father  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  Of  the  children,  Ebenezer  is  now 
living  in  Madison  County,  Iowa,  where  he  carries 
on  agi (cultural  pursuits;  Nancy  is  deceased;  John 
R.  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth;  Rebecca,  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  Alexander  Brett;  Benjamin  has 
also  passed  away;  Cynthia  is  the  wife  of  Isaac 
Skillman,  of  Oregon;  William  is  deceased;  and 
Thompson  H.  is  a  fanner  and  stock-dealer  of  Win- 
terset,  Iowa. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 


the  youth  of  our  subject,  which  was  quietly  passed 
upon  his  father's  farm  in  Indiana,  and  in  Vermil- 
ion County,  111.  In  1834  the  family  had  come  to 
this  State  and  located  near  Danville,  where  they 
lived  for  a  year,  and  then  went  to  Piatt  County. 
The  year  1841  witnessed  their  arrival  in  Macon 
County,  and  saw  them  located  upon  a  farm  in 
Hickory  Point  Township,  when  our  subject  was  a 
lad  of  eleven  years.  Here  he  grew  to  manhood 
and  became  inured  to  the  hardships  and  difficulties 
of  life  on  the  frontier.  The  nearest  schoolhouse 
was  northeast  of  Decatur,  a  distance  of  two  and  a- 
half  miles,  but  a  few  years  later  a  schoolhouse  was 
erected  in  the  township,  a  mile  and  a-half  from 
the  home  of  our  subject.  His  educational  privi- 
leges, however,  were  quite  limited,  but  through 
reading,  experience  and  observation  in  later  years 
he  has  become  a  well-informed  man.  He  remained 
at  home  with  his  parents  until  twenty  seven  years 
of  age,  when  his  father  gave  him  eighty  acres  of 
land,  the  nucleus  of  his  present  farm. 

Mr.  Hays  completed  his  preparation  for  a  home 
by  his  marriage  with  Miss  Rachel  Montgomery 
on  the  26th  of  March,  1857,  the  lady  being  a 
daughter  of  William  F.  and  Amelia  (Suver)  Mont- 
gomery. They  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a 
small  farm  given  to  Mr.  Hays  by  his  father,  and 
they  have  since  made  their  home  there.  From 
time  to  time  as  their  financial  resources  increased, 
i  Mr.  Hays  added  to  his  possessions  and  extended 
the  boundaries  of  his  farm,  until  now  seven  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres  of  arable  land  pay  a  golden 
tribute  to  the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  them. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  highly  improved  and  val- 
uable farms  of  the  community,  with  its  comfort- 
able residence,  good  barns  and  outbuildings  and 
well-tilled  fields. 

The  home  has  been  blessed  with  a  family  of 
four  children:  Charlie,  a  resident  farmer  of  Hickory 
Point  Township;  William,  an  agriculturist  of  Whit- 
more  Township;  Frank,  at  home;  and  Cynthia, 
who  died  April  26,  1872.  The  family  is  one  of 
prominence  in  the  community  and  its  members  are 
widely  and  favorably  known.  Mr.  Hays  exercises 
his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Democratic 
party.  He  has  led  a  busy  life,  yet  has  found  time 
to  serve  his  township  as  Collector,  Supervisor  and 


438 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


School  Director.  The  occupation  to  which  he  was 
reared,  and  which  he  has  since  followed  in  pursuit 
of  fortune,  has  yielded  him  a  good  return,  and  he 
now  has  a  comfortable  competence,  which  sur- 
rounds him  with  all  that  goes  to  make  life  worth 
living 


1  LBERT  T.  SUMMERS,  an  attorney-at-law 
and  loan-broker  of  Decatur,  doing  busi- 
ness at  No.  145  North  Water  Street,  is  a 
native  of  the  State  which  is  still  his  home, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Paris,  Edgar  County, 
on  the  21st  of  December,  1857.  His  father,  Charles 
Summers,  was  also  an  attorney,  a  civil  engineer 
and  a  railroad  contractor,  being  engaged  on  the 
construction  of  the  Indianapolis,  Bloomington  & 
Western  Railroad  and  the  Big  Four.  He  died 
when  his  son  Albert  was  an  infant.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Cynthia 
M.  Trogdon.  Since  the  death  of  her  first  husband 
she  has  become  the  wife  of  Dr.  R.  L.  Walston,  and 
makes  her  home  in  this  city. 

A.  T.  Summers  whose  name  heads  this  record 
spent  his  early  childhood  days  in  Edgar  County, 
and  in  1873,  when  a  lad  of  sixteen  years,  came  to 
Decatur  with  his  mother  and  Dr.  Walston.  Hav- 
ingattended  the  common  schools  he  was  graduated 
from  the  High  School  of  this  city  in  the  Class  of 
'75,  after  which  he  entered  DePauw  University, 
of  Greencastle,  Ind.,  and  after  completing  the 
scientific  course  of  study  in  that  institution  was 
graduated  in  the  Class  of  '78,  with  the  degree  of 
Ph.  D.  His  literarj'  course  being  completed,  Mr. 
Summers  then  began  reading  law  with  his  uncle, 
A.  Y.  Trogdon,  of  Paris,  and  afterward  under  the 
direction  of  Judge  A.  J.  Gallagher,  of  Decatur. 
After  two  years'  study  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  this  city  in  1880,  before  Judge  C.  B.  Smith. 
Soon  after  he  began  practice,  but  drifted  into  the 
loan  business,  and  now  devotes  the  greater  part  of 
his  time  and  attention  to  that  feature  of  his  busi- 
ness. He  does  a  business  to  accommodate  all 


classes,  and  handles  both  Eastern  and  local  capital. 
His  business  now  amounts  to  from  $200,000  to 
$250,000  per  year,  and  he  keeps  three  employes  in 
his  office. 

On  the  18th  of  October,  1881,  in  Lincoln,  111., 
Mr.  Summers  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Helen  Pegram,  of  that  city.  She  is  a  highly  cul- 
tured lady  and  well  educated,  having  graduated 
from  the  seminary  at  Monticello  and  from  Union 
College.  She  holds  membership  with  the  Episco- 
pal Church.  The  union  of  our  subject  and  his 
wife  has  been  blessed  with  three  children,  a  son  and 
two  daughters,  Charlie,  Helen  and  Ruth.  The  fam- 
ily have  a  very  pleasant  and  beautiful  home  at 
No.  706  West  William  Street.  It  was  erected  by 
Mr.  Summers  at  a  cost  of  $10,000  in  one  of  the 
styles  of  modern  architecture,  and  is  supplied  with 
all  conveniences  and  tastefully  furnished.  Its  hos- 
pitable doors  are  ever  open  for  the  reception  of 
the  friends  of  the  family,  who  are  many. 

Mr.  Summers  takes  a  great  interest  in  civic 
societies  and  is  especially  prominent  in  Masonic 
circles,  being  a  Thirty-second  Degree  Mason.  He 
has  filled  all  the  chairs  in  Chevalier  Bayard 
Lodge  No.  189,  K.  P.,  is  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows'  society,  and  a  member  of  the  Uniformed 
Rank,  K.  P.,  while  himself  and  wife  hold  member- 
ship with  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  Mr.  Sum- 
mers has  succeeded  in  building  up  an  excellent 
business;  he  loans  money  not  only  in  Macon  but 
in  adjoining  counties,  and  as  the  result  of  his  en- 
terprise he  has  met  with  a  high  degree  of  success, 
which  is  well  merited. 


J~]  ESSE  LEFORGEE,  who  is   engaged    in    the 
real-estate  and  insurance    business    in    De- 
j    catur,  is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers 
^_    '    of  Macon    County,  having  been  a  resident 
of  this  county  since  1856.     During  all  this  time 
he  has  carried  on  a  book  and  stationery  store  and 
engaged  in  farming,  and  is  now,  as  above  stated, 
one  of  the  real-estate  dealers.     His  extensive  busi- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


439 


ness  interests  have  made  him  widely  known,  and 
we  therefore  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his 
life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers. 

Mr.  Leforgee  was  born  January  1,  1833,  in 
Fleming  Count}-,  Ky.,  and  in  that  State  occurred 
the  birth  of  his  parents,  Ay  res  and  Dorinda  (Cas-  j 
siday)  Leforgee.  The  family  is  of  French  origin, 
and  was  founded  in  Kentucky  by  Abraham  Lefor-  ; 
gee,  who  emigrated  from  France  and  became  one  [ 
of  the  pioneers  who  located  on  the  present  site  of 
Blue  Licks.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Michael 
Cassiday,  was  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  crossed  the  Atlantic,  locating  in 
Kentucky.  He  served  in  the  Revolution  from  the 
battle  of  Lexington  until  the  Colonies  had  achieved 
their  independence.  He  bore  all  the  hardships  of 
that  struggle,  having  his  toes  frozen  and  being 
several  times  wounded  by  the  Indians.  After  the 
war,  he  entered  three  thousand  acres  of  Govern- 
ment land  in  Fleming  and  Nicholas  Counties.  He 
was  elected  to  the  Kentuck}'  Legislature  for  fifteen 
terms,  and  was  in  the  Senate  two  terms,  and,  a  man 
of  more  than  average  ability,  became  very  prom- 
inent and  influential  in  the  State  of  his  adoption. 
His  death  occurred  in  1815.  In  religious  belief  he 
was  a  Presbyterian. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  August, 
1795,  and  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  fol- 
lowed the  trade  of  a  carpenter.  He  also  ran  a 
large  mill  in  Poplar  Plains,  Ky.,  for  some  years. 
He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and 
afterwards  drew  a  pension.  In  1866,  he  came  to 
Decatur,  and  there  lived  retired  until  called  to 
his  final  rest  in  1870..  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church  for  more  than  sixty  years,  and 
was  one  of  Nature's  noblemen.  His  wife,  who 
was  also  a  member  of  the  same  church,  passed 
away  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  Of  their 
family  of  seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  the 
following  are  still  living:  Martha,  widow  of 
D.  W.  Litster;  America,  wife  of  Dr.  W.  J.  Chen- 
owetli,  of  Decatur;  Ayres;  Jesse;  Mary  E.,  widow 
of  James  A.  Leforgee;  Frank  and  Robert. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Poplar  Plains,  Ky.,  and  learned  the  wool- 
carder's  trade  under  his  father  in  W\'oming,  that 
State.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he 


was  married,  July  20,  1857,  to  Miss  Julia  A.  E. 
Smallwood,  daughter  of  James  M.  and  Iva  (Powell) 
Smallwood,  whose  people  were  natives  of  Ohio. 
They  have  been  the  parents  of  five  children,  of 
whom  Iva,  the  eldest,  and  James,  the  fifth  child, 
died  in  infancy.  Walker  L.,  who  studied  medi- 
cine and  graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College,  of 
Chicago,  married  Miss  Jessie  Drake,  and  a  month 
later 'died.  Dorendia  C.  is  the  wife  of  John  E. 
Patterson,  a  dry-goods  merchant  of  the  firm  of 
A.  Waite  <fe  Co.,  of  Decatur.  They  have  a  daugh- 
ter, Jessie.  Charles  C.  is  a  graduate  of  the  law 
department  of  Northwestern  University  of  Evans- 
ton  and  is  now  practicing  in  Decatur. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leforgee  hold  membership  with 
the  Christian  Church  and  he  served  as  Deacon  for 
many  years.  In  church  work  he  takes  an  active 
part,  doing  much  for  its  upbuilding.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat  and  is  a  member  of  Celestial 
Lodge  No.  186,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  belongs  to  the 
Rebecca  Degree.  Mr.  Leforgee  has  a  good  home 
propert}'  at  No.  304  Macon  Street,  and  is  a  prom- 
inent man  in  city  affairs.  For  almost  forty  years 
he  has  resided  here,  and  has  therefore  witnessed 
much  of  the  growth  and  development  of  the  city, 
and  has  always  identified  himself  with  those  inter- 
ests calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 


ACOM,  a  wealthy  and  influential 
farmer  residing  on  section  4.  Niantic  Town. 
VJ  ship,  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of 
Macon  County,  and  one  of  its  leading  citizens. 
Public  spirited  and  progressive,  he  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of 
the  community  and  the  promotion  of  its  best  in- 
terests. Few  men  are  more  widely  known,  and 
none  more  favorably,  in  Macon  County  than  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Acorn  is  a  native  of  England,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Yorkshire  November  1,  1819.  His 
father,  Thomas  Acorn,  spent  his  entire  life  in  that 
locality  as  a  farmer.  He  also  served  as  Constable, 


440 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  was  a  mau  of  sterling  worth.  The  mother 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Rains,  and  both 
were  members  of  the  Church  of  England.  Of 
their  family  of  ten  children,  five  grew  to  mature 
years,  but  our  subject  is  the  only  one  now  living. 
The  others  all  passed  away  in  England  with  the 
exception  of  Robert,  who  died  in  Morgan  County, 
111. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  land  our  sub- 
ject acquired  a  good  English  education.  He  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty  years 
of  age,  and  then,  in  the  spring  of  1840,  carne  to 
America,  believing  that  he  could  better  win  a 
fortune  in  the  New  World;  and  time  has  not  dis- 
proved this  opinion.  He  sailed  from  Liverpool  to 
New  York,  and  after  a  voyage  of  six  weeks  and 
three  days  landed  on  American  shores.  He  at  once 
made  his  way  to  Jacksonville,  111.,  crossing  the 
Alleghany  Mountains  in  railroad  cars,  which  were 
drawn  up  and  over  by  pulleys.  He  went  by  canal 
to  Pittsburgh,  and  down  the  Ohio  Riv^er  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  arrived  with  only  about  four 
English  sovereigns  in  his  pocket.  The  season  of 
harvesting  came  on,  and  he  worked  for  about 
three  mouths  in  the  fields.  When  harvest  was 
over,  he  hired  to  Porter  Clay,  brother  to  Henry 
Clay,  and  afterward  worked  in  the  stables  of  a 
stage  company  for  two  years.  He  also  worked  at 
the  carpenter's  trade,  and  seems  to  have  had  a 
special  aptitude  for  mechanics,  as  he  could  follow 
anything  in  that  line  successfully.  Returning  to 
Jacksonville,  Mr.  Acorn  rented  land  and  engaged 
in  farming  for  two  years,  and  in  1845  went  to 
Sangamon  Count}',  locating  near  Springfield.  He 
there  spent  a  year  upon  a  rented  farm  and  be- 
came well  acquainted  witli  Abraham  Lincoln, 
once  serving  as  a  witness  on  a  case  where  the  mar- 
tyred President  acted  as  an  attorney. 

It  was  in  1850  that  Mr.  Acorn  came  to  Macon 
County  and  pre-empted  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  Government  land,  upon  which  not  a  fur- 
row had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made. 
There  were  no  buildings  between  his  home  and 
Decatur;  in  fact,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  locate 
on  the  prairie.  Deer  were  very  rtumerons,  and  in 
a  single  day  he  lias  killed  three.  The  first  sum- 
mer our  subject  broke  prairie,  and  kept  "bache- 


lor's hall"  in  a  corn  crib.  Having  plowed  and 
planted  his  land,  it  soon  began  to  yield  to  him 
abundant  harvests,  and  he  has  since  been  exten- 
sively and  successfully  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising.  He  bought  his  land  for 
$1.25  per  acre  but  it  is  now  worth  $70  per  acre. 
His  landed  possessions  at  present  aggregate  fifteen 
hundred  acres,  located  in  Macon  and  Sangamon 
Counties,  III.,  and  in  Kansas. 

March  31,  1844,  in  Morgan  County,  111.,  ten 
miles  west  of  Jacksonville,  Mr.  Acorn  wedded 
Miss  Juliana,  daughter  of  Samuel  Munson.  She 
was  born  April  27,  1818,  in  Maryland,  and  was 
reared  in  that  State.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  and  spent  the  last  fourteen  years  of 
his  life  in  this  community,  dying  at  the  home  of 
our  subject.  His  wife,  Elizabeth  (McDonald)  Mini- 
son,  died  in  Maryland.  Mrs.  Acorn  came  to  Illi- 
nois when  a  young  lady  of  twenty  years,  reaching 
her  destination  in  1838.  By  their  union  were 
bora  eight  children:  Sarah  Elizabeth,  who  was 
born  in  Sangamon  County,  and  has  always  lived 
at  home;  Sophia,  wife  of  Silas  Grosh,  who  runs 
an  elevator  in  Decatur  and  also  in  Chicago,  where 
he  resides;  Henry  Owen,  a  large  land-owner  and 
farmer  of  Montgomery  County,  Kan.,  who  married 
Belle  Hernsbarger;  John  W.,who  married  Miss  Mary 
Cobell,  of  Whitmore  Township,  and  is  a  success- 
ful agriculturist  of  Lake  City,  111.;  Martha  Jane, 
who  became  the  wife  of  George  Jacobson  and  died 
some  ten  years  ago;  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Charles 
Bruce,  a  well-to-do  farmer  of  Niautic  Township; 
and  two  children,  Robert  Allen  and  Laura  Ann, 
who  died  in  childhood.  The  children  received 
good  educational  advantages,  attending  the  pub- 
lic schools,  and  the  family  is  an  industrious  and 
enterprising  one,  its  members  occupying  useful 
positions  in  the  various  circles  of  society  in  which 
they  move. 

Mr.  Acorn  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
William  H.  Harrison  in  1840.  He  then  supported 
the  Whig  party  until  its  dissolution,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Re- 
publican part}'.  He  has  never  sought  .or  desired 
public  office  for  the  honor  or  emolument  that  it 
would  bring,  but  when  called  upon  has  faithfully 
served  as  School  Director,  which  office  he  filled 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URSANA 


w. A. BROOKS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


443 


for  twenty  years.  He  has  been  Trustee  for  many 
years,  was  Township  Supervisor  for  one  term,  and 
Road  Commissioner  for  several  years.  No  trust 
reposed  in  him  has  ever  been  betrayed;  on  the 
other  hand,  he  faithfully  performs  every  duty  al- 
lotted to  him.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  of  Niantic,  having  been  a 
church  member  all  her  life,  and  Mr.  Acorn  lias 
ever  given  liberall}1  to  church  work.  lie  was  one 
of  the  building  committee  of  the  church  and  aided 
materially  in  the  erection  of  the  house  of  wor- 
ship. The  prominent  part  he  has  taken  in  public 
affairs  in  this  community  is  well  known  to  many 
of  the  citizens  of  Macou  County.  In  an  early  day 
lie  aided  in  surveying  all  this  part  of  the  county, 
and  did  all  the  plastering  for  his  neighbors  for 
miles  around.  He  also  built  chimneys  and  did 
general  carpenter  work,  and  was  prominently 
identified  with  the  progress  made  in  the  commu- 
nity. His  name  is  inseparably  connected  with 
the  history  of  the  county,  and  we  are  pleased  to 
place  his  sketch  in  this  RECORD. 


t>ILLIAM  A.  BROOKS,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tions 21  and  22,  Wlntmore  Township,  is 
the  owner  of  a  good  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred acres  of  land.  Its  neat  and  thrifty  appear- 
ance indicates  the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner, 
who  is  numbered  among  the  leading  agriculturists 
of  the  community.  The  fields  are  all  well  tilled, 
and  the  many  excellent  improvements  upon  the 
place  add  both  to  its  value  and  attractive  appear- 
ance. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  having 
been  born  in  Nicholas  County,  near  Carlisle,  on 
the  2d  of  July,  1831.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Susan  (Clingin)  Brooks,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  the  same  State.  The  father,  however,  was 
of  Scotch  descent,  and  the  mother  of  Irish  line- 
age. John  Brooks  was  a  stonemason  by  trade, 
but  followed  farming  throughout  the  greater  part 
of  his  life.  He  died  in  Kentucky  in  September, 


1844,  in  the  faith  of  the  Methodist  Church,  of 
which  he  was  a  consistent  member.  His  wife, 
who  belonged  to  the  same  church,  passed  away 
in  1870.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children, 
the  eldest  of  whom  is  William;  Frances  is  the 
wife  of  William  Austin,  a  brickmason  residing  in 
Bloomington;  Mary  died  in  August,  1891;  John 
M.  died  in  February,  1867;  and  D.  E.  is  a  farmer 
and  stock-raiser  of  Whitmore  Township. 

During  the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
he  attended  the  subscription  schools  for  about 
three  months  and  spent  the  remainder  of  the  3rear 
in  work  upon  the  home  farm,  early  becoming  in- 
ured to  the  arduous  labors  of  the  field.  He  re- 
mained with  his  mother  until  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  and  then  started  out  in  life  for  himself 
empty-handed.  For  about  a  year  he  earned  his 
livelihood  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  in  Ken- 
tucky, receiving  $10  per  month  as  compensation 
for  his  services.  It  was  in  1850  that  lie  came  to 
Illinois  and  made  a  location  in  Madison  County, 
where  for  a  short  time  he  again  worked  as  a  farm 
hand  by  the  month.  He  then  determined  that 
his  efforts  should  result  in  more  benefit  to  himself, 
and  so  rented  a  farm,  which  he  operated  in  his 
own  interest  until  1859.  In  that  year  his  place 
of  residence  was  changed  to  Mt.  Auburn,  Chris- 
tian County,  where  he  operated  rented  land  for 
seven  years,  after  which,  in  1866,  lie  made  his 
first  purchase,  becoming  the  owner  of  an  eighty  - 
acre  farm,  upon  which  he  made  his  home  during 
the  next  decade.  On  the  expiration  of  that  pe- 
riod he  removed  to  Macon  County,  in  1876,  and 
after  a  three-years  residence  in  Decatur  Town- 
ship made  his  home  in  Hickory  Point  Township 
until  1884.  In  that  year  he  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm. 

In  1851  Mr.  Brooks  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Millie  A.  Febeck,  who  died  in  1856, 
leaving  one  child.  This  son,  James  S.,  died  !n 
1864.  In  1858  our  subject  was  again  married,  his 
second  union  being  with  Miss  Mary  A.  Paridee. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  are  worthy  people,  held  in  high  es- 
teem throughout  the  community.  Mr.  Brooks  is 
a  Republican  in  politics,  and  takes  quite  an  inter- 
est in  the  growth  and  success  of  his  party.  For 


444 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


seven  successive  years  he  served  as  Assessor,  prov- 
ing a  capable  and  eflicient  officer. 

In  making  his  purchase  of  land  in  1884,  our 
subject  became  the  owner  of  a  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  on  sections  21  and  22,  Whit- 
more  Township.  To  this  he  has  since  added  until 
his  farm  now  comprises  three  hundred  acres  of 
well-improved  and  highly  cultivated  land.  There 
he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock-raising 
with  good  success.  He  began  life  empty-handed, 
and  by  his  own  unaided  efforts  has  worked  his 
way  upward.  He  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made 
man,  and  the  compliment  conveyed  in  that  term 
is  well  deserved. 


tILLIAM  LOWERY  FERGUSON,  who  is 
General  Manager  of  the  Citj-  Electric  Rail- 
way  of  Deeatur,  is  a  thorough  business 
man  in  the  fullest  sense  of  that  term,  and  is  one 
of  the  progressive  and  public-spirited  citizens  of 
Macon  County.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye 
State,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Xenia  on  the 
20th  of  July,  18f»3.  The  family  was  founded  in 
America  by  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  a  na- 
tive of  Scotland,  who,  with  his  four  brothers  crossed 
the  broad  Atlantic  to  America,  landing  in  New 
York,  where  they  separated.  James  Ferguson  first 
settled  in  the  Empire  State  and  afterward  removed 
to  Ohio.  He  met  his  death  while  driving  cattle 
from  Ohio  to  New  York,  being  frozen  to  death. 

The  parent*  of  our  subject,  Aurora  B.  and  Mary 
K.  (Holiday)  Ferguson,  were  both  natives  of  Ohio. 
The  former  was  a  carpenter  and  contractor,  and  a 
local  preacher  of  the  Methodist  Church.  In  1856 
Ire  emigrated  Westward  to  Fairfield,  Iowa,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  During  the 
war  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  Thirtieth  Iowa  In- 
fantry, in  1862,  was  made  Orderly-Sergeant,  rose 
to  the  rank  of  Captain,  and  as  such  was  mustered 
out  at  the  close  of  the  war,  after  three  years  of 
faithful  service.  He  was  born  May  23,  1818,  and 
died  February  10,  1879,  in  his  sixty-second  year, 


his  death  being  the  result  of  disease  contracted  in 
the  army.  His  first  wife,  who  was  born  July  25, 
1823,  died  June  26,  1864.  She  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church  and  a  very  earnest  worker 
in  its  interest.  The  family  numbered  five  sons 
and  two  daughters,  but  with  the  exception  of  our 
subject  the  only  one  living  is  Jennie,  wife  of 
Harry  L.  Holiday,  of  Deeatur.  Mr.  Ferguson  was 
again  married,  on  the  8th  of  November,  1865,  his 
second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Hester  L.,  widow  of 
Rev.  James  S.  Smith,  a  Methodist  minister,  and 
daughter  of  Tinley  and  Elizabeth  (Gray)  Brooks. 
Two  children  were  born  of  this  union:  Jessie 
Aurora,  wife  of  Thomas  Eagan,  an  attorney-at- 
law,  of  St.  Francis,  Kan.;  and  James  T.  B. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  child  of  only 
three  years  when  his  parents  removed  to  Iowa. 
He  was  reared  in  Fairfield,  there  remaining  until 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  acquiring  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  and  in  Fairfield  Col- 
lege. At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  began  learn- 
ing the  tinner's  trade,  serving  an  apprenticeship 
of  four  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  time  he 
established  himself  in  Deeatur  as  a  dealer  in  hard- 
ware, tinware  and  stoves,  and  followed  that  busi- 
ness for  about  fourteen  years.  During  the  last 
five  years  he  was  associated  with  B.  W.  Dillehunt. 
In  1886  they  sold  out  to  Lytle  &  Eckels,  who  still 
carry  on  the  business.  In  company  with  D.  S. 
Shellabarger  and  A.  E.  Kinney,  they  built  the  Cit- 
izens' Horse  Car  Line,  the  first  street  railway  of 
Deeatur.  A  year  before  selling  his  hardware  bus- 
iness, Mr.  Ferguson  took  charge  of  the  car  line  on 
account  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Kinnej^.  In  the  spring 
of  1889,  the  firm  built  the  first  electric  street  rail- 
way in  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  it  has  since  been 
in  successful  operation.  It  is  now  known  as  the 
City  Electric  Railway,  and  our  subject  is  its  Gen- 
eral Manager,  while  D.  S.  Shellabarger  is  its  Presi- 
dent. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  1874,  Mr.  Ferguson 
married  Miss  Catherine  J.,  daughter  of  Adam  and 
Leah  (Cormany)  I  mboden,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Their  family  numbers  two  children,  Gus- 
sie  I.  and  William  Fred.  The  mother  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Church  and  a  most  estimable 
lady,  whose  friends  throughout  the  community 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


445 


are  many.  Mr.  Ferguson  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
is  a  man  of  excellent  business  and  executive  abil- 
ity, sagacious  and  far-sighted,  and  straightforward 
and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings.  He  ranks  high 
in  both  business  and  social  circles,  and  he  is  well 
known  throughout  Decatur  as  one  of  its  promi- 
nent citizens. 


"jlp^AOMI  PIERCE  COLLINS,  M.  D.,  is  a 
111  skillful  physician  of  Decatur  and  one  of 
[li;Zt)  its  leading  citizens,  having  taken  a  promi- 
nent part  in  public  affairs.  She  claims  Kentucky 
as  the  State  of  her  nativity,  her  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Jessamine  County  August  25,  1861.  Her 
parents  were  James  and  Mary  Jane  (Gibney) 
Pierce,  both  natives  of  Kentucky.  During  the  in- 
fancy of  their  daughter  they  emigrated  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Adams  County.  The  father  afterward 
became  a  contractor  of  Decatur.  The  mother  died 
in  1883. 

The  maidenhood  days  of  the  daughter  were 
spent  under  the  parental  roof,  and  after  attending 
the  common  schools  she  entered  Chaddock  Col- 
lege, of  Quincy,  111.,  from  which  she  was  graduated 
in  the  Class  of  '79.  She  then  began  teaching  in 
Payson,  Adams  County,  where  she  was  employed 
two  years,  during  which  time  she  began  reading 
medicine  with  Dr.  L.  H.  Baker,  now  of  Chicago. 
A  love  of  the  medical  profession  seems  to  be  in- 
herent in  her  mother's  family,  and  our  subject 
early  evinced  a  taste  for  it.  She  had  made  a 
thorough  study  of  physiology  while  in  school  and 
had  determined  to  enter  the  medical  profession,  so 
after  continuing  her  reading  for  two  years  she  en- 
tered the  Woman's  Medical  College,  of  Chicago. 
Having  pursued  a  thorough  course  of  study,  she 
was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '85,  and  won  the  de- 
gree which  placed  her  in  the  medical  ranks. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Doctor's  father  had  lo- 
cated in  Griggsville,  and  she  began  practice  there, 


but  in  June,  1886,  she  came  to  Decatur  and  opened 
an  office.  From  the  beginning  she  has  enjoyed  a 
good  practice,  being  very  successful  in  her  treat- 
ments of  her  patients.  On  the  first  day  she  had 
three  patients,  and  from  that  time  forward  her 
business  has  steadily  increased.  She  has  given 
special  attention  to  the  diseases  of  women  and 
children,  and  being  a  close  student  she  keeps  herself 
well 'informed  on  every  thing  connected  with  her 
profession. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1890,  was  celebrated  the  mar- 
riage of  Dr.  Pierce  with  Dr.  Albert  Lawrence  Col- 
lins. They  both  continued  practice,  having  a 
joint  office.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Cap- 
ital District  Medical  Society  and  of  the  Central 
Illinois  District  Medical  Society.  She  stands  high 
in  the  profession,  having  rapidly  worked  her  way 
upward  to  a  position  of  prominence,  but  she  is  not 
only  a  leader  in  medical  circles,  for  since  1888  she 
has  been  Secretary  of  the  Equal  Suffrage  Associa- 
tion and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  promoting 
the  interests  of  that  organization.  She  assisted  in 
selecting  a  lady  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board 
of  Decatur,  the  first  to  serve  in  any  oflicial  posi- 
tion in  this  city.  Dr.  Collins  is  the  Secretary  of 
the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  and 
served  as  the  President  of  the  Young  Woman's 
Christian  Temperance  Union.  She  holds  member- 
ship with  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  is  President  of  its  Christian  Endeavor  Society. 
Socially,  she  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Eastern 
Star  No.  Ill,  of  Decatur,  and  is  a  charter  member 
and  also  the  Vice  Oracle  of  the  Royal  Neighbors 
of  America,  the  ladies'  auxiliary  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America. 


ETER   H.   BRUECK  is  a  wide-awake  and 
enterprising  real-estate  dealer  of  Decatur, 
who  since  1872  has  made  his  home  in  this 
city.      As    he.  is    widely    and    favorably 
known,  we  feel  assured  that  a  record  of  his    life 


446 


PORTRAIT  AND  ttOGfeAfftlCAL  RECORD. 


will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  He 
claims  Prussia  as  the  land  of  his  birth,  which  oc- 
curred in  Mandel,  on  the  Linden,  Mny  3,  185;"), 
his  parents  being  Peter  and  Catherine  (Baertges) 
Brueck.  When  our  subject  was  only  two  years  of 
age  his  parents  with  their  family  left  the  Father- 
land and  crossed  the  waters  to  the  New  World, 
locating  in  Belleville,  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  where 
the  father  engaged  in  farming.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years,  and  his  wife 
died  when  fifty-seven  years  of  age.  The  family 
numbered  nine  children,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Cath- 
erine Staudt,  of  Murphysboro,  Jackson  County, 
111.;  Anton,  a  machinist"  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Mary; 
wife  of  George  F.  Deeke,  an  architect  of  St.  Louis; 
Phillipene,  widow  of  Charles  II.  Prinlz,  a  saddler 
of  St.  Louis,  who  died  leaving  three  sons;  Marga- 
ret, wife  of  John  L.  Koontz,  of  Helena,  Mont.,  who 
is  interested  in  silvermining;  Christine, of  Helena, 
Mont.,  wife  of  William  Lorey,  a  dealer  in  artists' 
materials  and  supplies;  Peter  II.,  whose  name  heads 
this  record;  Emma,  wife  of  Gustave  Printz,  a  me- 
chanical engineer  of  St.  Louis;  and  Minnie,  who 
is  living  in  Helena,  Mont. 

Mr.  Brueck  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
reared  in  Belleville  until  seventeen  years  of  age, 
when  he  left  that  place  for  a  more  progressive  and 
enterprising  town.  While  there  lie  was  employed 
as  a  salesman  in  the  dry-goods  house  of  Linn  <t 
Westerman,  the  first-named  partner  of  which  af- 
terward became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Linn  & 
Scruggs,  of  Decatur.  On  leaving  Belleville,  Mr. 
Brueck  determined  to  make  his  home  in  this  city, 
and  with  his  stock  of  money  and  worldly  effects 
which  was  very  small,  he  started.  He  drove  cat- 
tle on  the  way  for  a  farmer  who  was  removing 
from  Belleville  to  Decatur,  and  for  several  nights 
after  his  arrival  in  Macon  County  he  slept  in  a 
shed.  He  went  to  his  old  employer,  Mr.  Linn, 
who  told  him  that  there  was  no  vacant  place  in 
his  employ,  but  he  would  try  and  get  him  a  posi- 
tion with  John  Ulrich,  a  grocer.  Before  he  had 
concluded  an}'  definite  arrangement  witli  Mr.  Ul- 
ricli,  however,  it  happened  that  Burn  urn's  circus 
was  announced  to  exhibit  at  Decatur.  Mr.  Linn, 
knowing  that  he  would  need  extra  help  in  the 
store  that  day,  had  Mr.  Brueck  come  over  and  as- 


sist. The  young  man  looked  rather  shabby,  his 
clothes  being  well  worn,  but  he  made  large  sales 
that  day,  and  the  next  morning  his  employer  came 
to  him  and  told  him  to  go  to  the  tailor's  and  get 
a  new  suit  at  his  expense.  He  then  gave  him  a 
permanent  position,  and  our  subject  remained  with 
that  house  for  ten  years,  being  one  of  their  most 
trusted  and  best  employes.  During  that  time  he 
formed  an  extensive  acquaintance  among  the  citi- 
zens of  Macon  Count}'. 

In  the  autumn  of  1880  Mr.  Brueck  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Annie  Haworth,  the  accom- 
plished daughter  of  L.  L.  Haworth,  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  this  place.  She  died  in  1887, 
leaving  a  son  only  four  days  old,  Haworth  L.  B. 

After  severing  his  connection  with  the  firm  of 
Linn  it  Scruggs,  Mr.  Brueck  formed  a  partnership 
with  L.  L.  Haworth,  and  engaged  in  the  coal, 
brick  and  tile  trade,  doing  a  prosperous  business 
for  some  time.  He  is  now  engaged  in  the  real- 
estate  business,  buying,  selling  and  exchanging 
property,  and  he  has  laid  out  four  additions  to 
the  city.  He  is  a  progressive  and  enterprising 
man  of  good  business  ability,  and  to  his  own  ef- 
forts is  due  the  success  of  his  life.  Social^,  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  in  re- 
ligious belief  is  an  Episcopalian.  His  pleasant, 
genial  manners  and  true  worth  have  made  him  one 
of  the  influential  and  representative  citizens  of 
his  adopted  country. 


flPS\ICHARD  J.  CLOUGII,  who  follows  general 
l^y  farming  on  section  8,  Maroa  Township,  is 
a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State.  He  was 
!  born  in  Jefferson  County  on  the  28th  of 
September,  1831,  and  came  to  Illinois  when  a 
young  child,  the  family  settling  in  Morgan 
County.  The  doughs  are  of  English  origin.  The 
father  of  our  subject,  Joseph  S.  dough,  was  born 
in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1800,  was  there  reared 
to  manhood,  and  on  the  13th  of  December,  1823, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


447 


was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann  C.  Makin, 
who  was  also  a  resident  of  Yorkshire,  England, 
and  a  daughter  of  Richard  and  Catherine  Macon. 
They  began  their  domestic  life  in  the  land  of  their 
nativity,  but  in  1829  they  bade  adieu  to  home 
and  friends  and  sailed  for  America.  They  first 
located  in  Ohio,  where  they  remained  until  1831, 
when  they  removed  to  Morgan  County,  III.  There 
they  made  their  home  until  185(5,  which  year  wit- 
nessed their  arrival  in  Macon  Countj".  Here  the 
father  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days,  his  death 
occurring  in  1881,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in  Ridge 
Cemetery,  his  loss  being  deeply  mourned.  His 
widow  is  still  living  and  now  makes  her  home  in 
Maroa,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one  years, 
and  is  the  oldest  lad}'  residing  in  that  place.  She 
is  a  faithful  Christian  and  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church  for  over  forty  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clough  traveled  life's  journey 
together  as  man  and  wife  for  more  than  sixty 
years,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with  a  family 
of  twelve  children,  as  follows:  Eliza  Ann,  Sarah 
Jane,  Emula.  Christiana  (who  died  in  infancy), 
Catherine  M.,  Richard  J.,  John  H., Christiana  (who 
is  deceased).  William  S.,  Edwin  and  Edward  (twins, 
both  deceased),  and  Barton  W. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  but  limited 
opportunities  for  securing  an  education,  as  he  was 
reared  upon  the  frontier/where  schools  were  few, 
and  as  his  services  were  needed  upon  the  home 
farm,  ye  started  out  in  life  for  himself  in  1869, 
having  remained  at  home  with  his  parents,  aiding 
them  in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm,  until  that 
time.  When  young  he  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade  and  followed  it  for  a  short  period,  but  has 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  his  life.  He  thoroughly  under- 
stands, everything  connected  with  farming,  and  in 
the  management  of  his  business  he  has  succeeded 
in  making  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  still  resides  on  the  old  homestead, 
which  comprises  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  excellent  land  and  is  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation,  yielding  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in 
return  for  his  care  and  labor. 

In  1860  Mr.  Clough  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sarah  Ann  Hayes,  who  died  in  1861,  and  was 


laid  to  rest  in  Ridge  Cemetery.  In  1876  he  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Louisa  C.  Davis,  who  was  born  in  Scott  County, 
but  was  reared  in  Macon  County,  111.  Six  chil- 
dren have  been  born  of  their  union:  Leila,  Arthur, 
Ethel,  Nellie,  Howard  and  Homer.  The  parents 
are  devoted  members  of  the  Methodist  Protestant 
Church  and  are  people  of  sterling  worth,  whose 
many  excellencies  of  character  have  won  them 
high  regard.  They  have  a  quiet  but  pleasant 
home  and  an  interesting  family.  In  politics  Mr. 
Clough  is  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles. 
His  life  work  is  one  of  which  he  may  be  proud, 
for  he  has  been  a  kind  and  devoted  son,  husband 
and  father,  and  has  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom 
business  or  social  relations  have  brought  him  in 
contact. 


eHARLES  GROSS,  proprietor  of  the  Hotel 
Brunswick,  which  is  situated  at  the  corner 
of  Wood  and  Water  Streets,  Decatur,  has 
but  recently  taken  charge  of  this  place,  succeeding 
W.  A.  Truax,  who  was  proprietor  for  three  years, 
yet  he  is  already  recognized  as  a  popular  and 
capable  landlord.  The  life  record  of  Mr.  Gross  is 
as  follows:  He  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  birth, 
which  occurred  in  Medina  County  on  the  19th  of 
September,  1856.  The  first  twelve  years  of  his 
life  were  spent  in  that  locality  and  his  education 
was  there  begun.  His  father,  Charles  Gross,  was  a 
farmer  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and  in  1865  came  to 
Macon  County,  111.,  accompanied  by  his  family. 
He  located  upon  land  in  Pleasant  View  Township 
near  Blue  Mound,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits  until  his  death.  He  was  called  to  his 
home  beyond  in  October,  1891,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
ty-two years,  and  many  friends  mourned  his  loss. 
His  widow  is  still  living  and  now  makes  her  home 
in  Blue  Mound. 

With  his  parents,  Charles  Gross  came  from  Ohio 
to  Illinois.  As  soon  as  old  enough  to  handle  the 
plow,  he  began  work  in  the  fields,  and  from  a  very 


448 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


early  age  he  had  charge  of  the  home  farm,  man- 
aging all  the  affairs  connected  with  it.  Desiring, 
however,  to  give  his  attention  to  other  pursuits 
than  that  of  agriculture,  in  1884  he  embarked  in 
the  grocery  trade  in  Blue  Mound,  which  he  carried 
on  for  two  years.  He  then  came  to  Decatur,  in 
1886,  and  opened  a  restaurant,  doing  business 
in  that  line  until  becoming  proprietor  of  the  Hotel 
Brunswick. 

On  the  26th  of  February,  1878,  in  Blue  Mound, 
111.,  Mr.  (iross  and  Miss  C.  M.  Young  were  united 
in  marriage.  The  lady  is  the  daughter  of  Benedict 
Young,  of  that  place,  and  is  of  German  birth,  but 
when  she  was  a  year  old  the  family  left  the  Father- 
land and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States. 
The  days  of  her  maidenhood  were  all  passed  in 
Illinois.  By  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife 
has  been  born  a  daughter,  Ella  May,  now  fourteen 
years  of  age. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Gross  is  a  supporter  of  Demo- 
cratic principles.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he 
lias  given  his  attention  and  time  to  his  business 
interests,  and  though  much  responsibility  was 
placed  upon  him  in  his  early  years, it  developed  a 
self-reliance  and  force  of  character  which  have 
stood  him  in  good  stead  in  his  later  life.  As  pro- 
prietor of  the  Hotel  Brunswick  he  is  meeting  with 
good  success.  This  house  contains  forty  sleeping 
apartments,  besides  parlors,  dining-rooms,  kitchen, 
sample-rooms,  etc.  There  is  already  a  good  list 
of  patrons,  and  we  have  no  doubt  that  the  business 
will  steadily  increase. 


OHN  DILLER,  who  holds  the  position  of 
superintendent  of  the  Decatur  Tile  Company 
of  Decatur,  claims  Pennsylvania  as  the 
State  of  his  nativity.  He  is  the  eldest  child 
in  the  family  of  Samuel  and  Rebecca  Diller,  a 
sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
The  place  of  his  biith  is  in  Cumberland  County, 
Pa.,  the  date  of  that  event  being  the  6th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1855.  His  father  was  an  agriculturist,  and  in 


the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  our  subject  was 
reared  to  manhood,  attending  the  district  schools 
during  the  winter  season  and  aiding  in  the  labors 
of  the  field  throughout  the  summer  months.  At 
length  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  West. 
Carrying  out  that  resolution,  he  came  to  Decatur 
in  1881,  and  has  since  made  his  home  in  this  city. 
After  his  arrival  in  Macon  County,  he  sought 
employment  and  secured  a  position  in  Shellabar- 
ger's  mills,  where  he  remained  for  four  years. 

While  there  employed,  Mr.  Diller  was  married, 
choosing  as  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's 
journey  Miss  Maggie  May  Oren,  who  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  Oren,  one  of  the  early  residents  of 
Decatur.  The  lady  was  born  and  educated  in  this 
city  and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
her  marriage.  Their  union  was  here  celebrated  on 
the  loth  of  April,  1885,  and  has  been  blessed  with 
one  child,  a  daughter,  Ida  O. 

Having  severed  his  connection  with  the  Shella- 
barger  mills  in  August,  1885,  Mr.  Diller  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Decatur  Steam  Tile  Company, 
and  after  working  in  the  yards  for  two  years, 
during  which  time  he  became  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  business  in  all  its  main  branches  and  its 
details,  he  was  made  superintendent,  which  position 
he  has  now  filled  for  six  consecutive  years,  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  the  company.  The  Deoatur 
Steam  Tile  Company  was  incorporated  on  the  1st 
of  September,  1882,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000, 
which  has  since  been  increased  to  $50,000.  At 
the  beginning  they  owned  thirteen  acresof  .land. 
Of  this,  twelve  acres  have  been  worked,  but,  having 
made  additonsd  purchase,  they  now  own,  eighty 
acres.  Only  about  three  and  a-half  feet  of  the 
surface  clay  can  be  used.  About  two  years  ago 
the  company  abandoned  the  manufacture  of  tile 
and  has  since  been  engaged  exclusively  in  the 
manufacture  of  vitrified  brick,  the  capacity  being 
something  like  twenty  thousand  daily.  Employ- 
ment is  given  to  about  twenty-five  men,  over 
whom  Mr.  Diller  has  sole  charge. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance in  this  community  and  their  hospitable  home  is 
ever  open  for  the  reception  of  their  many  friends. 
Mrs.  Diller  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 
In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Dillei  is  a  Republican, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


449 


and  though  he  manifests  an  interest  in  politics  he 
has  never  been  an  ottice-seeker,  preferring  to  de- 
vote his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business 
interests.  He  now  occupies  a  responsible  position, 
and  the  faithful  manner  in  which  he  discharges 
his  duties  has  won  him  universal  conlidence  and 
respect. 


IRAM  JOHNSON  is  the  senior  member  of  the 
^  firm  of  Johnson  &  Dimock,  real-estate  deal- 
ers of  Decntur.  He  claims  New  Hampshire 
as  the  State  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having 
there  occurred  on  the  22d  of  February,  1835.  He 
comes  of  an  old  family  of  English  origin,  which 
was  founded  in  America  by  four  brothers  who, 
crossing  the  Atlantic  in  an  early  day,  settled  in 
New  England.  The  grandfather,  Abraham  John- 
son, spent  his  entire  life  iu  Cornish,  Sullivan 
County,  N.  II.,  and  on  the  farm  on  which  he  lived 
was  born,  in  1808,  John  Johnson,  the  father  of  our 
subject.  After  the  latter  grew  to  manhood,  in  De- 
cember, 1832,  he  wedded  Orrel  Fletcher,  daughter  of 
Elizabeth  Fletcher.  She  was  born  in  Cornish,  N. 
H.,  in  June,  1813.  Our  subject's  maternal  grand- 
father, Ebene/er  Fletcher,  was  a  Revolutionary 
hero.  At  the  beginning  of  the  War  for  Indepen- 
dence, he  enlisted  us  a  private,  was  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  Ticonderoga  and  was  made  a  prisoner  by 
the  British. 

In  the  Johnson  family  were  only  two  children 
John  F.,  who  resides  on  the  old  home  farm  in 
Cornish,  N.  II.,  which  has  now  been  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  family  for  three  generations;  and  Hiram, 
of  this  sketch.  Under  the  parental  roof  our  sub- 
ject spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood,  and  acquired 
his  education  in  the  Kimball  Union  Academy,  in 
Meriden,  N.  II.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began 
teaching  in  the  old  Granite  State,  and  after  attain- 
ing his  majority  he  came  to  the  West,  locating 
near  Alton,  Madison  County,  111.,  where  he  follow- 
ed the  same  profession  until  the  war. 

Hardly   had  Ft,  Sumter  been  fired  upon  ere  Mr. 


Johnson  offered  his  services  to  the  Government  to 
aid  in  crushing  out  the  rebellion.  On  the  16th  of 
April,  18(51,  he  joined  Compaii}'  F,  Seventh  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  which  was  commanded  by  Capt. 
Cummings,  and  which  was  the  first  Illinois  regi- 
ment mustered  into  service  in  the  war.  The  troops 
were  stationed  at  Alton  and  Cairo,  and  at  the  end 
of  three  months  Mr.  Johnson  received  his  dis- 
charge in  Mound  City,  his  term  having  expired. 
Returning  to  his  home  he  resumed  teaching,  which 
he  followed  until  1864,  when  he  re-enlisted,  and 
was  assigned  to  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry.  His  meritorious 
conduct  won  him  promotion.  He  first  served  as 
Commissary-Sergeant  of  the  regiment,  later  as  Ser- 
geant-Major, afterwards  as  Second  Lieutenant 
and  finally  as  First  Lieutenant.  The  troops  were 
largely  engaged  in  garrison  duty  in  St.  Louis, 
having  charge  of  rebel  prisoners.  He  was  honor- 
ably discharged  at  Springfield  in  August,  1865. 

Ere  his  second  enlistment,  Mr.  Johnson  was 
married,  in  September,  1863,  in  Madison  County, 
to  Miss  Matilda  W.  Sanner,  a  native  of  that  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Sanner.  Her  father  re- 
moved to  Penn  Township,  Shelby  County,  in  1866, 
and  there  died  in  April,  1880.  Mr.  Johnson  en- 
gaged in  teaching  for  a  term  of  six  months  in 
Shelby  County  after  his  marriage,  and  then  turned 
his  attention  to  farming  in  that  county,  which  he 
successfully  followed  for  about  twenty  years.  He 
still  owns  two  fine  farms,  one  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  in  Shelby  County,  and  one 
of  two  hundred  acres  in  Macon  County,  all 
of  which  is  valuable  land.  In  1885,  he  camo 
to  Decatur  and  bought  an  interest  in  the  Dc- 
catur  Tile  Works,  to  which  business  he  devoted 
his  energies  for  some  years.  He  is  still  a  stock- 
holder in  the  company,  which  does  an  annual 
business  of  $30,000,  has  served  as  Vice-President 
and  is  now  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  In  1887,  he 
embarked  in  the  real-estate  business,  but  sold  out 
in  1892  to  Walter  Brothers,  and  in  August  formed 
his  existing  partnership  with  Mr.  Dimock.  They 
do  a  good  business  in  loan,  insurance  and  real 
estate,  being  one  of  the  leading  firms  in  their  line 
in  the  city.  Mr.  Johnson  is  also  interested  in  the 
Leader  Manufacturing  Company,  which  latter  is 


450 


PORTRAIT  ANT)  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  machinery  used  in 
brick  and  tile  works.  He  also  owns  stock  in  the 
Scott  Sweat  Pad  Manufacturing  Company. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  were  born  five  chil- 
dren: Edward  15.,  who  is  a  contractor  in  brick 
paving  and  does  a  large  business  in  Decatur  and 
adjoining  cities;  John,  who  died  October  9,  1880, 
at  the  age  of  seven  years;  Ada  M.  and  James  D., 
who  are  in  their  second  year  in  High  School;  and 
Nellie,  who  died  in  October,  1886,  at  the  age  of 
seven. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  local 
political  affairs.  On  the  death  of  A.  T.  Hill  he 
was  appointed  to  the  office  of  Supervisor  of  De- 
catur Township,  and  has  been  twice  elected  as 
Assistant  Supervisor.  He  also  has  served  as 
Assessor  and  School  Treasurer,  discharging  his 
duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  His  wife  is 
a  member  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps  of  Decatur, 
and  Mr.  Johnson  holds  membership  with  Dunham 
Post  No.  141,  G.  A.  R.,  and  Ionic  Lodge  No.  312, 
A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.  Himself  and  wife  are  faithful  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  he  serves  as  Trustee.  He  has  led  an  upright 
and  honorable  life,  well  worthy  of  emulation,  and 
his  successful  business  career  is  the  result  of  his  fair 
dealing,  as  well  as  of  his  good  management  and 
ably  directed  efforts. 


KYI  TOWL,  Vice-President  of  the  Citizens' 
National  Bank,  was  born  in  Evansport, 
Defiance  County,  Ohio,  on  the  10th  of 
March,  1848,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  be- 
came a  resident  of  Bryan,  Ohio.  The  public  schools 
of  his  native  State  afforded  him  his  educational 
privileges  and  he  completed  his  course  in  the  High 
Schools  of  Bryan.  He  manifested  special  aptitude 
for  his  studies,  was  a  thorough  student  and  was 
always  found  at  the  head  of  his  classes.  He  began 
to  teach  in  the  High  School  of  Bryan  one  term 
after  his  graduation,  and  remained  in  the  Buckeye 


State  until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  Piatt  County,  near  Cerro 
Gordo,  where  he  had  a  sister  living.  In  this  State 
he  began  teaching,  following  that  profession  in 
Piatt  and  Macon  Counties  for  ten  years.  In  the 
mean  time,  with  money  which  he  had  secured  in 
this  way,  he  purchased  land  in  Oakley  Township. 
He  had  only  $2  left  after  reaching  Illinois,  but  he 
was  regarded  as  a  very  able  instructor  and  could 
command  from  $45  to  $60  per  month,  which  was 
considered  excellent  wages  for  a  teacher.  Turn- 
ing his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  Mr. 
Towl  began  the  development  of  his  farm,  which 
he  cultivated  and  improved  until  1882.  It  com- 
prised one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land, 
which  he  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile  fields 
that  yielded  to  him  a  golden  tribute.  He  also  en- 
gaged in  stock-raising,  and  that  branch  of  his  bus- 
iness proved  a  success. 

On  the  21st  of  June,  1870,  Mr.  Towl  wedded 
Miss  Alice  Pick,  of  Cerro  Gordo,  Piatt  County, 
daughter  of  George  Pick,  who  is  now  living  in 
that  county  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  four  children, 
a  son  and  three  daughters:  Elmer  K.,  who  is  now 
pursuing  a  classical  course  in  the  State  University 
of  Michigan,  from  which  he  will  graduate  in 
18'J4;  Cora,  wife  of  J.  E.  Kennelly,  a  druggist  of 
Decatur;  and  Floy  and  Libbie,  who  are  at  home. 

On  coming  to  Decatur  in  1882,  Mr.  Towl  pur- 
chased twenty-four  acres  of  land  on  the  north  side 
of  the  city,  for  which  he  paid  $250  per  acre.  He 
has  since  platted  forty-eight  lots,  one-half  of  which 
he  has  sold  at  the  rate  of  $2,000  per  acre.  He  still 
retains  possession  of  twelve  acres  of  land  and  is 
engaged  in  gardening,  which  he  has  carried  on 
extensively  for  the  past  eight  years.  In  1892  his 
sales  from  the  twelve  acres  amounted  to  $1,720 
cash.  He  employs  two  men  and  is  enjoying  a 
nourishing  trade.  From  1882  until  1886  Mr. 
Towl  operated  a  dairy.  In  1887  he  sold  his  farm 
in  Oakley  Township  and  then  loaned  his  money 
until  the  15th  of  January,  1892,  when  he  became 
interested  in  the  Citizens'  National  Bank  with 
Milton  Johnson,  and  increased  its  capital  stock 
from  $100,000  to  $200,000.  In  January,  1893,  he 
was  elected  Vice-President,  and  lias  since  given 


LIBRARY 

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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


453 


his  attention  to  the  duties  of  the  office.  He  also 
owns  five  residences  in  the  city,  three  of  which  lie 
lias  built.  Mr.  Towl  supported  the  first  Presiden- 
tial candidate  of  the  Prohibition  party,  of  which 
he  has  since  been  a  stanch  advocate,  the  cause  of 
temperance  having  long  found  in  him  a  warm 
friend.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Decatur,  and  are 
highly  respected  citizens  of  the  community,  being 
held  in  warm  regard  by  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances. 


URCHARD  JENSEN,  who  is  engaged  in 
.  general  farming  on  section  7,  Decatur 
!  Township,  is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens 
that  Germany  has  furnished  Macon  County. 
He  is  a  native  of  Schleswig,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  the  city  of  Apcnrade,  August  17,  1843. 
He  is  a  son  of  F.  A.  Jensen,  a  merchant  and 
dealer  in  dry  goods,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in 
the  Fatherland.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Albertina  Ehlis,  and  unto 
herself  and  husband  were  born  four  children: 
Peter,  who  was  killed  in  the  war  with  France; 
Fredericka  and  Mary,  who  still  reside  in  Germany; 
and  Burchard  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Jensen  whose  name  heads  this  record  spent 
the  days  of  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  city  of  his 
nativity  and  acquired  his  early  education  under 
the  instruction  of  a  private  tutor,  after  which  he 
attended  college  in  Kiel  for  a  year  and  a-half.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period,  being  then  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  he  began  farming,  but  on  attain- 
ing his  majority  he  determined  to  seek  his  home 
and  fortune  in  America.  Carrying  out  this  reso- 
lution, he  went  to  Havre,  whence  lie  sailed  to  New 
York,  and  on  reaching  the  shores  of  the  New 
World  made  his  way  to  Illinois.  It  was  in  1865 
that  he  landed  in  Macon  County,  where  with  the 
exception  of  five  years  he  has  been  engaged  in 
farming  and  working  for  the  railroad  company, 
having  been  employed  for  ten  years  in  the  Wa- 

21 


bash  roundhouse  in  Decatur.  From  1856  to  1861 
he  was  in  Missouri  and  Texas,  but  returning  to 
this  county  has  since  made  it  his  home.  He  has 
now  spent  nine  years  upon  his  present  farm, which 
comprises  seventy-eight  acres  of  rich  land,  which 
yields  a  golden  tribute  to  the  care  and  cultivation 
of  the  owner. 

Mr.  Jensen  was  united  in  marriage  in  1873,  in 
Decatur,  with  Miss  Mary  Froriep,  a  native  of 
Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  who  carae  to  America  at 
the  age  of  foureen  with  her  parents,  the  family 
locating  in  Decatur.  By  the  union  of  our  subject 
and  his  wife  have  been  born  four  children:  Pau- 
lina, Walter,  Otto  and  Freda. 

While  in  his  native  land  Mr.  Jensen  entered  the 
German  army  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  as  a 
member  of  the  Second  Guard  Regiment,  and 
served  fourteen  months,  during  which  time  he 
participated  in  several  battles,  aiding  in  the  war 
between  Germany  and  Denmark.  In  politics  he  is 
a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party  and  his  first 
Presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Horace  Greeley.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  of  Decatur 
and  is  a  well-to-do  citizen,  who  by  his  own  efforts 
has  gained  a  pleasant  home  and  comfortable  com- 
petence. The  busy  years  of  his  life  passed  in  this 
locality  have  been  such  as  to  win  him  high  regard, 
and  he  now  has  many  warm  friends  throughout 
the  community. 


;ILLIAM  H.  THOMPSON,  who  is  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  on  section  15,  Ni- 
antic  Township,  is  a  native  of  Greene 
County,  111.,  his  birth  having  there  occurred  on 
the  17th  of  September,  1839.  The  family  is  of 
Irish  lineage.  The  grandfather,  William  Thomp- 
son, became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Kentucky, 
and  there  the  father,  James  Thompson,  was  born 
in  1803.  The  latter  came  to  Illinois  with  the 
family  about  1820,  and  became  a  pioneer  of  what 
is  now  Greene  County.  From  the  Government 
he  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  wild 


454 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


land  and  opened  up  a  farm,  devoting  his  time  and 
attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  throughout  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Susan 
Yates,  who  was  also  born  in  Kentucky,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  John  Yates.  The  death  of  our  subject's 
father  occurred  in  1880,  his  wife  having  passed  away 
several  years  previous.  This  worth}'  couple  had  a 
family  of  nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  three  sons  and  three  daughters  are 
now  living. 

William  H.  Thompson  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
lads,  and  in  the  common  schools  acquired  his  edu- 
cation. After  he  had  arrived  at  man's  estate  he 
engaged  in  farming  for  himself  on  the  home  farm 
for  several  3rears.  after  which  he  bought  land  in 
Greene  County,  a  tract  of  eighty  acres.  After 
operating  this  for  a  few  years,  he  sold  out  and 
went  to  Scott  County,  where  he  bought  a  good 
farm  of  eighty  acres,  upon  which  he  made  his 
home  for  thirteen  years.  Afterward,  in  1882,  he 
went  to  Christian  County  and  bought  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  three  acres  with  good  improve- 
ments. There  he  made  his  home  for  five  years 
when,  in  1888,  he  took  up  his  residence  upon  the 
farm  which  is  still  his  home.  He  first  purchased 
one  hundred  and  ten  acres,  and  afterward  added 
to  it  an  adjoining  tract  of  ninety  acres,  so  that 
now  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  fertile  land 
yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute.  The  farm  is  pleas- 
antly located  about  two  and  a-quarter  miles  from 
Niantic,  and  yields  to  the  owner  a  good  income  as 
the  reward  of  his  labors. 

In  Scott  County,  December  15, 1864,  Mr.  Thomp- 
son was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Akers,  who  was  born  in  Manchester,  that  county, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Akers.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  two  children:  Cora,  now  the 
wife  of  John  Elliott,  of  Moultrie  Connty, 111.;  and 
Fletcher,  who  aids  in  carrying  on  the  home  farm. 
The  mother  departed  this  life  in  December,  1891, 
aged  forty-seven  years,  and  lies  buried  in  Long 
Point  Cemetery. 

Devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  Democracy,  Mr. 
Thompson  has  cast  his  ballot  for  every  Presiden- 
tial nominee  of  that  party  since  he  deposited  his 
first  vote  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  1860.  He 


was  elected  Commissioner  of  Highways  in  1892, 
and  is  the  efficient  incumbent  of  that  office.  His 
wife  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  of  Ni- 
antic, and  he  holds  membership  with  the  same  re- 
ligious organization.  Though  he  started  out  in 
life  empty-handed,  he  is  now  well-to-do,  and  his 
success  can  be  attributed  entirely  to  his  own  efforts. 
He  has  known  no  other  home  than  his  native 
State,  and  in  the  communities  where  he  has  resided 
he  has  won  the  confidence  and  regard  of  all  by  a 
well-spent  life  and  honorable  career. 


OBERT  WOODS,  who  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  on  section 
10,  South  Whcatland  Township,  was  born 
y}  in  St.  Clair  County,  III.,  January  15, 1817, 
and  has  probably  resided  longer  in  the  State  than 
any  other  citizen  of  Macon  County.  His  grand- 
father was  John  Walker,  and  a  curious  incident 
occasioned  his  changing  his  name  to  Woods.  At 
the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  he 
lived  near  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  and  was  forced 
into  the  British  army,  but  two  days  before  the 
battle  of  Long  Island  he  deserted  to  join  the 
American  forces.  While  on  his  way  he  was  stopped 
by  a  man  who  claimed  to  have  authority  to  arrest 
him.  Mr. Walker  demanded  to  see  his  authority,  and 
when  the  man  began  to  fumble  in  his  pockets  for 
his  papers  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  knocked 
him  down  and  took  his  papers,  which  were  made  out 
in  the  name  of  John  Woods.  As  a  matter  of  pre- 
caution Mr.  Walker  took  this  name  as  his  own,  lest 
he  should  be  captured  and  put  to  death.  He  served 
throughout  the  struggle  for  independence  under 
that  name,  and  when  success  had  crowned  tjie 
efforts  of  the  Colonists  he  sent  for  his  family  to 
join  him.  He  then  went  to  Jefferson  County,  Ohio, 
and  his  son  John,  the  father  of  our  subject,  at  the 
age  of  ten  years  dropped  the  name  of  Walker  and 
took  that  of  Woods. 

The   father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  Jeffer- 
son County  and  the  passing  of  a  flatboat  changed 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


455 


the  whole  current  of  his  life,  for  upon  that  boat 
was  the  lady  who  became  his  wife.  He  boarded 
the  boat,  went  with  her  down  the  Ohio  River,  set- 
tled in  the  same  neighborhood,  and  they  were 
afterward  married,  locating  in  St.  Clair  County, 
111.,  about  the  beginning  of  this  century.  They 
experienced  much  trouble  with  the  Indians,  being 
among  the  pioneers  of  the  Slate.  The  father  died 
in  February,  1855,  when  more  than  eighty  years 
of  age.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Delilah 
Hill,  died  August  19,  1826,  when  our  subject  was 
a  lad  of  nine  years.  The  family  numbered  nine 
children:  William,  who  served  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War  at  Hock  Island;  Mary,  who  died  in  Wisconsin; 
John,  who  was  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  and  died 
in  St.  Clair  County,  May  19,  1875;  Peter,  deceased; 
Robert,  of  this  sketch;  George,  who  was  drowned 
in  the  Kaskaskia  River  in  1839;  Thomas,  who  died 
in  Central  City  in  1866;  Nancy,  who  died  in  Mis- 
souri; and  one  who  died  in  early  childhood.  For 
his  second  wife  the  father  of  our  subject  married 
Mrs.  Susan  McGuire,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife, 
and  she  had  a  daughter  and  son,  James  Marion 
(deceased),  and  Mrs.  Delilah  Holcomb,  of  St.  Clair 
County. 

John  Woods  deserves  further  mention  on  ac- 
count of  his  coolness  and  bravery  under  grave 
surroundings.  The  following  incident  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War  will  illustrate  his  character:  The  Ind- 
ians had  massacred  the  entire  Hall  family,  near 
Chillock's  Grove,  except  two  daughters,  who  were 
captured,  and  a  boy,  who  escaped  and  told  the 
soldiers.  The  daughters  were  afterward  restored 
by  treaty.  A  Mr.  Macumsum,  who  had  been  nearly 
killed  by  the  Indians,  was  being  carried  by  John 
Woods  and  three  others,  but,  desiring  a  drink  of 
water,  they  stopped  at  a  spring,  and  as  one  of  the 
party.  Mr.  McDaniels,  was  in  the  act  of  dipping 
up  the  water  he  was  killed  by  a  volley  from  the 
Indians,  who  lay  in  ambush.  Mr.  Macumsum 
was  left  and  the  men  fled.  All  had  escaped  ex- 
cept Mr.  Woods,  who  had  been  detained  by  try- 
ing to  catch  his  horse,  which  had  been  in  charge 
of  another  man,  who  on  hearing  the  firing 
dropped  his  hold  on  the  bridle  and  ran  off. 
Luckily,  however,  the  horse,  became  entangled  in 
the  bridle,  and  thus  enabled  Mr.  Woods  to  catch 


him  the  more  easily,  and  although  the  last  off  the 
ground  he  was  enabled  to  get  beyond  the  bullets 
of  the  Indians  and  escaped.  At  this  time  Benja- 
min Scott  (brother  of  Judge  John  M.  Scott,  who 
afterward  was  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  this 
State),  who  had  been  helping  to  carry  Mr.  Macum- 
sum, was  killed  and  decapitated,  his  head  being 
carried  off  by  the  redmen  as  a  trophy.  Mr.  Woods, 
however,  had  the  gratification  of  knowing  that  one 
Indian  scalp  had  been  taken  by  him.  He  brought 
it  to  his  home  and  it  is  kept  in  the  family  as  a  relic. 

Robert  Woods  spent  his  early  boyhood  in  the 
log  cabin  home,  but  on  the  deatli  of  his  mother 
the  family  was  scattered  and  the  children  were 
never  all  together  again.  For  six  years  he  lived 
with  a  Mr.  Ward.  The  advantages  of  his  youth 
were  very  meagre,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  lie 
began  working  as  a  farm  hand,  receiving  $7  per 
month  for  his  services.  For  ten  years  he  was  em- 
ployed in  that  capacity,  and  his  labors  were  long 
and  arduous.  At  length  he  took  up  eighty  acres  of 
school  land,  for  which  he  paid  $1.25  per  acre,  and 
afterward  entered  another  eighty-acre  tract. 

Mr.  Woods  was  married  March  16,  1843,  in  St. 
Clair  County,  to  Elizabeth  H.  Short,  daughter  of 
William  B.  and  Nancy  (Hill)  Short.  The  former 
was  born  in  Monroe  County  in  1804,  and  the  lat- 
ter was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  They  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm,  and  unto  them 
were  born  nine  children.  George  S.,  who  served 
in  the  army  under  Gen.  Sherman,  died  in  Macon 
County  in  1890,  leaving  a  son,  Robert  S.;  Joseph 
died  June  18,  1891,  leaving  three  children;  John 
married  Caroline  Cox,  afterward  wedded  Margaret 
Gooker,and  died  August  4, 1892;  William  died  in 
St.  Clair  County  at  the  age  of  twelve;  Benjamin  is 
also  deceased;  Alfred  W.,  who  wedded  Ada  Fin- 
ney,  of  Lincoln,  Neb., was  educated  in  Musselman's 
Business  College  and  is  a  teacher  of  architecture 
and  mechanical  drawing  in  the  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity. The  mother  of  this  family  died  December 
4,  1864. 

In  1866  Mr.  Woods  sold  his  farm  in  St.  Clair 
County,  and  coming  to  Macon  County  purchased 
his  present  farm,  then  comprising  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  acres,  to  which  he  has  since  added 
ninety-four  acres.  He  has  a  good  home,  has  set  out 


456 


POrlTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


many  shade  and  fruit  trees,  and  has  also  made  many 
other  useful  improvements, which  add  greatly  to  the 
value  and  desirability  of  the  place.  He  now  owns 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  this  county, 
but  rents  the  greater  part  of  his  land,  having  ac- 
quired a  comfortable  competence,  which  now  en- 
ables him  to  live  retired. 

Mr.  Woods  was  married  January  7,  1868,  to 
Miss  Ellen  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Dempsey  and 
Sarah  (Edwards)  Pope.  She  was  born  in  Wake 
County,  N.  C.,  December  30,  1817,  and  came  to 
Illinois  with  her  parents  at  the  age  of  ten.  She 
was  first  married  to  John  Elder,  and  they  had 
six  children,  of  whom  the  following  grew  to  ma- 
ture years:  Sarah  Jane;  Lavina;  Mary  E.,  wife  of 
William  Wilson,  of  Arkansas;  and  William  F.,who 
was  a  soldier  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Chickamauga,  causing  the  amputation  of  his 
arm.  Mrs.  Woods  had  two  brothers  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  both 
died  from  disease  contracted  in  the  service.  She 
remembers  seeing  President  Lincoln  in  a  wheat- 
field,  harvesting  his  grain  with  a  reaphook. 

Mr.  Woods  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
William  Henry  Harrison,  supported  Fillrnore  in 
1856,  voted  for  Lincoln  in  1860,  and  has  since 
affiliated  with  the  Republican  party.  lie  has  never 
been  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  at- 
tention to  his  business  interests.  He  may  truly  be 
called  a  self-made  man,  and  for  the  success  of  his 
life  he  deserves  great  credit. 


I'~l  OSEPH  N.  BAKER  has  long  been  connected 
with  the  mercantile  interests,  and  is  now 
connected  with  the  banking  interests,  of 
Decatur.  He  is  book-keeper  for  and  a 
director  of  the  Citizens'  National  Bank,  filling  the 
latter  office  on  its  organization.  The  entire  life 
of  our  subject  has  been  passed  in  this  locality,  and 
he  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Macoo 


County,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Long  Creek 
Township,  five  rniles  southeast  of  the  city,  on  the 
7th  of  May,  1844.  His  parents  were  Newton  N. 
and  Talitha  J.  (Hodge)  Baker,  who  owned  a  farm 
in  that  township  and  were  highly  respected  citi- 
zens of  the  community. 

Joseph  Baker  whose  name  heads  this  record  re- 
mained upon  the  home  farm  and  to  his  father  gave 
the  benefit  of  his  services  until  twenty-two  years 
of  age.  He  began  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  and  afterwards  attended  a  private  seminary 
in  Mt.  Zion.  Not  wishing  to  devote  his  entire 
life  to  agricultural  pursuits,  he  left  the  farm  when 
a  young  man  and  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in 
the  shoe  store  of  V.  Barber,  remaining  with  Mr. 
Barber  and  his  successor  for  five  years.  On  the 
expiration  of  that  period  he  became  book-keeper 
for  the  firm  of  Linn  &  Scruggs,  and  after  a  few 
months  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Barber, 
his  old  employer.  This  connection  was  established 
in  1872.  Under  the  firm  name  of  Barber  &  Baker, 
they  began  dealing  in  shoes,  and  for  eighteen  years 
they  carried  on  business  together,  their  relations 
being  mutually  pleasant  and  profitable.  In  1890, 
the  firm  retired  from  business. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  1878,  Mr.  Baker  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ida  Wicoff,  who  was 
born  in  Decatur  July  31,  1859,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  P.  M.  Wicoff.  Unto  them  were  born  two  chil- 
dren, but  they  lost  one  ia  infancy.  Alice  A., 
their  daughter,  is  now  ten  years  of  age.  The  par- 
ents are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Baker  is  an  advocate 
of  Democratic  principles  on  questions  of  national 
importance.  In  local  elections  he  votes  for  the 
man  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  the  posi- 
tion. He  takes  considerable  interest  in  civic  socie- 
ties and  is  an  active  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, belonging  to  Ionic  Lodge  No.  312,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.;  De- 
catur Council  No.  16,  R.  &  S.  M.;  Beaumanoir 
Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T.;  and  Decatur  Chapter 
No.  111,O.  E.  S. 

On  retiring  from  the  shoe  business,  Mr.  Baker 
entered  the  Citizens'  National  Bank  as  book- 
keeper. The  bank  then  did  business  under  the 
control  of  Casner,  Dawson  <fe  Co,  On  its  jncorpo- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


457 


ration,  the  present  name  was  assumed  and  our 
subject  became  one  of  its  stockholders.  He  was 
also  made  a  director  and  has  since  served  in  that 
capacity.  His  long  business  connection  in  Deca- 
tur  has  made  him  widely  known  throughout 
Macon  County,  where  he  is  regarded  as  a  man  of 
sterling  worth,  as  well  as  one  of  the  representa- 
tive and  progressive  citizens. 


£>ILLIAM  J.  CONDELL,  of  Decatur,  was 
born  in  County  C'arlow,  Ireland,  on  the 
\Vp\V/  19th  of  September,  1819,  and  when  a 
child  of  three  years  came  to  America  with  his  par- 
ents, Thomas  and  Jane  Condell.  His  father  was  a 
-wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  queensware  in 
Philadelphia,  where  William  spent  his  boyhood 
days.  During  part  of  the  time  lie  aided  his  father 
in  the  store,  but  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  came  to 
Illinois  and  began  clerking  for  an  older  brother  in 
Carrollton,  Greene  County,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  two  3'ears.  He  then  went  to  Spring- 
field, III.,  whence  he  came  to  Decatur,  about  1840, 
and  opened  a  branch  store  under  the  firm  name  of 
Condell,  Jones  &  Co.,  of  which  he  became  mana- 
ger. The  main  house  was  in  Springlield.  After 
about  five  years,  in  company  with  a  fellow-clerk, 
he  purchased  the  business,  carry  ing  it  on  under  the 
firm  name  of  Condell  &  Stamper.  Operations 
were  carried  on  in  that  way  for  two  years,  after 
which  Mr.  Condell  purchased  his  partner's  interest 
and  was  alone  for  some  time,  but  as  he  had  an  ex- 
tensive trade  and  the  management  was  too  great 
for  one  man,  a  partnership  was  again  formed  and 
operations  carried  on  under  the  name  of  Stamper, 
Elliott  &  Co.  During  the  same  time,  our  subject 
was  also  engaged  in  the  milling  business. 

The  merchandise  establishment  was  carried  on 
under  the  name  of  Stamper,  Elliott  &  Co.,  until 
the  death  of  Mr.  Elliott,  when  the  firm  became 
Stamper.  Quinian  <fc  Co.  Mr.  Quintan,  however, 
tetired  from  the  firm  in  1865,  and  it  then  became 


Stamper  &  Condell.  In  the  mean  time,  Mr. 
Condell  sold  out  his  milling  business  to  Mr.  Shell- 
abarger,  who  still  conducts  it.  In  1867,  the  mer- 
chandise stock  was  divided,  and,  accompanied 
by  his  sons,  Mr.  Condell  removed  to  Taylorville, 
wjierc  he  engaged  in  merchandising.  Some  fifteen 
years  ago  he  took  charge  of  the  Connecticut 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  and  has  since 
done  an  excellent  business  in  that  line. 

In  1845,  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Packard,  who  was  born  in 
Roj'alton,  Vt.,  March  14,  1827.  She  is  a  sister  of 
Silas  Packard,  and  a  daughter  of  Silas  and  Lydia 
(Pay son)  Packard,  the  former  a  native  of  Maine, 
and  the  latter  of  New  York.  They  emigrated  from 
the  Green  Mountain  State  to  Illinois  in  1830,  in 
company  with  the  Hunting  and  Dunham  families. 
The  father  had  visited  this  locality  the  previous 
year  and  entered  land.  Six  weeks  after  his  arrival, 
in  1830,  his  death  occurred.  He  had  begun  a 
house  where  the  Arcade  store  now  stands,  and  this 
his  widow  completed,  making  it  her  home  for  some 
time.  She  then  removed  to  a  farm,  where  she 
spent  her  last  days.  After  the  death  of  her 
parents,  Elizabeth  lived  with  her  guardian,  Joseph 
Williams,  for  a  time,  but  afterwards  made  her 
home  with  her  brothers  and  sisters  until  her  mar- 
riage. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Condell  were  born  three 
children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter:  William  is 
connected  with  the  Board  of  Trade  and  is  engaged 
in  the  patent-medicine  and  baking-powder  busi- 
ness in  St.  Louis.  Charles,  a  traveling  salesman 
of  St.  Louis,  died  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
three  years.  He  had  married  Miss  Dora  Hall,  a 
native  of  New  York,  who  is  also  deceased.  They 
had  two  children:  May,  a  young  lady  of  sixteen 
years;  and  Lorn,  fourteen  years  of  age.  Both  are 
living  with  their  grandparents.  The  only  daugh- 
ter of  our  subject  and  his  wife  is  Lou,  who 
married  John  Young,  of  Decatur. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Condell  are  among  the  oldest 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  he  was  Trustee  for  some  3-ears.  He  has  also 
held  other  offices,  and  is  a  local  preacher.  He  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  both  church  and  Sunday- 
school  work  and  has  done  much  for  the  upbuild- 


458 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ing  of  the  cause.  Socially,  he  is  a  Knight-Templar 
Mason,  and  in  politics  was  formerly  a  Whig  and 
then  a  Republican,  but  now  supports  the  Democratic 
party.  His  life  has  been  well  and  worthily  spent, 
and  his  career  has  been  an  honorable  and  upright 
one,  well  worthy  of  emulation.  He  came  to 
Decatur  in  a  very  early  day  and  for  half  a  century 
has  witnessed  its  growth  and  progress. 


AMUP;L  K.  SHAFFER  was  a  well-known 

citizen  of  Decatur.  He  was  born  in  Bu- 
cyrus,  Ohio,  on  the  4th  of  January,  1831, 
and  was  the  son  of  George  and  Hannah 
(King)  Shaffer,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Buck- 
eye State.  They  had  a  family  of  five  children: 
William  Harrison,  Samuel  K.,  Francis  Marion, 
Senith  A.  and  Mary.  One  daughter  died  in  in- 
fancy, but  the  others  grew  to  mature  years.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  a  resident  of  Bellefon- 
taine,  Ohio.  He  enlisted  as  a  soldier  for  the  War 
of  1812,  and  died  on  his  way  home  from  New  Or- 
leans after  that  struggle. 

Samuel  K.  Shaffer  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  in  Belief  on  taine,  acquired  his  education 
in  its  public  schools,  and  there  learned  the  tailor's 
trade.  On  the  21st  of  June,  1859,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Erie  M.  Shaffer,  daughter 
of  Tobias  and  Mary  Shaffer,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  By  the  union  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife  were  born  nine  children,  five 
sons  and  four  daughters,  namely:  Mariva  R.,  Mag- 
gie, Fanta  F.  and  Denver  H.,  all  of  whom  are  now 
deceased;  Frank,  a  carpenter  of  Decatur,  who 
married  Miss  Lucy  Walker;  Richard  T.,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  Lulu  E.  Huff,  and  with  his  wife  and  two 
children,  Leta  May  and  Ralph  T.,  resides  in  Deca- 
tur; Charley,  Guy  and  Valley  F.,  who  complete 
the  family. 

Mr.  Shaffer  first  came  to  Decatur  in  1858,  and 
purchased  property  in  this  city.  He  then  returned 
to  Ohio,  but  the  following  year  again  came  to 


Illinois,  was  married  in  Clinton,  this  State,  and 
immediately  afterward  brought  his  wife  to  Deca- 
tur. He  was  well-to-do,  and  after  locating  in  this 
city  he  erected  a  number  of  houses,  which  he  rented, 
devoting  his  energies  to  the  real-estate  business. 
He  also  owned  a  farm  of  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  acres  near  Maroa,  upon  which  the  family  re- 
sided for  two  years,  but  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  sold  the  farm  and  they  returned  to  De- 
catur, where  Mr.  Shaffer  made  his  home  until  his 
death.  He  passed  away  December  22,  1891,  when 
almost  sixty-two  years  of  age.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  was  a  man  whose 
honorable  and  upright  life  won  for  him  high  re- 
gard, and  at  his  death  he  left  his  family  the  priceless 
heritage  of  a  good  name.  Mrs.  Shaffer  now  owns 
a  pleasant  residence  at  No.  6'20  West  North  Street, 
together  with  other  city  property.  She,  too,  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church  and,  like  her 
husband,  delights  in  doing  good. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Shaffer  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  in  an  early  day  removed  to  Ohio, 
locating  in  Lima,  where  he  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1852.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
to  which  his  widow  also  belongs.  She  is  now  liv- 
ing with  her  daughter  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  has 
reached  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy-nine  years. 
In  their  family  were  nine  children:  George  and 
Miles,  both  deceased;  William;  Jacob;  Adolphus; 
Anna,  wife  of  S.  K.  Smith,  of  Toledo;  Amelia  and 
Angeline,  both  deceased;  and  Erie  M.,  widow  of 
Samuel  K.  Shaffer. 


J~~|  OHN  C.  GOOD,  a  gardener  residing  on  sec- 
I    tion  9,  Decatur  Township,  was  born  Decem- 
|    ber   29,  1837,  in  York  County,  Pa.,  where 
his    parents,  Peter  and    Catherine  (Zuger) 

Good,  spent  their  entire  lives.  The  father  fol- 
lowed tlu  occupation  of  fanning,  and  died  in  his 
native  county  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL,  RECORD. 


459 


years.     He  was  a  member  of  the  Dunkard  Church,  a 
straightforward,  upright  man  and  a  good  citizen. 
He  voted   first  with  the  Whig    party,  and  on   its 
dissolution  became  a  Republican.     His  wife  was  of 
German  descent,and  died  longagoon  the  old  farm. 
In  the  family  were  nineteen  children.     Two  of  the 
children,  Mrs.  Matilda    Kister    and  Mrs.    Maggie 
Trimmer,  are    still  living  in  this  county;    David 
served  among  the  boys  in   blue  of  the  late   war  as 
a    member    of  a    Pennsylvania    regiment;    three 
brothers  and  nine  sisters  are  now  living  in  Penn- 
sylvania; one  sister  is   in   Ohio  and  one  in  Kan- 
sas; and  the    remaining   brother   is  in  Oklahoma. 
By    attending    school    during    the    three-months 
session,  which  was  held  in  the  winter  season,  and 
making    the  most    of    his    privileges,  our  subject 
became  a  well-informed  man.     He  was  thoroughly 
trained    in  all    kinds   of  farm    labor,  and   to  his 
father  he  gave  the  benefit  of    his  services    until 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  when  he  began  to  labor 
in  his  own  interest.     In  1859,  he  went  to  Indiana. 
He  had  saved  just  enough  money  for  his  traveling 
expenses,  and  for  a  year  after  his  arrival  he  worked 
for  an  uncle  in  Hamilton  County,  chopping  wood, 
etc.     The    year     1860    witnessed    his    arrival    in 
Decatur,  111.     He  worked  as  a  farm   hand  by  the 
month    until   1861,  when  he   began    farming  for 
himself,  but  on  the  6th  of  August  he  laid  aside  all 
business  cares  to  enter  the  service  of  his  country. 
Mr.  G.ood  enlisted  at  Decatur  in  Company  B, 
Forty-first  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  sent  to  St. 
Louis,  where  they  guarded  an  arsenal.    From  there 
they    wont    to    Bird's    Point   and  Paducah    and 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Ft.  Henry  and  Ft. 
Donelson,  where  the  regiment  lost  heavily.     Mr. 
Good  was  shot  in  the  jaw  and  also  suffered  much 
from  exposure,  the  troops  having  to  lie  unprotected 
on  the  ground   when  the  thermometer  was  below 
the  freezing  point.     His  term  of  service    having 
expired,    he    le-enlistcd    with    his   regiment    as  a 
veteran  and  went  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated 
march  to  the  sea.    He  took  part  in  all  the  battles  of 
the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  when  the  war  was-over 
he  participated  in  the  Grand  Review  at  Washington. 
On  his  return  home  Mr.  Good  engaged  in  farming 
in  this  count}'  for  two  years,  and  then  went  to 
Piatt  County,  where  he  bought  sixty  acres  of  land 


that  was  still  in  its  primitive  condition.  He 
afterwards  added  to  this  another  sixty-acre  tract 
and  made  of  it  a  fine  farm,  putting  many  good 
improvements  upon  it.  In  1882,  he  removed  to 
Decatur,  where  he  spent  one  year,  and  has  since 
lived  upon  his  present  farm,  where  he  devotes  his 
time  to  the  raising  of  fruits  and  berries.  He  has 
made  his  own  way  in  life,  and  has  acquired  a 
comfortable  competence.  In  Decatur,  in  1866, 
Mr.  Good  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Comfort  Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and 
during  childhood  came  to  Illinois.  They  are  both 
members  of  the  Church  of  God,  give  liberally  to 
its  support,  and  are  faithful  and  active  workers  in 
the  Master's  vineyard.  Our  subject  has  lived  an 
upright  and  honorable  life,  worthy  the  high  regard 
in  which  he  is  held,  and  his  name  is  an  index  to 
his  character. 


JOHN  N.  BILLS,  a  leading  and  influential 
citizen  of  Decatur,  is  a  self-made  man,  who 
I    started  out  in  life  with  limited  means.  The 
difficulties  in  his  path  he  has  overcome  by 
determined    will   and    energy,   and  the  obstacles 
have  only  served  as  stepping-stones  to  something 
higher.     Steadily  working  his  way  upward,  he  has 
at  length  attained  to  a  position  of  affluence,  and 
is  numbered  among  the  substantial  residents  of 
Decatur. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Troy,  Rensselaer  County, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  5th  of  January,  1830,  and  comes 
from  an  old  family  of  the  Green  Mountain  State. 
His  grandparents  made  their  home  .in  Vermont, 
and  in  that  State  his  father,  John  A.  Bills,  was 
born  and  reared.  When  a  young  man  he  went  to 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing, and  in  1855  he  came  to  Illinois,  purchasing  a 
farm  near  Ramsey.  Fayette  County,  where  the 
closing  years  of  his  life  were  passed.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Vermont  to  Miss  Dorothy  Gleason,  who 
was  born  in  that  State  in  January.  1800.  His 
death  occurred  in  December,  1857,  and  his  wife 


460 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


passed  away  in  January,  1885.  Mrs.  Bills  had 
several  brothers  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  The 
family  numbered  seven  children:  Celestia,  who 
died  in  California;  John,  of  this  sketch;  Gardner, 
who  is  traveling  for  a  Chicago  house  and  makes 
his  home  in  South  Dakota;  George,  who  with  his 
brother  Gardner  served  in  the  late  war,  and  for 
several  years  has  been  engaged  in  dentistry  in 
Chicago;  Sylinda  Marcella,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
three  years;  Otto,  who  died  in  childhood;  and 
Charles  Gleason,  who  died  at  about  seven  years  of 
age. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  in  his  na- 
tive city  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  acquired 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  in  the 
Polytechnic  Institute.  In  1848  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia with  his  father.  They  made  their  way 
through  Mexico,  crossed  that  country  on  mule- 
back,  and  then  went  by  ship  to  San  Francisco, 
•where  the  father  remained.  Our  subject,  however, 
went  into  the  mines  and  spent  two  and  a-half 
years  engaged  in  hunting  for  the  precious  dust. 
He  was  quite  successful  in  his  undertaking,  send- 
ing home  to  his  mother  $5,000,  every  dollar  of 
which  was  saved  by  her.  He  returned  by  way 
of  the  Nicaragua  route  and  by  boat  to  New  York, 
where  he  arrived  on  his  twenty-first  birthday.  In 
the  fall  of  1852,  he  went  to  St.  Louis  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  .of  dentistry.  In  1855  he 
took  up  his  residence  in  Ramsey,  Fayette  County, 
where  he  opened  a  store,  which  he  carried  on  until 
1859.  In  that  year  he  made  a  permanent  location 
in  Decatur.  Opening  a  dental  office,  he  continued 
practice  in  that  line  until  1865,  since  which  time, 
having  gathered  together  quite  a  competence,  he 
has  lived  a  retired  life.  He  still  owns  considerable 
property  in  Decatur,  including  forty  lots  and  resi- 
dences in  the  city,  and  he  also  loans  money. 

Mr.  Bills  was  married  on  the  25th  of  May,  1853, 
in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Arrozina  Fuller,  daughter 
of  George  and  Hulda  (Bruce)  Fuller.  The  parents 
were  natives  of  Vermont,  but  removed  to  Troy  in 
1833,  and  came  to  the  West  in  1856,  locating  in 
Vandalia.  They  afterward  removed  to  Ramsey, 
and  their  last  days  were  spent  in  Decatur.  Mrs. 
Bills  was  born  in  the  Green  Mountain  State,  but 
was  quite  young  when  her  parents  removed  to 


New  York.  Her  education  was  acquired  in  the 
city  schools  of  Troy.  She  has  one  brother  living 
in  Peoria,  and  another  brother,  Phil  C.  Fuller, 
makes  his  home  in  Chicago.  Her  sister,  Mrs.  Mary 
Huffman,  makes  her  home  in  Decatur.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bills  had  a  son,  George  Clarence,  who  died  in 
1860,  at  the  age  of  six  years.  The}-  have  an 
adopted  daughter,  Addie,  who  has  made  her  home 
with  them  since  her  third  year. 

During  the  war  Mr.  Bills  served  as  Revenue 
Collector,  being  appointed  to  that  position  by 
President  Lincoln,  and  he  proved  a  capable  and 
efficient  officer.  In  politics,  he  was  originally  a 
Democrat  and  later  belonged  to  the  Know-Nothing 
party.  In  I860  he  supported  Bell,  and  since  that 
time  has  voted  with  the  Republican  party.  For 
many  years  his  wife  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  its 
work.  They  are  both  highly  respected  citizens, 
who  hold  an  enviable  position  in  the  circles  of 
society  in  which  they  move. 


W.  CARMEAN  is  a  native  of 
Macon  County,  having  been  born  on  the 
j  old  homestead  farm  in  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship, February  6,  1856,  and  he  now  resides  within 
a  short  distance  of  that  place,  on  section  30.  In 
the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  he  was  reared  to 
manhood,  his  educational  privileges  being  afforded 
b}'  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood.  He  remained 
upon  the  home  farm  until  twenty-one  3'ears  of  age, 
giving  his  father  the  benefit  of  his  services,  and 
then  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  engaged 
in  fanning  on  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  of  land, 
which  he  afterwards  traded  for  the  old  homestead. 
He  now  cultivates  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  fine  land,  all  of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  It  is  also  well  improved  with  a  sub- 
stantial residence,  good  barns  and  all  the  other 
accessories  of  a  model  farm. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1877,  Mr.   Carmean 
married    Miss  Eliza    Gott,  a    native   of   Sullivan 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


461 


County,  Ind.,  and  a  daughter  of  Richard  and 
Cassandra  Gott,  with  whom  she  came  to  Illinois 
when  a  maiden  of  fifteen  years.  Five  children 
have  been  born  of  their  union:  Lillie  Maud, 
James  Melvin,  Lola  May,  Lester  George  and  John 
Henry.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church;  they  contribute  liberally  to 
its  support  and  take  an  active  part  in  its  upbuild- 
ing. Mr.  Carmean  exercises  his  right  of  franchise 
in  support  of  the  Republican  party,  with  which 
he  has  been  identified  since  casting  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  Gen.  Garfield.  He  is  a  valued 
citizen  of  the  community  and  a  public-spirited  and 
progressive  man. 

Mrs.  Carmean 's  father,  Richard  Gott,  was  born 
in  Carlisle,  Sullivan  County,  Ind..  July  4,  1828. 
His  grandfather,  William  Gott,  who  was  a  native 
of  Germany,  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania,  thence  to 
Kentucky,  and  later  to  Sullivan  County,  Ind., 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Lewis 
Gott,  the  father  of  Richard,  was  born  in  the  Key- 
stone State,  and  went  with  the  family  to  Indiana 
in  pioneer  days.  He  married  Miss  Eliza  Groves, 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Lucinda  Groves,  who 
were  natives  of  Germany.  He  followed  farming 
throughout  his  life,  and  died  in  Taylorville,  Ind., 
in  1883,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years,  having 
been  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  His  wife 
still  lives  in  Indiana.  To  herself  and  husband 
were  born  the  following  children:  Mrs.  Mary  Ann 
Mosher,  of  Indianapolis;  Sarah,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Richard  Smock,  and  died  in  Indianapolis; 
Richard;  Mrs.  Catherine  Lane,  of  Greene  County, 
Ind.;  Mrs.  Margaret  Chilton,  of  Indianapolis;  and 
Thomas,  who  is  living  in  Greene  County. 

Richard  Gott  was  born  in  the  log  cabin  home 
and  reared  on  the  frontier.  His  educational  priv- 
ileges were  limited,  but  he  early  learned  to  make 
rails  and  swing  the  scythe  and  cradle.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
and  then  began  working  by  the  month  as  a  farm 
hand  for  $12  per  month.  This  was  the  first 
money  he  ever  earned.  He  was  married  January 
16,  1853,  in  Sullivan  County.  Ind.,  to  Miss  Cas- 
sandra Ilanley,  who  was  born  August  2,  1838,  in 
the  Iloosier  State.  Their  union  was  blessed  with 
the  following  children:  John,  who  married  Miss 


Harrington,  and  is  a  farmer  of  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship; Mrs.  Eliza  Carmean;  Edward  and  Lucy,  both 
deceased;  and  Charles,  an  intelligent  young  man 
of  seventeen  years,  whose  scholarship  is  the  second 
in  rank  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Gott  was  numbered  among  the  boys  in  blue, 
enlisting  August  2,  1862,  as  a  member  of  Company 
C,  Fifty-ninth  Indiana  Infantry,  Col.  Alexander 
commanding.  The  regiment  was  organized  at  Gos- 
port,  and  sent  to  Mississippi.  The  first  battle  in 
which  Mr.  Gott  participated  was  that  of  Corinth, 
and  he  was  also  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  took 
part  in  the  battles  of  Jackson,  Champion  Hills, 
Missionary  Ridge,  Chattanooga  and  the  Atlantic 
campaign,  also  in  the  battle  of  Antietam  and  the 
march  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  He  was  one  of 
the  honored  boys  in  blue  and  participated  in  the 
Grand  Review  in  Washington,  where  the  victo- 
rious troops  paraded  the  city.  While  foraging 
about  eight  rnilcs  from  Memphis,  the  regiment 
was  captured  and  lost  nearly  half  its  men. 

On  the  close  of  the  war,  when  the  country  no 
longer  needed  his  services,  Mr.  Gott  returned  to 
his  home  in  Sullivan  County,  Ind.,  and  in  1873 
came  with  his  family  to  Illinois,  since  which  time 
he  has  carried  on  farming  in  Macon  and  Piatt 
Counties.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Christian  Church  of  La  Place.  He  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Pierce  in  1852,  and  has  since 
been  a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  is 
a  man  held  in  high  respect  throughout  the  com- 
munity where  he  makes  his  home,  for  his  life  has 
been  well  and  worthily  spent. 


eHARLES    L.    JONES,    who    is    numbered 
among  the  leading  and  influential  agricul- 
turists of  Maroa  Township,  resides  on  sec- 
tion 15,  where  he  has  a  highly  improved  farm.    A 
native  of  Illinois,  he  was  born  in  Morgan  County 
on  the  3d  of  April,    1848,  and   is  of   English  de- 
scent.    His   father,  Joseph  Jones,  was  a  native  of 


462 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


England,  and  when  a  lad  of  only  six  summers 
crossed  the  briny  deep  with  his  parents  to  Amer- 
ica. The  family  located. first  in  Pennsylvania, and 
there  remained  for  a  few  years,  after  which  they 
removed  to  Ohio.  In  the  Buckeye  State  Joseph 
Jones  wedded  Miss  Mary  Loveless.  Mr.  Jones,  who 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War,  in  an  early  day 
came  to  Illinois  and  was  a  resident  of  Maroa, 
where  he  held  different  offices  of  public  trust  for 
many  years.  He  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  over  twenty-four  years  in  the  town  of  Maroa, 
and  proved  a  most  efficient  officer,  as  his  long  term 
indicates.  He  died  in  1886,  and  lies  buried  in 
Maroa  Cemetery.  His  wife  is  still  living  and  re- 
sides in  Maroa.  This  worthy  couple  were  the  par- 
ents of  thirteen  children:  Elizabeth,  who  died  and 
was  buried  in  Ohio;  Mary  Ann,  deceased,  who  was 
laid  to  rest  in  Ridge  Cemetery;  Esther  Jane,  who 
died  and  was  buried  in  the  same  cemetery;  Jos- 
eph K.,  who  is  living  in  Kansas;  Charles  L.,  of 
this  sketch;  Martha  Jane,  who  died  and  was  bur- 
ied in  Decatur  Cemetery;  Sarah  Isabel,  wife  of 
Aaron  Sayer,  a  resident  of  Kansas;  Alexander  and 
Pha-be,  who  are  both  deceased,  and  were  interred 
in  Ridge  Cemetery;  Charlotte,  wife  of  Wilbur 
Fawkes,  a  resident  of  Chicago;  Emma,  wife  of 
Aaron  llorick,  who  makes  his  home  in  Kansas;  Ed- 
ward, who  is  living  in  Oklahoma;  and  Frederick 
II.,  who  resides  in  Maroa. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Macon  County.  The  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  were  quietly  passed  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  farmer  lads.  He  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self in  1868,  and  the  same  year  chose  as  a  compan- 
ion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  Miss  Isyphena 
Lingle,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois with  her  parents  when  quite  young.  Two 
children  have  been  born  of  their  union,  Rozella 
M.  and  Charles  J.,  both  of  whom  were  educated  in 
Maroa,  and  are  still  with  their  parents  on  the  old 
home  farm. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Jones  is  a  Republican, 
but  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  of- 
fice-seeking. Social!}',  he  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 


men and  Knights  of  the  Globe.  Himself  and  wife 
are  worthy  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  are  active  workers  in  its  interest. 
The  farm  upon  which  they  reside  comprises  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land,  supplied 
with  good  buildings  and  all  modern  improvements 
and  conveniences.  They  have  here  a  beautiful 
and  attractive  home,  and  this  happy  family  has 
the  good-will  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  them. 


S.  SHELLABARGER  is  a  very  progress- 
ive man,  and  in  point  of  enterprise  is  un- 
doubtedly the  foremost  spirit  of  Decatur. 
He  has  been  a  promoter  of  many  of  the 
leading  industries  of  the  city,  and  was  the  prime 
mover  in  securing  the  original  street  railwa}-. 
He  is  now  the  principal  stockholder  and  President 
of  the  City  Electric  Railway  Company,  and  is 
also  President  of  the  Shellabarger  Mill  and  Elevator 
Company,  which  corporation  he  and  his  sons  own. 
Besides  the  large  mill  and  three  elevators  in  Deca- 
tur, the  company  has  an  elevator  at  Cerro  Gordo, 
and  one  at  Milmine,  Piatt  County. 

Our  subject  comes  from  an  old  Pennsylvania 
family,  and  for  three  generations  back  his  ances- 
tors have  been  millers.  His  grandfather  built  a 
watermill  on  the  Canadaguinett  Creek,  in  Cum- 
berland County,  Pa.,  about  1820,  and  it  remained 
in  the  possession  of  the  family  until  about  five 
years  ago.  The  Shellabargers  came  originally 
from  Switzerland,  where  they  belonged  to  the 
military  class,  and  the  name  was  originally  Von 
Schellenburg.  Three  brothers  of  the  family  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  located  in  York  Count}-,  Pa. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  David  Shellabarger, 
was  a  miller  and  also  a  farmer.  David  S.,  our  sub- 
ject, grew  up  on  the  home  farm  in  Cumberland 
County,  Pa.,  where  he  was  born  July  11,  1837. 
He  worked  in  the  fields  or  in  the  mill  until  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  but  in  1856  he  became  imbued 
with  a  desire  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  West.  He 
followed  Horace  Greeley's  advice,  and,  journeying 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


463 


toward  the  setting  sun,  at  length  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Decatur,  where  he  worked  in  a  lumber- 
yard at  $1.25  per  day.  Subsequently  he  purchased 
an  interest  in  the  business,  but  in  1859  he  disposed 
of  that  and  purchased  an  interest  in  a  little  mill, 
then  known  as  the  Henkle&  Condell  Mill.  When 
he  entered  the  firm  the  name  was  changed  to 
Ilenkle,  Shellabarger  &  Co.  They  did  a  successful 
business  for  four  years,  and  on  the  expiration  of 
that  period  Mr.  Shellabarger  sold  out. 

In  1861,  our  subject  bought  an  interest  in  the 
mill  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  Shel- 
labarger mills  and  elevators.  For  several  years  he 
supplied  the  local  trade,  making  flour  for  the 
farmers  and  others  living  within  twenty  or  thirty 
miles  of  Decatur.  He  had  two  partners  in  the 
business:  his  uncle.  Isaac  Shellabarger,  and  Benja- 
min Dillehunt.  Several  changes  occurred  in  the 
firm,  and  in  1888  the  present  company  was  incor- 
porated, under  the  name  of  the  Shellabarger  Mill 
and  PMevator  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$150,000.  As  the  business  increased,  the  capacity 
of  the  mill  was  also  enlarged.  This  was  the 
first  mill  in  the  State  to  venture  rolls  on  fall 
wheat.  The  Shellabarger  mills  are  so  well  known 
that  it  seems  almost  needless  to  say  that  they  are 
provided  with  all  modern  improvements  and 
equipments  and  with  the  very  best  improved  rol- 
ler process  machinery.  The  machinery  through- 
out is  large  and  heavy,  thus  giving  the  mill  a  great 
capacity,  as  well  as  the  power  to  do  strictly  first- 
class  work.  No  mill  in  the  State  makes  better 
Hour,  and  only  two  can  turn  out  a  greater  quan- 
tity, the  capacity  being  six  hundred  barrels  of 
corn  meal  and  six  hundred  barrels  of  flour  daily, 
besides  two  carloads  of  chopped  feed  every  twenty- 
four  hours.  It  was  the  company's  aim  to  buy  all 
the  grain  from  home  producers,  but  the  capacity  is 
so  large  that  four-fifths  of  the  supply  is  imported 
from  other  places. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Shellabarger  married  Miss  AnnaE. 
Krone,  daughter  of  David  Krone,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Macon  County.  Unto  them  have  been 
born  eight  children.  Adele  is  the  wife  of  E.  B. 
Hillman,  an  electrical  obstructionist,  residing  at 
Peoria,  by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Margaret. 
Frank  died  in  infancy.  William,  who  is  Secretary 


of  the  Shellabarger  Mill  and  Elevator  Company," 
married  Miss  Thatcher,  of  Decatur,  and  they  have 
two  children,  David  S.  and  Charles  Thatcher. 
Lucian  is  the  next  younger,  and  is  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  mills.  Fred,  who  wedded  Miss 
Pitts,  is  Treasurer  of  the  company.  Marie  is  the 
wife  of  Andrew  Smith  Crawder,  a  real-estate 
dealer  of  Spokane,  Wash.  Grace  is  at  home;  and 
Cori'nne,  the  youngest,  will  graduate  from  the  Mtv 
Vernon  Seminary,  of  Washington,  in  the  spring 
of  1893. 

In  connection  with  the  business  interests  already 
mentioned,  Mr.  Shellabarger  is  Vice-President  of 
the  National  Bank  of  Decatur.  As  before  men- 
tioned, he  was  prominent  in  the  establishment  of 
the  street-car  system  of  Decatur,  and  it  was  largely 
due  to  his  untiring  efforts  that  the  horse  cars 
were  superseded  by  the  electric  cars.  Our  sub- 
ject believes  in  the  protection  of  home  indus- 
tries in  America  for  Americans,  and  is  a  stanch 
Republican,  voting  for  the  party  which  advocates 
protective  principles.  He  has  always  been  found 
on  the  side  of  progress  and  is  ever  ready  to  lend 
a  helping  hand  to  any  enterprise  by  which  the 
interests  of  the  citizens  will  be  promoted.  On  the 
other  hand,  he  sincerely  regrets  that  there  are 
those  who  would  seek  to  hinder  and  obstruct  prog- 
ress, sometimes  merely  on  account  of  petty  jeal- 
ousy, but  he  always  does  his  part,  and  no  man 
stands  higher  and  enjoys  the  approval  of  the  best 
citizens  of  Decatur  to  a  greater  degree  than  D.  S. 
Shellabarger. 


OSEPH  R.  LIKENS,  one  of  the  prominent 
and  enterprising  farmers  and  stock-raisers 
of  Oakley  Township,  residing  on  section  28, 
')  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  Mar- 
ion County,  July  7,  1847,  and  is  a  son  of  John  E. 
Likens,  who  was  born  in  Fail-field  County,  Ohio, 
January  20,  1819.  His  mother,  a  native  of  the 
same  State,  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Ann 
Cole.  Their  union  was  celebrated  in  1841,  and 


464 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


they  made  their  home  in  Ohio  until  1858,  when 
they  removed  with  their  family  to  Macon  County, 
111.,  locating  on  section  30,  Oakley  Township. 
They  had  five  children:  Jane,  now  the  wife  of  H. 
Bear,  a  resident  of  Champaign  County,  111.;  Lu- 
cinda  M.,  wife  of  William  Morris,  of  Moultrie 
County;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  Lyon,  a  resi- 
dent of  Cerro  Gordo.  Piatt  County;  Joseph  R., 
whose  name  heads  this  sketch;,  and  Edgar,  who 
died  in  1872,  when  a  young  man  of  eighteen 
years.  His  remains  were  interred  in  what  is 
known  as  Frantz  Cemetery,  in  Oakley  Township. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  eleven 
years  of  his  life  in  Ohio,  and  then  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  this  county,  of 
whose  growth  and  development  he  has  now  been 
an  eye-witness  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century. 
He  has  ever  since  been  numbered  among  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  the  community,  having  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs.  While 
not  an  office-seeker,  he  has  at  different  times 
served  the  public  in  the  capacity  of  School  Di- 
rector and  Superintendent  of  Highways,  discharg- 
ing his  duties  in  a  prompt  and  faithful  manner. 
Since  attaining  his  majority  he  has  been  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party,  and,  socially,  he 
is  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows'  lodge  of  Cerro 
Gordo. 

Mr.  Likens  may  truly  he  called  a  self-made  man, 
for  although  he  is  now  the  possessor  of  a  hand- 
some competency,  he  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self with  limited  means.  In  1867,  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Emma  Upshaw,  who  died  of 
spotted  fever  in  1868,  and  was  buried  in  Cerro 
Gordo  Cemetery.  In  1871,  he  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  Hoots,  and  the  family  circle 
now  numbers  ten  children:  John  E.,  Ross,  Charles, 
Oscar,  Harmon,  Jane,  Effa,  Perlie,  Sena  and  Flos- 
sie, who  are  all  still  at  home.  One  child,  Frank, 
died  at  eight  and  a-half  months  of  age.  The  par- 
ents are  members  of  the  Christian  Church  and  are 
highly  respected  people  of  the  community. 

Throughout  his  entire  life,  Mr.  Likens  has  fol- 
lowed agricultural  pursuits  and  has  also  engaged 
quite  extensively  in  stock-raising.  He  usually 
keeps  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  head  of  cattle, 
horses  and  hogs  on  hand  during  the  entire  year. 


His  farm  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
is  well  watered  and  fenced.  There  is  a  good  resi- 
dence and  all  the  necessary  outbuildings.  One 
hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  the  farm  lie  in 
Macon  County,  and  the  remaining  one  hundred 
and  seventy  are  just  across  the  line  in  Piatt  Coun- 
ty. This  farm  yields  him  a  handsome  income,  he 
having  sold  products  to  the  amount  of  about  $33,- 
000  in  the  last  three  years.  A  man  of  good  busi- 
ness ability,  industrious  and  energetic,  he  is  num- 
bered among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  com- 
munity. 


If 


<jf  EWRIGHT  W.  WHEELER,  who  resides  on 
section  2,  Oakley  Township,  was  born  on 
the  9th  of  May,  1838,  only  a  few  rods  from 
where  he  now  makes  his  home.  His  father,  Gar- 
land Wheeler,  was  born  and  reared  in  Kentucky, 
and  in  that  Slate,  in  1822,  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Whitledge.  They  became  the  parents  of  fourteen 
children,  six  sons  and  eight  daughters,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Telitha,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years.  In  September,  1834,  the  father  emigrated 
with  his  family  from  Kentucky  to  Macon  Count}', 
111.,  and  settled  near  what  is  now  known  as  Ray's 
Bridge,  where  he  entered  from  the  Government 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  sections  1  and  2,  Oakley 
Township.  He  became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
the  county  and  passed  through  many  hardships 
and  difficulties  in  providing  for  his  familj'.  He 
died  in  1872,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1875. 
They  were  laid  to  rest  in  what  is  known  as  Wheel- 
er's Cemetery,  on  the  Sangamon  River. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  being  one  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  family,  remained  at  home 
with  his  father  for  some  time,  but  commenced  to 
acquire  property  for  himself  soon  after  he  became 
of  age.  He  has  since  kept  adding  to  his  posses- 
sions, until  he  now  owns  nearly  three  hundred  acres 
of  valuable  land,  all  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  supplied  with  good  buildings  and  all 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


465 


modern  improvements.  He  is  engaged  in  no 
special  line  of  work,  but  follows  general  farming, 
raising  all  kinds  of  grain  and  devoting  consider- 
able time  to  stock-raising. 

On  the  llth  of  November,  1858,  Mr.  Wheeler 
married  Miss  Sarah  Kemp,  who  died  in  1865  and 
was  interred  in  Wheeler's  Cemetery.  He  was  again 
married,  September 30,  1869,  when  Miss  Ann  Boyd 
became  his  wife.  She  died  in  1876,  leaving  a  son, 
George  R.,  to  mourn  her  loss.  On  the  25th  of 
September,  1879,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Wheeler  and  Miss  Margaret  Ross.  Their  un- 
ion has  been  blessed  with  two  children:  Richard 
Carl,  who  was  born  in  October,  1880;  and  Lynn 
Virgil,  born  November  19,  1884. 

Mr.  Wheeler  had  but  limited  educational  privi- 
leges; in  fact,  his  advantages  in  all  directions  were 
quiter  meagre,  but  notwithstanding  his  early  de- 
privation he  has  succeeded  remarkably  well  in  life. 
He  is  a  firm  believer  in  Prohibition  principles, 
and  practices  what  he  preaches.  He  is  a  kind  hus- 
band and  father  as  well  as  a  good  neighbor,  and 
his  many  friends  hold  him  in  high  esteem.  His 
wife,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  came  to  this 
county  about  twenty  years  ago,  is  a  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church,  and  a  consistent  Chris- 
tian. She  tries  to  do  her  part  in  life  to  make  peo- 
ple bettor  and  happier,  and  her  own  home  is 
bright  and  attractive,  its  hospitable  doors  being 
ever  open  for  the  reception  of  the  many  friends 
of  the  family. 


ACOB  M.  LEHMAN,  who  devotes  his  ener- 
gies to  agricultural  pursuits  and  resides  on 
section  11,  Hickory  Point  Township,  is  one 
of  the  honored  veterans  of  the  late  war, 
and  a  worthy  representative  of  one  of  the  pioneer 
families  of  this  county  of  1844.  He  was  born  in 
Clarke  County,  Ohio,  on  the  5th  of  September, 
1838,  and  was  therefore  only  six  years  of  age 
when  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents,  Henry 
and  Mary  (Allbert)  Lehman. 


The  Lehman  family  is  of  German  origin.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  In  1844  he 
emigrated  Westward  with  his  family,  locating  in 
Decatur,  and  ten  years  later  on  a  farm  in  this  lo- 
cality. The  Lehman  family  numbered  ten  chil- 
dren, the  eldest  of  whom  is  Jacob,  and  with  the 
exception  of  t.vo  sisters,  Mary  and  Lavina,  he  is 
now  the  only  survivor.  Those  deceased  are: 
Francis,  Sophia,  Ruth,  Henry,  Charlie  and  two 
who  died  in  infancy. 

The  educational  privileges  of  our  subject  were 
quite  limited,  as  the  schools  of  this  community  in 
an  early  day  did  not  possess  their  present  high 
standard  of  excellence,  but  by  experience,  obser- 
vation and  reading  he  has  became  a  well-informed 
man.  He  was  still  with  his  parents  at  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  late  war.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  he  enlisted  in  1861  as  a  private  in  Company 
B,  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  mustered  in 
at  Cairo,  and,  going  to  the  front,  participated*  in 
the  battle  of  Kt.  Donelson,  his  first  active  engage- 
ment. He  was  afterward  under  fire  at  the  battles 
of  Shiloh  and  Champion  Hill,  and  participated  in 
the  entire  siege  of  Vicksburg.  During  his  entire 
three-years  term  of  service  he  was  never  off  duty 
except  when  home  on  a  thirty-days  furlough. 
Always  found  at  his  post  as  a  faithful  defender  of 
the  cause  for  which  he  had  enlisted,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  three  years  he  was  honorably  discharged 
at  Vicksburg,  on  the  4th  of  August,  1864. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Macon  County,  Mr. 
Lehman  resumed  work  on  the  old  farm  and  re- 
mained with  his  father  until  1873.  He  then  began 
renting  land,  but  still  continued  to  live  at  home 
until  the  following  year,  when  he  purchased  a 
farm,  the  same  upon  which  he  now  resides.  It 
comprises  one  hundred  and  nine  acres  of  arable 
land  on  section  11,  Hickory  Point  Township,  and 
there,  in  connection  with  the  cultivation  of  his 
land,  he  carries  on  stock-raising,  having  a  good 
grade  of  horses  and  cattle.  The  buildings  upon 
his  place  are  substantial  structures,  kept  in  good 
repair,  and  the  neat  appearance  of  his  home  indi- 
cates his  careful  supervision. 

In  1873  Mr.  Lehman  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  C. 
Weaver,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Seilorj 


466 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Weaver,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  work.  The  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife 
lias  been  blessed  with  a  family  of  seven  children, 
as  follows:  Ruth,  Alfred  II.,  Charlie  A.,  Jacob, 
Gertrude,  Ivy  and  Floyd.  The  family  circle  still 
remains  unbroken.  In  his  social  relations,  Mr. 
Lehman  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  He  takes  quite  an  active  in- 
terest in  political  affairs  and  votes  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party.  He  keeps  well  informed  on  all  the 
issues  of  the  da}',  both  political  and  otherwise, 
and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of 
the  community.  The  Lehman  household  is  the 
abode  of  hospitality,  and  our  subject  and  his  wife, 
who  are  most  estimable  people,  hold  a  high  posi- 
tion in  the  circles  of  society  in  which  they  move. 


RS.    ELIZA   J.    BREWSTER,   who    for   a 

quarter  of  a  century  has  made  her  home  in 
Decatur,  and  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in 
this  city,  is  a  native  of  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland.  Her  father,  Joseph  Robinson,  was  a  native 
of  the  Emerald  Isle,  his  birth  having  also  occurred 
in  County  Tyrone.  Bidding  good-bye  to  home 
and  friends,  he  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  Amer- 
ica, landing  in  the  New  World  in  1847.  He  went 
to  Philadelphia,  where  for  ten  years  he  made  his 
home,  and  in  1857  he  came  to  Decatur,  where  for 
a  time  he  worked  at  any  honest  employment  which 
he  could  find  which  would  bring  him  a  livelihood. 
Ere  leaving  his  native  hind  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Rebecca  McFarland,and  unto  them 
was  born  a  family  of  five  children,  four  ofi»whom 
are  still  living.  The  mother  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  in  1877.  The  father  survived  her  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  departed  this  life  on  the  14th  of 
January,  1890.  His  last  years  were  spent  in  the 
home  of  his  daughter.  He  had  made  judicious  in- 
vestments in  real  estate,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  quite  well  off,  owning  considerable 
property,  both  in  the  city  and  in  farm  lands. 
Eliza  J.  Robiuson  spent  the  days  of  her  girlhood 


under  the  parental  roof,  and  in  the  public  schools 
acquired  her  education.  With  her  parents  she 
came  to  Decatur  in  1857,  and  three  years  later  she 
gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  William  M.  Brewster, 
their  union  being  celebrated  in  this  city.  Mr. 
Brewster  was  a  native  of  New  York,  but  at  the 
time  of  his  marriage  lived  in  Springfield,  111.,  and 
was  employed  as  an  engineer  on  the  Wabash  Hail- 
road.  By  their  union  were  born  five  children,  all 
sons.  Elmer  J.,  the  eldest,  is  a  machinist  now  re- 
siding in  Chicago;  John  C.  is  emplo3*ed  by  the  firm 
of  Field  &  Wilson,  in  Decatur;  William  T.  is  em- 
ployed in  the  furniture  factory  of  this  city;  Joseph 
R.  is  a  plumber  of  Decatur;  and  Samuel,  who  com- 
pletes the  family,  follows  the  same  trade  in  Cham- 
paign, 111. 

Mr.  Brewster  died  at  his  home  in  this  city  in 
1871.  His  death  was  mourned  not  only  bv  his  im- 
mediate family,  but  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  as 
well,  for  he  was  a  popular  man  and  held  in  high 
regard.  Mrs.  Brewster  is  living  at  the  old  home, 
where  she  has  now  resided  for  twenty-five  years. 
She  is  the  owner  of  a  good  farm  of  eighty  acres  of 
valuable  land  at  Emery  Station,  and  also  of  several 
pieces  of  residence  property  in  the  city. 


LEXANDER  T.  HILL  was  for  many  years 
one  of  the  most  prominent  and  influential 
citizens  of  Decatur,  and  the  history  of  the 
county  would  be  incomplete  without  a 
record  of  his  life.  He  was  a  leading  merchant, 
and  was  President  of  the  Decatur  National  Bank. 
In  social,  business  and  church  circles,  he  was  both 
widely  and  favorably  known,  and  the  life  which 
he  lived  was  one  well  worthy  of  emulation.  He 
was  born  in  King  and  Queen  County,  Va.,  Novem- 
ber 29,  1818,  and  was  a  son  of  Rev.  William  B. 
and  Lucy  (Garnett)  Hill,  who  were  both  natives  of 
Virginia.  The  father  was  a  Baptist  minister  and 
teacher,  and  preached  in  Virginia,  and  in  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  after  his  removal  to  the  West.  His 
last  days  were  spent  in  Macoupin  County,  where  he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


467 


passed  away  in  1873,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years, 
having  survived  his  wife  a  few  years.  Of  their 
famil}-  of  eight  children,  four  were  sons  and  four 
daughters.  Of  the  number  five  are  yet  living: 
William  B.;  Mrs.  Lucy  G.  Hord;  Mary,  wife  of  C. 
A.  Jackson;  Mrs.  Anna  Powell;  and  Richard  B. 

Mr.  Hill  whose  name  heads  this  record  remained 
in  Virginia  until  eighteen  years  of  age  and  was 
there  educated.  In  1835  he  emigrated  with  his 
parents  to  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  and  for  some  time 
engaged  in  clerking  in  Belleville.  He  afterwards 
spent  some  years  in  business  for  himself  in  Kane, 
Greene  County,  111.,  and  was  also  connected  with 
the  Government  mining  office  for  a  time.  In  1854 
he  came  to  Dccatur  and  opened  a  dry -goods  store, 
which  he  carried  on  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1860,  Mr.  Hill  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  I).  Wilder,  who  was  born  in  Attica, 
N.  Y.,  in  1834,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Hannah  (Dow)  Wilder,  the  former  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  the  latter  of  Vermont.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  was  born  a  son,  Edward  Wilder, 
who  makes  his  home  with  his  mother.  He  married 
Miss  Anna  L.  Cox,  of  Decatur. 

In  1874  Mr.  Hill  embarked  in  the  banking  busi- 
ness, becoming  connected  with  the  Decatur  Na- 
tional Bank,  which  at  that  time  had  a  deposit  of 
only  $11.  Ho  built  up  the  bank  until  it  became, 
and  is  now,  one  of  the  strongest  financial  institu- 
tions of  the  county.  He  was  one  of  its  principal 
stockholders,  long  served  as  a  Director,  and  was 
its  President  for  thirteen  years.  He  owned  a  num- 
ber of  fine  farms  near  Decatur,  and  bought  and 
sold  considerable  real  estate.  He  built  the  home 
residence  about  1882.  In  politics,  he  was  in  early 
life  a  Whig,  and  on  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  became  one  of  its  stanch  support- 
ers. He  served  as  Supervisor  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  was  never  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to 
devote  his  time  to  his  business  interests  and  the 
enjoyment  of  his  home,  lie  possessed  most  excel- 
lent business  ability,  and  worked  his  way  upward 
from  an  humble  position  to  one  of  affluence.  In  all 
relations  he  was  upright  and  honorable,  and  every 
trust  reposed  in  him  was  faithfully  discharged. 
He  delighted  in  his  home,  and  counted  no  cost  too 
great  that  would  enhance  the  happiness  of  his 


family.  A  name  untarnished  by  wrong-doing  is 
the  priceless  heritage  which  he  left  to  his  son.  He 
died  June  8,  1888,  in  his  seventieth  year.  Mrs. 
Hill  still  occupies  the  old  home  with  her  son.  For 
many  years  she  has  been  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  is  an  active  worker  in  all  charitable 
enterprises,  and  throughout  the  community  she  has 
many  warm  friends. 


AVID  T.  HOLMAN,  who  owns  and  oper- 
ates a  good  farm  of  eighty  acres  on  section 
26,  Hickory  Point  Township,  comes  "of  a 
prominent  family  of  Macon  County,  and 
claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was 
born  in  Ross  County  on  the  19th  of  September, 
1855,  and  is  one  of  ten  children,  whose  parents, 
Martin  and  Ferba  (May)  Holman,  were  also  natives 
of  Ohio.  Of  the  family  seven  are  yet  living.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  followed 
that  pursuit  throughout  his  entire  life.  In  his 
youth  he  received  a  good  business  education,  and 
was  a  well-informed  man.  In  1865,  he  left  the 
State  of  his  nativity  and  accompanied  by  his  fam- 
ily came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Macon  County. 

For  about  two  years  Martin  Holman  rented  land 
in  Hickory  Point  Township,  and  then  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  our  subject  now  resides,  com- 
prising an  unimproved  tract  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  26.  With  characteristic  energy,  he  began 
its  development,  and  continued  its  cultivation 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  October  22,  1886. 
His  remains  were  interred  in  Greenwood  Ceme- 
tery, of  Decatur,  and  many  friends  mourned  his 
loss.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  in  politics  was  a  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party.  A  progressive  and  public-spirited  man,  his 
fellow-townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth  and  abil- 
ity, had  called  upon  him  to  serve  in  numerous 
township  offices. 

The  first  ten  years  of  his  life,  David  T.  Holman 
passed  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born,  and  then 


468 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois.  He  began  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  the  Buckeye  State,  af- 
terwards attended  the  district  schools  of  this 
county,  and  subsequently  completed  his  education 
by  a  course  in  the  business  college  in  Dccatur.  As 
soon  as  old  enough,  he  began  work  on  the  home 
farm,  and  gave  his  services  to  his  father  until  the 
death  of  the  latter,  when  our  subject  took  charge 
of  the  home  farm,  which  he  has  since  managed. 
The  entire  place  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  its  neat  ancMhrifty  appearance  indicates 
the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner,  who  in  con- 
nection with  general  farming  also  carries  on  stock- 
raising. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  1891,  an  important 
event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Holman  occurred, — his 
marriage  with  Miss  Dora  Bender,  daughter  of  Frank 
and  Annie  (Deitz)  Bender,  of  this  county.  Their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  one  child,  a  daughter, 
Maud.  The  young  couple  are  widely  known  in 
this  community,  have  a  large  circle  of  friends,  and 
are  held  in  high  esteem  by  all. 

Air.  Holman  follows  in  the  political  footsteps  of 
his  father  and  votes  with  the  Republican  party. 
He  is  recognized  as  a  man  of  sterling  worth,  and 
is  numbered  among  the  enterprising  and  progress- 
ive agriculturists  of  the  community,  well  deserv- 
ing of  a  representation  in  the  history  of  his  adop- 
ted county. 


-ae- 


jILLIAM  THOMAS  CUSSI NS,  an  attorney- 
at-law  of  Decatur,  was  born  in  Zanesvillc, 
Ohio,  on  the  21st  of  September,  1845,  and 
is  a  son  of  Samuel  A.  and  Jane  M.  (Cariens)  Cus- 
sins,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Buckeye 
State.  The  mother  died  in  1855.  The  father  came 
with  his  family  to  this  city  in  the  spring  of  1861, 
and  here  worked  as  a  contractor  and  builder.  He 
took  quite  a  prominent  part  in  public  life  in  Ohio, 
and  was  a  highly  respected  citizen.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1872. 

Our  subject  did  not  accompany  the  family  to 


Macon  County  when  they  came  111  the  spring  of 
1861,  but  came  in  the  fall  of  1862,  being  at  the 
time  of  their  departure  a  student  of  Miller 
Academy,  of  New  Washington,  Ohio,  a  preparatory 
school,  where  he  was  fitted  for  college.  He  then 
became  a  student  in  Eureka  College,  of  Eureka, 
111.,  a  school  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  after 
completing  the  classical  course  was  graduated  in 
1869  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  While  taking  his 
course  there,  he  was  Principal  of  the  Bennett  Pub- 
lic Schools,  and  also  taught  a  select  school  in  Har- 
ristown,  111.  He  was  assistant  professor  of  Latin 
in  the  college  at  Eureka  for  two  years.  After  his 
graduation  he  engaged  in  teaching  as  Principal  of 
the  public  schools  of  Macon,  this  county,  but,  de- 
siring to  enter  the  legal  profession,  he  began  read- 
ing law  with  A.  B.  and  Lewis  R.  Bunn.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1871  on  examination  by 
Judge  A.  .1.  Gallagher,  and  M.  B.  Thompson,  State's 
Attorney. 

Mr.  Cussins  has  since  been  engaged  in  law  prac- 
tice in  Decatur,  and  has  been  the  leading  counsel 
in  many  important  cases.  He  won  the  suit  of 
Leonard  vs.  the  Niantic  Coal  and  Mining  Company, 
securing  #5,000  for  the  plaintiff,  who  had  been 
crushed  through  the  carelessness  of  an  inefficient 
engineer.  He  also  won  $3,000  damages  for  the 
plaintiff  in  the  case  of  Sysson  vs.  the  Decatur  Coal 
and  Mining  Company,  which  had  not  complied 
with  the  State  law  in  regard  to  the  signals  for 
hoisting  the  cage.  When  the  will  of  Joseph  Rob- 
inson was  con  tested  he  won  the  suit  for  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster,  securing  for  her  $15,000.  Mr.  Robinson  had 
lived  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Brewster,  and  on  his 
death  the  will  was  produced,  reading:  "Know  all 
men  by  these  presents  that  I,  Joseph  Robinson,  for 
the  consideration  of  Si,  do  hereby  assign  and  set 
over  to  my  daughter,  Eliza  Jane  Brewster,  all  of 
my  property,  both  personal  and  real,  to  have  the 
same  after  my  death."  This  will  was  contested  on 
the  grounds  of  insufficiency,  but  in  the  Supreme 
Court  was  decided  to  be  valid. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Cussins  is  a  Democrat 

•  and  has  taken  quite  an  active  part  in  forwarding 

the  interests   of    his  party,  but  has  never  been  a 

candidate  for  office  or  sought  political  preferment 

in  any  way.  He  always  keeps  himself  well  informed 


JAMES      DAVIS 


ELI  ZA   A.  DAVIS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


473 


on  all  questions  of  the  day,  both  political  and  oth- 
erwise. He  is  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  and  as 
•A  lawyer  is  logical  and  his  arguments  are  convinc- 
ing, his  ability  being  shown  in  the  fact  that  he  has 
won  so  many  important  cases.  He  has  many  warm 
friends  throughout  the  community  and  is  a  very 
popular  gentleman  among  those  who  know  him 
best. 


J/AMES   DAVIS    (deceased),  who    was   num- 
I    bered  among  the   honored  pioneers  of  Ma-' 
I    con  Comity,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  Decem- 
1    ber  31,  18 13,  and  was  a  son  of  James  Davis, 
a  native  of  Bourbon  County, Ky.     The  father  also 
emigrated   to   Illinois  and  spent  his  last  days  in 
this  State.     He  was  a  cripple  throughout  much  of 
his  life,  and  in  his  younger  days,  having  obtained 
a  good    education,  engaged    in    school    teaching. 
Subsequently  he    followed    farming.     His  family 
numbered  ten  children,  five  sons  and   five   daugh- 
ters,of  whom  James,  Jr.,  was  the  ninth  in  order  of 
birth.     Four  sons  and  two  daughters  came  to  this 
State. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  a  lad  when  his  parents  located  in  Marion 
County,  111.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  came 
to  Macon  County,  where  his  older  brothers,  Joseph 
and  Randall,  were  living.  In  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship he  made  his  home  until  his  death.  On  the 
5th  of  December,  1835,  he  married  Eliza  A.  Camp- 
bell, who  was  born  in  Caldwell  County,  Ky.,  Au- 
gust 29,  1810,  and  is  of  Irish  descent.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  David  Campbell,  who  removed  from 
South  Carolina  to  Kentucky  and  there  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  In  the  former  State  he 
wedded  Miss  Ann  Craig,  who  came  with  her  daugh- 
ter to  Illinois,  where  her  death  occurred.  Mrs. 
Davis  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  now  liv- 
ing. She  came  to  this  State  in  1834,  and  is  there- 
fore numbered  among  its  pioneer  settlers.  She 
did  trading  in  Decatur  when  it  contained  only 
one  store,  and  no  calico  or  coffee  could  be  got  in 
the  town.  The  children  of  the  family  are  Samuel, 

22 


mentioned  below;  and  W.  M.,  who  married  Geor- 
giana  Baker,who  was  born  in  Montgomery  County, 
111.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  Q.  Baker.  They 
have  three  children,  Henry  W.,  Rosa  E.  and  Mary 
E.  Mrs.  Davis  has  twenty-eight  grandchildren  and 
ten  great-grandchildren.  For  sixty-five  years  she 
has  been  a  faithful  and  consistent  member  of  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  and  her  noble 
life,  embellished  with  many  good  deeds,  is  in  har- 
mony with  her  professions. 


AMUEL  C.  DAVIS,  who  resides  on  section 
27,  Long  Creek  Township,  was  born  on  the 
old  homestead  in  the  same  township,  March 
5,  1844.  His  parents,  James  and  Eliza  A. 
(Campbell)  Davis,  were  both  natives  of  Kentucky. 
His  father,  James  Davis,  here  entered  land  from  the 
Government,  and  in  Long  Creek  Township  fol- 
lowed farming  throughout  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  broke  many  acres  of  prairie  with  ox- 
teams  and  bore  all  the  experiences  common  to 
frontier  life.  On  the  17th  of  March,  1893,  he 
passed  away,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine.  The  chil- 
dren of  the  family  were  David,  a  member  of  Com- 
pany E,  Forty-first  Illinois  Infantry,  who  was 
killed  during  the  late  war  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh; 
Mrs.  Ann  M.  Cochran,  who  is  living  on  a  farm  in 
this  county;  Mrs.  Mary  Carmean,of  Decatur;  Sam- 
uel; Mrs.  Margaret  Jane  Sanders,  of  Long  Creek 
Township;  Willis  M.,  who  is  farming  on  section 
33,  Long  Creek  Township; and  Mrs.  Eliza  A.Stew- 
art, of  Decatur. 

For  about  three  months  during  the  winter, 
Samuel  C.  Davis  attended  subscription  schools,  and 
in  the  summer  he  worked  in  the  fields.  Upon  the 
home  farm  he  remained  until  twenty-one  years  old, 
and  after  his  brother's  death  the  management  and 
care  devolved  upon  him.  In  his  present  home  was 
celebrated  his  marriage  on  the  4th  of  December, 
1873,  Harriet  E.  Gabbert  becoming  his  wife.  She 
was  born  in  Indiana  and  is  a  daughter  of  G.  W. 
and  Mary  M.  (Whitehouse)  Gabbert,  who  came  to 


474 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Illinois  in  1851,  spending  their  remaining  days  in 
this  State.  The  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexi- 
can War.  Mrs.  Davis  has  four  sisters  living  in 
this  county.  To  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his 
wife  were  born  five  children:  Birdie,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  five  years;  Mabel;  Winnie  Bell,  who 
died  in  infancy;  Walter  and  Ruby  Ethel. 

With  the  exception  of  a  year  and  a-half  spent 
in  Decatur  engaged  in  the  feed  and  livery  busi- 
ness, Mr.  Davis  has  resided  continuously  upon  the 
farm,  and  in  connection  with  its  cultivation  has 
carried  on  stock-raising.  He  now  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land,  a  good  home,  and 
is  comfortably  situated.  He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Mt.  Zion,  and  Mr.  Davis  is  connected  with  the 
Masonic  fraternity  of  Decatur.  He  is  now  serving 
his  ninth  term  as  Supervisor,  having  held  the 
office  for  seven  consecutive  years,  a  fact  which  in- 
dicates his  faithfulness  to  duty.  He  has  also  served 
as  School  Trustee  and  filled  other  local  positions. 
His  first  Presidential  vote,  supporting  Grant,  was 
cast  in  1868,  and  he  has  since  been  an  inflexible 
adherent  of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  an  honored  pioneer  family,  and 
his  busy  and  useful  life  is  one  well  worthy  of  emu- 
lation. 


HARLES  M.  DENISON,  M.  D.,  who  resides 
in  Argenta,  was  born  near  Westbrook.  Conn., 
September  13,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles 
H.  and  Azuba  (Towner)  Denison.  His  father,  who 
was  a  native  of  the  Nutmeg  State,  followed  farm- 
ing throughout  his  entire  life.  His  death  occurred 
in  1887,  and  his  wife  passed  away  June  17,  1855. 
They  held  membership  with  the  Congregational 
Church.  Their  family  numbered  four  children, 
the  eldest  of  whom  is  the  Doctor.  William  T.  \%  a 
ranchman  of  California;  Joseph  W.  is  a  farmer 
living  near  Westbrook,  Conn.;  and  Ellen  E.  died 
in  June,  1890. 

Dr.  Denison  attended  the  district  schools  untjl 


fourteen  years  of  age  and  then  entered  Westbrook 
Academy,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  was  for  six  months  a  student 
in  the  State  Normal  School  of  Connecticut.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  he  began  teaching,  and  was 
thus  employed  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  emigrated  Westward  with  the  hope  of 
bettering  his  financial  condition.  It  was  in  1858 
that  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of 
Decatur.  For  four  years  he  was  employed  as  a 
teacher  in  the  district  schools  of  Macon  County, 
but  in  the  mean  time  he  was  studying  medicine, 
and  in  the  winter  of  1859-60  attended  the  Cincin- 
nati College  of  Medicine  and  Surgery,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  February,  1861.  Returning 
to  Illinois,  he  located  in  Cerro  Gordo,  where  he 
began  practice,  but  after  six  months  he  was  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service,  on  the  15th 
of  September,  1861,  as  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the 
Eighth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  served  in  that  ca- 
pacity until  1864,  when  he  was  commissioned 
Surgeon  of  the  same  regiment,  and  filled  that 
office  until  May  20,  1866.  He  was  wounded  <>n 
the  6th  of  June,  1863,  at  the  siege  of  Yicksburg 
by  a  minie-ball,  which  struck  him  in  the  left  knee, 
and  he  was  taken  to  the  regiment  hospital,  where 
he  was  confined  for  about  a  month.  He  was  with 
his  command  in  the  battle  of  Jackson  and  in  all  the 
engagements  of  Grant's  campaign  to  Holly  Springs, 
La  Fayette  and  Memphis,  and  was  under  fire  all 
through  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  He  was  mustered 
out  at  Baton  Rouge  June  1,  1866. 

When  the  war  was  over  and  the  country  no 
longer  needed  his  services,  the  Doctor  returned  to 
his  old  home  in  Connecticut,  where  he  spent  three 
months.  In  September  of  that  year  he  went  to 
Newburg,  111.,  where  he  again  opened  an  office 
and  successfully  carried  on  practice,  and  in  1873 
he  came  to  Argenta.  lie  continued  the  pros-edition 
of  his  profession  until  1880,  since  which  time  he 
has  lived  retired.  In  1882,  he  went  to  Decatur, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  1888.  Since  that 
time  he  has  resided  continuously  in  Argenta. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  1867,  the  Doctor  wedded 
Miss  Drusilla  Ellis,  and  unto  them  was  born  one 
son,  Charles  A.,  who  is  now  taking  a  literary  and 
lav?  course  in  the  University  of  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


475 


Mrs.  Denison  died  March  10,  1888,  and  on  the  1st 
of  June,  1889,  Dr.  Denison  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  McNiel. 

Our  subject  has  met  with  excellent  success  in 
his  business  career,  and  as  his  financial  resources 
have  increased  has  made  judicious  investments  in 
land,  until  he  now  owns  three  hundred  and  seventy 
acres  on  sections  35  and  36,  Friends'  Creek  Town- 
ship, a  large  stock  farm.  He  also  has  between 
three  hundred  and  four  hundred  acres  in  Connecti- 
cut, which  yields  to  him  a  good  income.  Socially, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  In  politics,  he  has  been  a  stanch  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  the  party.  The 
Doctor  is  widely  and  favorably  known  throughout 
Macon  County,  and  is  a  pleasant,  genial  gentle- 
man, having  many  friends,  who  hold  him  in  high 
regard  for  his  excellencies  of  character  and  ster- 
ling worth. 


ffiSAAC  A.  HARKRAI)ER,a  retired  farmer  now 
residing  in  Decatur,  was  born  in  southwest 
(li  Virginia,  in  the  county  of  Wythe,  February 
27,  1832.  He  is  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  N. 
(Umbarger)  Harkrader,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  the  Old  Dominion.  The  father  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was  a  farmer  dur- 
ing the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  died  in  Wy- 
theville,  Va.,  in  1860,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four,  and 
his  wife  died  in  1864,  at  the  same  age.  They  were 
both  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  St.  Paul's  Church, 
where  were  also  laid  to  rest  the  eldest  son  and 
daughter  of  the  family.  In  religious  belief  the 
parents  were  Lutherans.  Their  children,  number- 
ing six  sons  and  six  daughters,  are  all  now  de- 
ceased, with  the  exception  of  our  subject;  Mrs. 
Margaret  C.  Callaway,  of  Darke  County,  Ohio; 
and  Benjamin  I).,  of  Beatrice,  Neb. 

Isaac  Harkrader  cornes  from  an  old  Virginian 
family  and  is  descended  from  one  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary heroes,  his  grandfather,  John  Harkrader, 


having  been  a  Captain  in  the  War  for  Indepen- 
dence. Our  subject  was  reared  in  the  Old  Domin- 
ion, and  remained  with  his  parents  until  nineteen 
years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  left  home  and  emi- 
grated to  Wisconsin.  After  six  months  spent  in 
that  State,  he  retraced  his  steps  until  he  reached 
Butler  County,  Ohio,  where  he  had  four  uncles 
living.  He  made  his  home  in  that  locality  until 
February,  1855,  when  he  again  sought  a  home 
further  West,  and  made  a  location  in  Fountain 
County,  Ind.  Six  months  later  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois, the  month  of  October,  1855,  witnessing  his 
arrival.  He  settled  in  the  town  of  Austin,  Ma- 
con  County,  and  for  a  time  worked  by  the  month 
as  a  farm  hand.  He  afterward  operated  a  thresh- 
ing-machine, and  later  rented  some  land  until  he 
was  able  to  purchase  it.  When  he  had  acquired  a 
small  capital,  he  bought  a  piece  of  railroad  land. 
About  this  time  Mr.  Harkrader  was  appointed  the 
first  Tax  Collector  in  Austin  Township,  the  county 
having  just  been  organized.  Having  collected  the 
taxes,  he  placed  the  money  in  the  railroad  bank 
of  Decatur,  which  failed.  In  order  to  make  good 
the  amount  of  taxes,  he  gave  up  all  his  property, 
and  in  addition  was  left  with  $200  debt,  but  two 
faithful  friends,  Peter  Bennett  and  James  Parker, 
came  to  his  rescue,  and  after  a  short  time  he 
managed  to  get  a  start  again. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1870,  Mr.  Harkrader 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Paulina  A. 
Young,  daughter  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  (Shull) 
Young,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  the 
latter  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Young,  however,  was 
a  son  of  an  Englishman.  He  came  to  America  in 
1822  with  his  father,  two  sisters  and  a  brother. 
They  located  in  Ohio,  where  Mr.  Young  was  mar- 
ried. By  their  union  were  born  ten  children,  but 
two  died  in  early  childhood  and  two  others  after 
attaining  to  mature  j'ears.  Those  still  living  are 
Minerva,  Silas,  Emma  J.,  Elmira,  Jasper  and  Paul- 
ina. The  father  of  this  family,  who  was  a  farmer, 
died  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  His 
wife  still  survives  him  and  is  now  living  in  Maroa, 
in  her  seventy-first  year.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Harkrader  were  born  three  children,  but  Isaac  R., 
the  second  child,  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  months. 
James  A.  and  Leona  C.  are  still  living. 


476 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  1865,  as  the  result  oC  his  hard  and  indefati- 
gable labor,  his  economy  and  good  management, 
Mr.  Harkrader  had  accumulated  $10,000.  He  sold 
his  farm  early  in  that  year  and  went  to  Maro.i, 
purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
to  which  he  has  since  added,  until  his  possessions 
now  aggregate  eight  hundred  and  forty-six  acres, 
all  improved  and  worth  from  $70  to  $100  per  acre. 
After  his  marriage  he  and  his  wife  resided  upon 
their  farm  near  Maroa  until  1890,  when  they 
came  to  Decatur.  They  have  an  elegant  home  at 
No.  252  North  Franklin  Street. 

In  politics  Mr.  Harkrader  is  a  Democrat.  Soci- 
ally, he  has  been  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows' 
society  for  many  years  and  his  wife  has  taken  the 
Rebecca  degree.  The  well-merited  success  of  our 
subject  is  the  result  of  years  of  toil  and  labor. 
His  perseverance  and  well-directed  efforts,  by 
which  he  has  surmounted  the  difficulties  in  his 
path,  have  brought  him  prosperity,  and  from  a 
humble  position  he  has  steadily  worked  his  way 
upwards  to  one  of  wealth  and  affluence. 


eHARLES  A.  McCUNE  has  for  fourteen  years 
been  continuously  with  the  Shellabarger 
Mill  and  Elevator  Company,  of  Decatur,  as 
a  millwright  and  machinist.  He  has  the  honor  of 
being  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Sangamon  County  on  the  14th  of  Au- 
gust, 1845.  His  father.  James  McCune,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Nicholas  County,  Ky.,  and  in  1826,  when 
a  lad  of  ten  summers,  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Sangamon  County,  111.  There  he  was  reared  to 
manhood  and  married  Nancy  Whitford,  who  was 
born  in  Wayne  County,  111.  His  father  bought 
land  from  the  Government,  the  deed  being  signed 
by  Martin  Van  Buren.  James  McCune  lived  upon 
that  farm  from  the  age  of  ton  years  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four.  His  wife  passed  away  about  ten  years  pre- 
vious. The  family  of  this  worthy  couple  num., 


bered  eight  children  and  all  had  attained  to  ma- 
ture years  before  a  death  occurred  in  the  famity. 
Six  of  the  number  are  still  living. 

Charles  McCune  remained  at  home  until  after 
he  had  passed  his  twentieth  birthday.  No  event 
of  special  importance  occurred  during  his  youth, 
which  was  quietly  passed  in  his  father's  home. 
In  1865,  he  started  for  the  West,  going  to  Chey- 
enne, Wyo.,  with  a  company  of  sixty  en  route  for 
the  Deadwood  mines.  One  of  their  number  after- 
wards became  the  well-kuown  actor,  Harry  Mere- 
dith, who  has  become  noted  in  his  famous  play, 
"Ranch  No.  10."  This  company  reached  Ranch 
No.  10,  which  is  halfway  between  Cheyenne  and 
Deadwood.  It  wag  a  stage  station  and  the  resort 
of  gamblers.  On  reaching  this  place,  Mr.  McCune 
decided  to  abandon  the  Deadwood  trip  and  in- 
stead went  to  Denver,  where  he  met  a  contractor 
who  was  engaged  in  building  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  and  to  whom  he  hired  out  by  the  month 
as  a  teamster,  working  all  that  summer. 

When  the  season  was  over,  our  subject  returned 
to  Illinois  and  served  an  apprenticeship  as  a  car- 
penter and  joiner  in  Sangamon  County,  remaining 
with  his  employers  nearly  three  3*ears,  during 
which  time  he  received  $1.50  per  day  and  board. 
In  April,  1869,  he  came  to  Macon  Count}-  and 
began  contracting,  but  desiring  to  further  perfect 
himself  in  his  business  he  served  for  three  years 
with  John  Beal,  a  millwright  and  machinist,  now 
of  Chicago.  During  that  time  he  erected  several 
mills,  including  the  Shellabarger  Mill,  in  Dan- 
ville, and  also  the  large  mill  in  Wichita,  Kan., 
together  with  one  in  Pana,  where  he  ha.d  entire 
charge  of  both  the  construction  and  the  men. 

On  the  29th  of  February,  1876,  Mr.  McCune 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Barbara  Stabler. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  one  daughter, 
Maud,  who  was  born  April  6,  1877,  and  is  now 
attending  school.  The  parents  are  members  of 
Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  the  year  of  his  marriage,  Mr.  McCune  began 
contracting  for  himself,  his  first  work  being  the 
erection  of  a  big  mill  in  Lamed,  Kan.,  for  Van 
Horn  Brothers.  He  also  erected  one  in  Dodge 
City,  Kan.,  for  Rainey  &  Hendricks  when  it  was 
considered  the  wildest,  hardest  town,  of.  the  West, 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


477 


He  also  built  a  mill  in  Bethany,  III.,  and  put  up 
elevators  for  the  Union  Iron  Works,  and  then 
assisted  in  erecting  the  new  mill  owned  by  the 
Shellabargcr  Mill  and  Elevator  Co.,  who  made  a 
contract  with  Mr.  McCunc  to  work  by  the  year  in 
the  mill.  Our  subject  has  held  the  position  for 
fourteen  years  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his 
employers.  He  has  charge  of  all  repairing  and 
all  new  machinery  and  looks  after  the  elevators  in 
Cerro  Gordo  and  Millmine. 

In  politics,  Mr.  McCune  is  a  Republican,  but  has 
never  sought  or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments 
of  public  office.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Coeur 
de  Lion  Lodge  No.  17,  K.  P.,  and  of  the  Uni- 
formed Rank.  lie  owns  a  fine  property  on  West 
Eldorado  Street,  and  some  valuable  real  estate  on 
South  Grand  Avenue,  in  Springfield,  111.  His 
long  continuation  with  the  Shellabarger  Milling 
Company  is  the  highest  testimonial  to  his  faith- 
fulness and  efficiency  that  could  be  given.  He 
has  won  the  confidence  of  his  employers  and  the 
respect  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact, 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our 
readers  this  record  of  his  life. 


,'  OHN  J.  H.  YOUNG  is  the  city  editor  of  the 
Daily  Eoening  Republican,  a  position  he  has 
held  continuously  since  the  spring  of  1879. 
He  was  born  ne:ir  Winchester,  in  Frederick 
County,  Va.,  July  15,  1853.  He  came  to  Decatur 
with  his  parents,  John  J.  H.  and  Margaret  A.  (Co- 
burn)  Young,  in  1856.  His  father  was  a  veteran 
in  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Regi- 
ment, and  died  in  Decatur  in  October,  1891. 
Throughout  his  life,  since  the  age  of  twelve  years, 
Mr.  Young  has  been  identified  with  newspaper 
work.  He  first  began  work  as  a  "devil"  in  the 
oflice  of  the  old  Stale  Chronicle,  and  has  been  em- 
ployed on  the  Bement  Tribune,  the  Maroa  News, 
Pike's  Decatur  Democrat,  Merrill's  Sunbeam,  Tup- 
per's  Sun,  the  Gazette  and  Chronicle,  the  Magnet, 
the  Decatur  tribune,  the  Times-Magnet,  Daily  He- 


view,  and  Kimball's  Morning  Sun,  embracing 
nearly  all  the  papers  ever  printed  in  Decatur.  He 
has  also  worked  on  newspapers  in  Chicago,  St. 
Louis,  Denver,  Colo.,  Jacksonville,  111., and  Peoria, 
III.  In  politics  Mr.  Young  is  a  Republican,  and  is 
Past-Captain  of  Col.  I.  C.  Pugh  Camp  No.  14,  S. 
of  V.  He  is  a  man  of  family,  having  a  wife  and 
three  children. 


ON.  GEORGE  WESCOTT    POWERS,    de- 
ceased,  was  born  in  Charlton,  N.  Y.,  on  the 


17th  of  January,  1814,  and  was  a  son  of 
i  William  and  Abigail  (Heudricks)  Powers, 
both  natives  of  Connecticut,  the  former  later  be- 
coming a  prominent  farmer  of  New  York.  In  the 
family  were  eight  children,  as  follows:  William, 
Lamira,  Chauncey,  Orlando,  George  W.,  Samuel, 
Charles  and  Sarah. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  in  the  Em- 
pire State  until  1838,  and  during  this  time  studied 
law.  When  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  years, 
he  determined  to  seek  a  home  and  fortune  else- 
where, so,  going  to  the  South,  he  clerked  in  Mobile, 
Ala.,  where  he  remained  until  1840,  when  he  emi- 
grated to  Illinois,  locating  in  this  county.  Three 
years  later  he  was  elected  Assessor  and  Treasurer 
of  the  county,  and  filled  those  offices  in  a  prompt 
and  faithful  manner  that  won  him  the  commenda- 
tion of  all  concerned.  In  1839,  he  had  purchased 
two  hundred  acres  of  land,  mostly  wild  and  unim- 
proved, only  a  small  part  of  it  having  been  broken, 
but  he  began  its  development  and  placed  nearly 
the  entire  amount  under  a  high  slate  of  cultiva- 
tion. His  farm  is  now  known  as  the  Samuel  Pow- 
ers Stock  Farm,  and  is  situated  a  mile  and  a-quar- 
ter  northeast  of  Decatur.  It  was  purchased  by  our 
subject  the  year  before  his  marriage,  with  the 
view  to  making  it  his  home,  and  the  old  house  he 
built  thereon  is  still  standing. 

On  the  30th  of  April,  1840,  Mr.  Powers  was 
united  in  marriage  in  Tuscaloosa,  Ala.,  with  Miss 
Almira  Avery,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  and  Almira 


478 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


(Avery)  Giles.  By  their  union  were  born  three 
daughters.  Emma  is  the  wife  of  John  K.  Warren, 
a  resident  of  Decatur,  and  unto  them  has  been 
born  a  son,  Giles  R.  Sarah  A.  is  the  wife  of 
George  S.  Durfee.  They  have  four  daughters  liv- 
ing: Einada,  wife  of  Lewis  Griswold,  Jr.;  Mabel 
A.,  Giselle  and  Abbie.  Ada  P.  married  E.  D. 
Bartholomew,  and  with  their  two  children,  Earl  I. 
and  Bonnie  Adele,  they  reside  with  Mrs.  Powers 
at  No.  437  North  Main  Street. 

In  1844,  Mr.  Powers  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  of  Illinois, 
and  served  for  four  years.  He  had  been  urged  to 
become  a  candidate  for  Congress,  but  would  not 
consent,  for  he  said  it  was  a  difficult  tiling  to  be  a 
successful  politician  and  an  honest  man.  On  the 
16th  of  September,  1849,  he  died  after  an  illness  of 
one  week.  Our  subject  was  upright  and  honora- 
ble in  all  things,  and  was  a  Washingtonian  tem- 
perance man,  being  ever  found  on  the  side  of 
right  and  justice.  Those  who  have  heard  him  say 
that  he  was  a  gifted  and  eloquent  speaker.  That 
he  was  honored  with  the  oflice  of  State  Senator 
would  indicate  that  he  was  an  able  man.  He  had 
been  an  intimate  friend  of  Judge  David  Davis,  of 
Bloomington,  and  on  his  death  his  widow  re- 
ceived a  letter  of  condolence  from  the  Judge.  He 
held  membership  with  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  Mrs.  Powers  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.  For  long  years  she  has  resided  in  Macon 
County,  and  throughout  the  community  has  many 
warm  friends  who  esteem  her  highly. 


i/)ILLIAM  DODSON,  who  for  thirty  years 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  is  now  occup3'ing  the  position  of 
transfer  clerk  at  the  Union  Depot  in  Decatur.  Of 
English  birth,  he  was  born  in  Swavese^y,  near 
Cambridge,  England,  on  the  14th  of  March,  1831, 
and  in  his  boyhood  came  to  the  United  States  with 
his  father,  William  Dodson,  Sr.  The  family  made 
their  home  in  Lockport  and  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  until 


1852,  when  they  came  West  to  Decatur.  Onr  sub- 
ject began  driving  a  team  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  and  broke  on  the  first  con- 
struction train  going  out  from  this  place.  He  then 
had  charge  of  the  baggage  at  Sandoval,  111.,  oc- 
cupying that  position  for  six  months.  In  1855, 
he  became  baggage-master  at  the  Union  Depot, 
and  served  as  such  for  twenty-seven  years.  Un- 
der President  Pierce's  administration  he  was  ap- 
pointed mail  messenger,  carrying  the  mail  from 
the  depots  to  the  postollice.  From  that  time  he 
served  continuously  as  mail  messenger  and  trans- 
fer clerk  for  the  Government  until  President 
Cleveland's  administration,  when  he  was  relieved 
of  his  duties  as  mail  messenger,  but  continued  to 
fill  the  position  of  transfer  clerk,  which  he  still 
holds.  He  now  gives  his  entire  attention  to  the 
mail  and  Government  service,  and  is  the  only 
transfer  clerk  ever  stationed  at  this  place.  As  an 
incumbent  of  the  latter  office  he  has  charge  of  all 
mails  handled  at  this  point,  keeping  a  record  of 
everything  connected  therewith.  There  are  twen- 
ty-six mail  trains  daily  and  he  is  always  present 
at  the  arrival  of  each.  His  duties  require  his  at- 
tendance from  7  A.  M.  to  11  r.  M.,  but  for  several 
years  he  was  in  attendance  from  3:30  A.  M.  to  12 
i>.  M. 

The  lady  who  bears  the  name  of  Mrs.  Dodson 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Mary  E.  White,  of 
Decatur.  She  is  a  native  of  Decatur  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Rola  and  Anna  White.  Their  union,  which 
was  celebrated  October  28,  1856,  was  blessed  with 
three  children,  a  son  and  two  daughters,  namely: 
Cora  Ellen,  who  died  September  20,  1858,  when  a 
child;  George  R.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  jewelry 
business  in  Spokane,  Wash.;  and  Daisy  F.,  a  stu- 
dent in  Knoxville,  111.  The  Dodson  family  is  one 
widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  community 
and  its  members  have  many  friends  in  the  circles 
of  society  in  which  they  move. 

In  his  earlier  years,  Mr.  Dodson  was  a  supporter 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  cast  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  James  Buchanan.  In  1860  he 
supported  Abraham  Lincoln  and  has  since  been  an 
advocate  of  Republican  principles.  In  his  social 
relations  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Retention  in  the  position 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


479 


is  the  highest  testimonial  that  can  be  given  of 
promptness  and  fidelity  on  the  part  of  an  employe. 
The  long-continued  service  of  our  subject  as  trans- 
fer clerk  indicates  his  faithfulness  to  duty.  He  is 
alike  true  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  is  a 
valued  citizen  and  a  representative  man  in  this 
community.  He  is  held  in  high  esteem  for  his 
sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity  and  it  is  with 
much  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  the 
life  work  of  Mr.  Dodson. 


GEORGE  PARKER  HARDY,  a  well-known 
resident  of  Decatur,  resides  at  No.  954 
^._,x.,  South  Walnut  Street.  He  is  serving  as 
County  Clerk,  and  is  proving  an  able  and  efficient 
officer.  Fifty-six  years  of  his  life  have  been 
passed  in  this  State,  though  his  birthplace  is  in 
Harbor  Creek  Township,  Erie  County,  Pu.,  the 
date  of  that  important  event  being  March  16,  1828. 
His  parents,  Luke  and  Sophrona  (Warren)  Hard 3-, 
were  both  natives  of  Massachusetts,  the  former 
born  in  Tewkesbury,  and  the  latter  in  Andover. 
After  their  marriage  they  removed  to  Erie  County, 
Pa.,  where  Mr.  Hardy  later  owned  two  good  farms. 
He  was  a  stone-mason  by  trade,  and  followed  that 
pursuit  in  his  early  days,  but  afterward  devoted 
his  energies  to  agriculture.  On  the  15th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1837,  accompanied  by  his  family,  he  left 
the  East  for  Illinois,  locating  in  Bloomington, 
where  his  death  occurred  December  12,  1844,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-five.  His  wife  died  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-six  years,  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter  in  Shelbyville,  111.  Both  held  member- 
ship with  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Bloomington  our  subject 
began  his  literary  education,  which  he  completed 
in  the  university  at  Galesburg.  He  then  worked 
at  the  carpenter's  trade  for  a  few  years.  On  the 
15th  of  February,  1848,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Sarah  A.  Suidan,  a  daughter  of  Jona- 
than and  Mary  (Chamberlain)  Surdan.  Her  par- 
ents were  natives  of  Vermont,  butcame  to  Illinois 


from  the  Empire  State.  Their  famil}'  numbered 
seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  of 
whom  Alice,  Charlie  and  Clara,  the  three  eldest, 
died  in  early  infancy.  Lulu  is  the  wife  of  John 
T.  Ehrhart,  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  firm  of 
Clement,  Bain  &  Co.,  of  Chicago.  They  reside  in 
Englewood  and  have  two  sons,  Harry  and  Arthur. 
George  P.  was  married  and  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  y'ears,  leaving  a  wife  and  two  daugh- 
ters, Bell  and  Nellie.  Mary  W.  is  the  wife  of 
Stephen  P.  Morehousc,  who  is  living  in  Riverside 
Addition  to  Decatur,  and  who  is  a  clerk  in  the 
employ  of  Morehouse,  Wells  <fc  Co.  They  have  a 
daughter,  Margaret.  Tom  C.  married  Miss  Vir- 
ginia Smith,  and  unto  them  has  been  born  a 
daughter,  Hazel. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Hardy  carried  on  a 
bakery  and  confectionery  establishment  in  Bloom- 
ington until  the  6th  of  July,  1852,  when  he  came 
to  Decatur,  but  on  the  25th  of  January,  1853,  he 
left  for  Assumption,  having  a  contract  to  construct 
four  miles  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  near 
that  place.  On  the  completion  of  the  grading  he 
went  to  Moweaqua,  and  on  the  completion  of  the 
road  became  station  agent  at  that  place,  serving 
for  two  years,  when  he  resigned  his  position  in  or- 
der to  embark  in  merchandising.  After  following 
that  pursuit  for  a  short  time,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  grain  dealing,  and  in  December,  1868, 
came  to  Decatur,  where  lie  has  since  resided.  In 
the  spring  of  1872,  he  was  appointed  City  Clerk, 
and  held  that  office  for  ten  years.  He  was  then, 
in  1882,  elected  County  Clerk,  and  has  held  the 
position  ever  since. 

Mr.  Hardy  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  he  isti  prominent  Mason, 
belonging  to  Ionic  Lodge  No.  312,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.; 
and  Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.  Politically, 
he  is  a  Republican.  While  in  the  grain  business 
at  Moweaqua,  he  freighted  five  carloads  of  grain 
to  Cairo,  and  there  sold  them  to  a  gentleman  who 
put  the  grain  on  board  a  steamer  and  shipped  it 
South.  That  was  the  last  shipment  of  grain  that 
left  that  port  for  the  South  during  the  war.  The 
vessel  steamed  into  port  with  the  band  playing 
national  airs  and  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes  float- 
ing from  her  flag  pole,  but  when  she  left  the  wharf 


480 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


witli  her  cargo  the  officers  on  board  began  to  haul 
down  the  Stars  and  Stripes  and  raise  the  Stars  and 
Bars.  This  is  one  of  the  unpleasant  recollections 
of  Mr.  Hardy's  life,  as  he  has  always  been  a  strong 
Unionist,  but  he  rejoices  now  in  the  knowledge 
that  the  starry  banner  floats  triumphantly  over  the 
united  Nation. 

Macon  County  has  just  completed  a  magnificent 
stone  court  house  at  the  cost  of  $99,000.  The 
County  Clerk's  office  is  on  the  second  floor,  in  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  building,  and  commands  a 
fine  view  of  two  of  the  principal  streets  of  the 
city.  It  is  handsomely  furnished,  and  the  efficient 
clerk  and  his  assistants  are  now  "at  home"  to  all 
who  have  business  in  their  line.  The  long-con- 
tinued service  of  Mr.  Hardy  in  the  offices  of  both 
City  and  County  Clerk  is  an  evidence  not  only  of 
his  faithful  discharge  of  duty,  but  of  his  popular- 
ity and  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held  by  the 
citizens  of  Macon  County.  He  is  a  gentleman  of 
affable  manners  and  is  cordial  and  warm-hearted. 


OBERT  D.  WILSON,  one  of  the  boys  in 
blue  of  the  late  war,  and  an  honored  pio- 
neer  settler  of  the  county,  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  Riverside  Park,  Decatur. 
He  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Illinois, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Sangamon  County, 
lifteen  miles  from  Springfield,  October  18,  1830. 
Mention  is  made  of  his  parents  in  the  sketch  of 
James  A.  Wilson  on  another  page  of  this  work. 
The  family  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  represent- 
ative families  of  Macon  County,  whither  they 
came  in  December,  1830,  when  our  subject  was 
only  six  weeks  old.  They  located  in  Mt.  /ion 
Township,  and  spent  the  first  winter  in  a  log 
cabin,  16x14  feet,  the  family  numbering  sixteen 
members.  When  nine  years  old  our  subject  went 
with  his  father  to  Chicago,  then  a  small  place. 
There  were  no  houses  on  the  West  Side  and  they 
camped  amid  the  blue  grass  at  the  west  end  of  the 
bridge  across  the  river.  He  also  accompanied  his 


father  on  trips  to  the  Northwest,  where  they  went 
with  cattle.  He  attended  school  at  intervals  until 
eighteen  years  of  age  and  became  familiar  with 
all  kinds  of  farm  work,  being  early  inured  to  the 
arduous  labors  of  developing  wild  landj*  On  at- 
taining his  majority  he  left  home  and  began  farm- 
ing for  himself.  His  father  gave  him  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  and  he  bought 
eighty  acres,  to  the  improvement  of  which  he  at 
once  turned  his  attention,  for  it  was  in  its  primi- 
tive condition.  To  this  he  has  since  added  until 
lie  now  owns  three  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  consti- 
tuting a  fine  farm,  well  fenced  and  highly  culti- 
vated and  improved. 

On  the  9th  of  August,  1862,  Mr.  Wilson  Jaid 
aside  agricultural  pursuits  to  enter  the  service  of 
his  country  and  enlisted  at  Mt.  Zion  as  a  member 
of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  under  Capt.  Thomas  White  and 
Col.  N.  W.  Tupper.  The  regiment  was  organized 
at  Camp  Macon  and  on  the  8th  of  November  went 
to  Memphis.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Vicksburg,  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkansas  Post  and 
Young's  Point.  The  regiment  worked  on  Grant's 
Canal  all  winter,  and  the  troops  suffered  much 
from  sickness.  In  the  assault  on  Vicksburg,  on 
the  19th  of  June,  Mr.  Wilson  was  shot  through 
the  right  arm  and  for  two  weeks  was  in  the  hos- 
pital, but  during  the  remainder  of  the  siege  was 
with  his  company.  After-  the  surrender  of  the 
city  he  returned  home  on  a  furlough  and  then 
rejoined  his  regiment  at  Camp  Sherman,  near 
Vicksburg.  There  were  only  three  men  in  this 
company,  the  others  having  been  taken  prisoner 
at  Jackson.  Subsequently,  Mr.  Wilson  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Atlanta,  Lookout  Moun- 
tain. Chattanooga  and  Dallas,  where  he  was  slightly 
wounded  in  the  hand,  and  went  with  Sherman  on 
the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea.  He  was  severely 
injured  at  Ft.  McAllister  by  the  concussion  of  a 

•    torpedo,  which  he  struck  with  the  heel  of  his  boot. 

,  After  Lee's  surrender,  he  went  to  Washington  and 
participated  in  the  Grand  Review  in  the  Capitol 
City.  He  was  mustered  out  in  Springfield,  June 
7,  1865.  He  had  been  a  faithful  soldier  and  saw 
much  arduous  service. 

On    the    12th    of  April,  1855,  Mr.  Wilson    was 


#/ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


483 


married  in  Mt.  Zion  Township  to  Mary  Outten, 
daughter  of  P.  S.  Outten,  and  a  native  of  Cass 
County,  111.  Unto  them  were  born  eight  children: 
Mrs.  Julia  Traughber,  of  Spokane,  Wash.;  Rob- 
ert Purnel,  who  died  when  eighteen  months  old; 
Mrs.  Anna  J.  Riber,  of  Blue  Mound;  James  D.,  a 
farmer  of  Waterville,  Wash.;  Oscar  W.,  of  Spo- 
kane,Wash.;  Archie  F.,  a  member  of  the  Mueller 
Gun  Company,  of  Decatur;  Alva  G.  and  Ella  M. 
The  children  have  all  been  liberally  educated,  and 
the  sons  are  graduates  of  business  colleges  either 
of  Decatur  or  Jacksonville,  111. 

During  his  active  business  career,  Mr.  Wilson 
successfully  carried  on  farming  and  stock-raising, 
and  by  his  well-directed  efforts,  his  enterprise  and 
industry,  lie  has  gained  a  comfortable  competency, 
and  is  now  well-to-do.  Himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  she  is  connected  with  the  Woman's  Christian 
Temperance  Union.  Mr.  Wilson  is  connected  with 
Capt.  Thomas  While  Post  No.  529,  G.  A.  R.,  of 
Mt.  Zion,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  supporter  of 
Republican  principles.  For  the  past  seven  years 
he  has  lived  in  Docatur,  where  he  is  enjoying  a 
well-earned  rest  after  a  useful  business  career. 
Of  the  growth  and  development  of  the  county  he 
has  been  an  eye-witness  for  sixty-three  years,  and 
the  prominent  part  which  he  lias  taken  in  its  prog- 
ress and  advancement  well  entitles  him  to  be  men- 
tioned among  the  founders  of  the  county. 


?ILLIAM  J.  CHENOWETH,  M.  D.,  is  the 
veteran  medical  practitioner  of  Decatur, 
and  also  stands  at  the  head  of  his  pro- 
fession in  skill  and  ability.  He  reached  this  city 
on  the  24th  of  May,  1854,  and  has  since  been 
connected  with  its  interests,  professionally  and 
otherwise.  Few  men  are  more  widely  known  in 
Maeon  County  than  the  Doctor,  who  well  deserves 
representation  in  the  history  of  his  adopted 
county. 

Dr.   Chenoweth   was  born  in    Greensburg,  Ky., 


and  comes  of  one  of  the  old  and  prominent  fami- 
lies of  that  State.  His  paternal  great-grandfather, 
Capt.  Richard  Chenoweth,  went  to  that  State  and 
settled  on  an  island  in  the  Ohio  River,  later  called 
Corn  Island,  for  it  was  there  that  the  first  corn 
was  raised  for  the  Colonists.  He  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade  and  contracted  to  build  the  fort  at  Louis- 
ville for  $3,000.  He  performed  his  part  of  the 
contract,  but  never  received  the  money.  He  cul- 
tivated a  farm  near  Middletown,  and  experienced 
all  the  hardships  and  difficulties  of  pioneer  life. 
On  one  occasion  he  and  his  family  were  attacked 
in  the  night  by  Indians,  and  narrowly  escaped 
death.  On  hearing  the  red  men,  he  ran  to  his 
gun  rack,  and  while  taking  down  the  gun  was 
struck  on  the  arm  and  so  disabled  as  not  to  get 
it.  Seeking  safety  by  rushing  out  at  the  open 
door,  he  escaped  and  made  his  way  to  the  fort. 
One  or  two  of  the  children  were  killed.  Mrs. 
Chenoweth  was  attacked  and  stabbed  seven  times, 
and  the  scalp  torn  off  her  head,  which  fortunately 
was  not  tomahawked.  The  Indians  left  her  for 
dead,  but  she  survived  the  awful  treatment.  James 
Chenoweth  was  asleep  in  a  chair  when  the  Indians 
broke  down  the  door  at  his  side  and  buried  a 
tomahawk  in  his  skull  as  they  rushed  past  him. 
Slipping  out  of  the  house,  he  hid  under  a  pile  of 
wood  until  the  savages  had  left,  when  lie  attempted 
to  find  the  fort  at  Middletown,  but,  becoming 
confused,  he  crouched  between  the  roots  of  a  large 
peach  tree  until  daylight.  John  Chenoweth,  the 
first  ancestor  of  the  family  in  this  country,  came 
from  Wales  in  1720,  accompanied  by  his  two  sons. 
The  family  made  their  home  in  Berkeley  County, 
Va.,  until  1778,  when  a  part  of  the  family,  Rich- 
ard, the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  among 
them,  went  to  Kentuck}',  as  above  stated. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  James  Cheno- 
weth, was  a  native  of  that  State,  and  our  subject's 
father,  John  S.  Chenoweth,  was  born  in  Shelby 
County.  In  Lexington,  Ky.,  the  latter  married 
Eliza  Ross,  and  when  their  son  William  was  about 
nine  months  old  they  removed  to  Harrisburg, 
where  the  father  engaged  in  merchandising.  He 
was  a  prominent  citizen  of  his  native  State.  His 
wife  died  in  1H36.  In  the  family  were  five  chil- 
dren, namely:  William  J.,  Martha  A.,  Elizabeth, 


484 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD, 


Margaret  and  Thomas  J.     The  sisters  are  all  now 
deceased.     Thomas  is  a  druggist  of  Mnysville,  Ky. 
The  Doctor,  whose  birth  occurred  December  1, 
1823,  acquired  his  education  in   private  schools  in 
Louisville  and  Harrodsburgh,  Ky.     When  he  was 
about  twelve  years  old,  his  father  had  removed 
to  the  former  city,  where  he   did  business   as   a 
produce  commission  merchant  and  wholesale  cot- 
ton   dealer.     Young    William   worked   in    his  fa- 
ther's oilice  until  after  his  mother's  death,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age.     He 
then,   in    1836,  entered    Augusta  College,  of  that 
State,  from  which    he    was  graduated  in  1841,  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  the  youngest  member    in  a 
class  of  thirteen.     After  his  graduation  he  assisted 
his  father  in  the  commission    business    in  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  but  in  the  mean  time  studied  medicine 
with    Dr.   Nick    Marshall,   of    that    city.  *  Subse- 
quently he  entered  the  Ohio  Medical   College,  at 
Cincinnati,  and    remained    there  one   term,  after 
which  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  at 
Hillsboro,  Ky.,  where  he  remained  for  three  years. 
In    1853   he  was   graduated   from  the    Kentucky 
University,  of  Louisville,  and  soon  after  went   to 
Texas,  where  he  commenced  to    build  up  a  good 
practice,  but  he    remained    there    for  only  a  few 
months.     He  was  in  favor  of  colonization,  and  on 
expressing  his  opinions  freely,  his  neighbors,  dis- 
agreeing with  him,  made  known   their  desire  that 
he  should   leave  that   community,  and   so    he  re- 
turned to  the   North.     At   the  urgent   request  of 
William  Martin,  one  of  Decatur's  well-known  pio- 
neers, he  came  to  this  place  and  opened  an  office. 
In   Fleming  County,  Ky.,  Dr.  Chenoweth  mar- 
ried Miss  America  I>eforgee,  a  granddaughter  of  the 
celebrated  Mike  Cassidy,  of   Kentucky,  who  was  a 
companion  of  Daniel  Boone.     Two  children  have 
been  born  unto  our   subject  and  his  wife,  Cassidy 
and  Eliza  R.     The  latter  is  the  widow  of  Richard 
Piper,  and  with  her  daughter,  Alice  8.,  makes  her 
home  in  Decatur    with    her    father.     Cassidy  is  a 
graduate  of  Rush  Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  and 
is  the  junior  partner  of   the   firm  of  Drs.  W.  J.  & 
C.  Chenoweth.     lie  has  a    high    reputation    as  a 
physician  and  enjoys  a  very    large  city  practice. 
(See  his  sketch  elsewhere.) 

During  the  war  Dr.  Chenoweth  served  as  a  sol- 


dier of  the  Thirty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry  for  fif- 
teen months,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  post.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Illinois 
Army  and  Navy  Medical  Association,  and  is  Treas- 
urer of  that  organization.  He  and  his  wife  hold 
membership  with  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  this  city.  The  Doctor  is  well  and  favor- 
abty  known  in  Decatur  and  for  a  radius  of  twenty 
miles  around  the  city.  He  has  ever  been  a  close 
student  of  his  profession,  and  his  application  and 
natural  ability  have  gained  for  him  the  enviable 
position  which  he  occupies  in  professional  circles. 


OHN  A.  DAWSON,  Cashier  of  the  Citizens' 
National  Bank  of  Decatur,  has  the  honor 
1 1  of  being  a  native  of  Macon  County,  his 
birth  having  occurred  on  his  father's  farm, 
four  miles  south  of  the  city,  July  8,  1853.  His 
paternal  grandfather  spent  the  last  years  of  his 
life  in  this  county,  dying  at  the  home  .of  his  son 
Joseph.  He  was  a  merchant  for  some  years  and 
did  his  own  teaming,  and  hauled  his  merchandise. 
While  thus  employed  he  was  crippled  by  a  barrel 
of  salt  rolling  upon  him  and  the  effects  of  the  ac- 
cident eventually  terminated  his  life.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather  of  our  subject,  John  Wilson, 
was  a  native  of  East  Tennessee  and  followed  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer.  He  became  one  of  the 
pioneer  settler.s  of  Macon  County  of  1827,  and  is 
still  living  on  the  old  homestead,  four  miles  south 
of  Decatur,  in  Wheatland  Township,  and  is  over 
eighty  years  of  age.  For  half  a  century  he  has 
been  one  of  the  most  prominent  Methodists  in  the 
county.  The  sixty-six  years  of  his  residence  here 
have  made  him  widely  known  and  numbered  him 
among  the  honored  pioneers. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Joseph  M.  and  Mary 
A.  (Wilson)  Dawson,  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1845, 
locating  in  this  count3',  where  they  still  reside. 
The  former  was  born  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  and  the 
latter  is  a  native  of  East  Tennessee.  They  hold 
membership  with  the  Methodist  Church,  in  which 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


485 


Mr.  Dawson  has  been  Trustee  and  Steward  for 
many  years.  Their  family  numbered  five  sons 
and  a  daughter:  John  A.,  Thomas  M.,  Luella  B., 
Charles  E.,  Edwin  P.  and  Oscar  W.  Luella  is  the 
wife  of  Homer  T.  Bailey,  of  Columbus,  Ohio. 
Thomas  and  Charles  are  also  married.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  representative  of  two  of  the  earliest  fami- 
lies of  Macon  County.  He  was  reared  on  the  old 
home  farm  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
started  out  in  pursuit  of  an  education.  He  at- 
tended the  Decatur  High  School  and  pursued  a 
course  in  Asbury  University,  of  Greencastle,  Ind., 
when  Rev.  Thomas  Bowman,  now  the  Senior 
Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Church,  was  its  Principal. 
After  leaving  that  school,  Mr.  Dawson  engaged  in 
teaching  for  a  number  of  years,  and  subsequently 
took  up  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Drs.  Moore  and  Barnes,  of  Decatur,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  three  years.  He  was  later 
graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  after  practicing  for 
four  years  took  a  post-graduate  course  at  the  Long 
Island  College  Hospital,  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  After 
spending  one  summer  in  the  practice  of  surgery, 
lie  engaged  in  general  practice  for  nine  years, 
which  ended  his  medical  career. 

In  1883,  Mr.  Dawson,  in  company  with  J.  R. 
Gorin,  and  Lewis  B.  Casner,  formed  the  banking 
firm  of  Gorin,  Dawson  &  Co.,  of  which  he  became 
cashier.  That  partnership  continued  until  June, 
1891,  when  the  Citizens'  National  Bank  was  or- 
ganized as  a  successor  to  the  former  banking  es- 
tablishment. Mr.  Gorin  became  its  President  and 
Mr.  Dawson  its  Cashier.  In  1891  the  capital  stock 
was  $100,000,  but  on  the  1st  of  January,  1892,  it 
was  doubled.  This  is  one  of  the  leading  financial 
institutions  of  Macon  County,  and  its  success  is 
due,  in  no  small  degree,  to  the  efforts  of  our  sub- 
ject. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  1880,  Mr.  Dawson  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Idola,  daughter  of 
Lewis  B.  and  Mary  E.  Casner,  the  former  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Indiana.  Her  great- 
grandmother  died  at  Decatur,  111.,  August  4,  1893, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years,  and  was  buried 
at  Darlington,  Ind.  Two  children  bless  the  union 
of  our  subject  and  his  wife,  Homer  C.  and  Helen 


I.  The  parents  are  communicants  of  the  Method- 
ist Church,  and  Mr.  Dawson  is  a  member  of  the 
official  board.  He  has  served  as  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday-school  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  church  work.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Republican  for 
many  years,  but  now  supports  the  Prohibition 
party. 

The  Gorin,  Dawson  <fe  Co.'s  Bank  was  located  at 
the  corner  of  Merchant  Street  and  Prairie  Avenue 
in  beautiful  quarters.  The  Citizens'  National 
Bank  is  now  one  of  the  most  imposing  and  ele- 
gant in  the  city,  which  fact  is  very  largely  due  to 
the  persistent  and  business-like  efforts  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  made  the  purchase  of  the  lot  and  was 
the  prime  mover  in  securing  the  erection  of  a 
beautiful  structure.  In  Macon  County,  where  his 
entire  life  has  been  passed,  Mr.  Dawson  is  a  promi- 
nent aiftl  popular  citizen,  having  a  large  circle  of 
warm  friends.  He  is  public-spirited  and  progress- 
ive, and  the  best  interests  of  the  community  never 
solicit  his  aid  in  vain.  Such  a  man  well  deserves 
representation  in  the  history  of  his  native  county 
as  one  of  its  leading  citi/.ens. 


HRISTIAN  II.  CARVER,  a  retired  farmer 
now  residing  in  Orcana,  is  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania,  his  birthplace  being  in  Lancaster 
County,  and  the  date  of  that  event  November  17, 
1841.  The  Garver  family  is  of  German  descent, 
and  on  the  maternal  side  our  subject  is  also  of 
German  lineage.  His  parents,  Jacob  and  Susan 
(Heisey)  Garver,  were  both  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  father,  who  was  a  farmer,  died  in  1890, 
at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  and  his  wife  passed 
away  in  1874.  They  had  a  family  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, the  eldest  of  whom  is  our  subject.  The  other 
members  were  Nancy  (now  deceased),  John,  Mary, 
Susan,  Barbara,  Samuel,  Catherine  (deceased),  Dan- 
iel, Abraham,  and  Jacob,  who  has  also  passed 
away. 

In  the   usual    manner  of  farmer  lads,  Christian 
Garver  spent  the  days  of   his  boyhood  and  youth, 


486 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  his  education  was  acquired  in  the  district 
and  subscription  schools.  His  advantages  in  this 
direction,  however,  were  rather  meagre.  For  long 
years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Macon  County, 
whither  he  emigrated  with  his  parents  in  1839. 
They  reached  their  destination  in  the  month  of 
May,  and  located  in  Whitmore  Township,  the 
father  purchasing  land  from  the  Government. 
Here  our  subject  went  tli rough  all  the  experiences 
of  pioneer  life,  and  was  early  inured  to  the  ardu- 
ous labor  of  developing  a  new  farm.  He  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  and  then  began  work  in  Spangler's  flour- 
ing-mill,  on  the  Sangamon  River,  between  Decatur 
and  Long  Creek,  where  he  was  employed  two 
years. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1843,  Mr.  Carver 
married  Miss  Margaret  Geppord,  daughter  of 
George  and  Elizabeth  Geppord.  The  lady  was 
born  near  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  May  2,  1821,  and  by  her 
marriage  became  the  mother  of  eight  children, 
namely:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  George  W.  Heiser,  a 
retired  farmer  of  Decatur;  Susan,  wife  of  Abraham 
Heiser,  an  agriculturist  of  Oakley  Township;  Mary 
A.,  wife  of  Charles  Hirsch,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Whitmore  Township;  William,  who  died  October 
2,  1855;  John  J.,  who  is  living  in  Cerro  Gordo; 
Priscilla,  wife  of  William  F.  Jacobs,  a  general 
merchant  of  Decatur;  Leah,  wife  of  H.  B.  Kuhns, 
a  general  merchant  and  grain  buyer  of  Oreana; 
and  Amanda,  who  died  January  18,  1864. 

On  leaving  the  mill,  Mr.  Garver  turned  his  at- 
tention to  agricultural  pursuits,  securing  a  fortj'- 
acre  tract  of  unimproved  land  on  section  29,  Whit- 
more Township.  There,  in  connection  with  general 
farming,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  grain 
cradles.  In  the  spring  of  1850,  attracted  by  the 
discovery  of  gold,  he  started  from  Decatur  to  Cal- 
ifornia, going  by  the  overland  route  with  a  mule- 
team.  There  were  about  forty  persons  in  the 
train,  which  went  by  the  way  of  St.  Jo,  Ft.  Laramie 
and  Ft.  Kearney.  They  experienced  some  little 
trouble  on  the  trip,  and  after  about  five  months' 
travel  arrived  at  Sacramento,  on  the  16th  of  Au- 
gust. The  same  year,  Mr.  Garver  went  to  Nevada 
City,  where  he  engaged  in  mining  for  about  twelve 
months.  He  remained  on  the  Pacific  Slope  for 


three  years,  and  his  trip  proved  quite  a  successful 
one.  He  then  returned  by  water  to  Macon  County, 
and  went  back  to  the  old  farm  where  he  had  left 
his  wife  and  family,  and  where  he  made  his  home 
from  1843  until  1890.  He  still  owns  the  old  home 
place,  although  in  1890  he  built  his  present  resi- 
dence in  Oreana  and  has  since  resided  there.  His 
landed  possessions  aggregate  three  hundred  and 
ten  acres  of  land,  all  in  Whitmoie  Township,  and 
the  highly  cultivated  and  fertile  tract  yields  him  a 
good  income. 

Mr.  Garver  voted  for  Gen.  Fremont,  the  first 
candidate  of  the  Republican  party,  and  has  since 
been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  principles  of  that 
organization.  He  has  been  honored  with  a  number 
of  local  offices  of  public  trust,  the  first  office  in 
which  he  was  called  upon  to  serve  being  that  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  elected  in  1856,  and 
has  since  filled  the  position,  and  his  long-contin- 
ued service  in  that  office  is  an  honor  of  which  he 
may  well  be  proud.  He  has  also  served  as  Su- 
pervisor for  twelve  years,  was  Assessor  for  three 
terms,  and  for  more  than  a-quarter  of  a  century 
has  been  School  Trustee.  No  higher  testimonial 
to  his  fidelity  and  promptness  in  the  discharge  of 
public  duties  can  be  given  than  his  oft-repeated 
elections.  True  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him,  he 
is  regarded  as  an  honorable,  upright  man,  and  one 
of  Macon  County's  best  citizens.  Himself  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church, 
and  well  deserve  representation  in  this  volume 
among  the  honored  pioneers  to  whom  the  county 
owes  her  prosperity  and  progress. 


J  I  AMES  A.  WILSON,  one  of  the  prominent 
and   honored   pioneers  of   Macon    County, 
|    now  living  a  retired   life   in   Decatur,   was 
born  September  5,  1835,  in  a  log  cabin  in  Ml. 

'/Aon  Township,  and  from  the  days  when  the  county 
was  on  the  frontier  he  has  been  identified  with  its 
upbuilding.  His  grandfather,  Joseph  Wilson,  was 
born  in  North  Carolina,  and  he  and  his  father  were 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


487 


Revolutionary  soldiers,  us  were  five  other  sons  of 
the  family.  Joseph  Wilson  and  his  father  were 
both  taken  prisoners  at  Charleston,  but  were  af- 
terward paroled.  During  the  struggle  Cornwallis 
stopped  at  the  house  of  our  subject's  great-grand- 
mother all  night,  and  paid  her  in  gold  for  cows 
taken  from  her  by  the  British  soldiers. 

Joseph  Wilson  removed  to  Tennessee,  and  was 
buried  in  Wilson  County,  which  was  named  for 
his  relative,  Maj.  David  Wilson,  who  brought  the 
first  wagon  across  the  mountains,  and  on  reaching 
what  was  afterward  Wilson  County  carved  his 
name  on  a  rock  there.  Robert  Wilson,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Mecklenburg  County, 
N.  C.,  on  the  4th  of  October,  1779,  and  when  eigh- 
teen years  old  went  to  Maury  County,  Term.  In 
Wilson  County  he  married  Miss  Jane  Donnell, 
who  died  in  1829.  Her  brother,  Rev.  Robert  Don- 
nell, was  one  of  the  early  leaders  and  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Cumberland  Presb3rterian  Church. 
The  two  sons  of  the  family,  Thomas  F.  and  Will- 
iam, died  in  this  county.  The  daughters  were 
Nancy  E..  Mary  B.,  Sarah  Martha  and  Cynthia  E., 
all  deceased.  After  his  mother's  death,  when  but 
a  boy,  Robert  Wilson  lived  with  a  bachelor  uncle 
named  Moses  until  his  father's  second  marriage. 
His  own  wife  died  while  arrangements  were  being 
made  to  come  to  Illinois,  for  he  had  made  a 
prospecting  tour  in  this  State  in  1828.  Going 
to  a  widow,  Mrs.  Sarah  Hodge,  he  asked  her  to 
unite  her  family  and  fortunes  with  his  and  go  to 
Illinois.  They  were  married  a  few  weeks  after 
his  first  wife's  death,  in  1829,  and  after  rent- 
ing a  farm  in  Sangamon  County  he  entered  land 
and  broke  prairie  in  Mt.  Zion  Township,  in  the 
spring  of  1830.  He  brought  his  family  to  this 
place  in  December,  the  winter  of  the  big  snow. 
The  house  was  not  then  completed,  and  the  family 
of  sixteen  lived  in  a  cabin  fourteen  feet  square. 
Mr.  Wilson  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-dealing, 
in  the  spring  driving  cattle  to  the  Northwest,  to 
northern  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  selling  them  there 
to  emigrants.  On  several  of  these  journeys  he  was 
accompanied  by  our  subject.  He  was  the  first  man 
to  drive  stock  outside  of  the  State  as  a  business. 
There  were  many  hardships  to  be  endured,  but 
perseverance  and  enterprise  overcame  the  difficul- 


ties, and  Mr.  Wilson  became  a  prosperous  man.  He 
furnished  all  the  children  with  homes,  and  had  a 
competency  left  for  himself.  He  spent  his  closing 
days  with  our  subject,  and  died  March  4,  1873,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-four,  his  wife  having  died  on 
the  20th  of  January  previous.  He  was  a  man  who 
never  used  any  slang  or  profane  language,  never 
had  a  law  suit,  and  his  friends  were  many.  He 
was  an  old-line  Whig  and  opposed  to  slavery,  and 
later  was  an  ardent  Republican. 

Mrs.  Robert  Wilson  was  born  April  26,  1792,  in 
Orange  County,  N.  C.,  her  maiden  name  being 
Sarah  Lindsay.  She  first  married  Joseph  Hodge, 
who  died  in  Tennessee.  Henry  J.,  an  honored 
pioneer,  who  married  Miss  Penelope  Trauber,  and 
died  August  30,  1838,  was  their  eldest  child.  The 
other  children  are  Mrs.  Talitha  J.  Baker,  who  is 
living  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  S.  Davis,  of  Long 
Creek  Township;  Amzi,  ticket-agent  at  the  Union 
Depot,  Decatui ;  Joseph  N.,  who  is  in  the  Citizens' 
National  Bank;  Arraanna  H.,  the  widow  of  J.  M. 
Baker,  and  who  resides  in  Rogers,  Ark.;  Margaret 
C.,  deceased,  who  was  the  wife  of  John  Hanson,  of 
Winnebago  County,  111.;  Joseph  J.  and  Eli  L.,  de- 
ceased. Of  the  children  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wilson,  Robert,  who  was  born  in  Sangamon 
County  October  18,  1830,  and  when  six  weeks  old 
was  brought  by  his  parents  to  this  countj',  served 
in  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infan- 
try, and  was  wounded  in  the  arm  at  Vicksburg. 
He  is  living  retired  in  Riverside,  a  suburb  of  De- 
catur.  Sarah  E.,  born  January  5,  1833,  is  the 
widow  of  John  H.  Davidson,  and  lives  in  Mt.  Zion. 
James  A.,  whose  sketch  is  found  on  another  page, 
is  the  youngest.  The  father  of  this  family  was  a 
member  and  officer  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  made  liberal  contributions  to 
it  and  the  American  Bible  Society.  He  was  an 
Abolitionist,  and  for  that  reason  came  to  a  free 
State.  He  has  aided  many  a  poor  colored  man  in 
time  of  trouble,  and  the  need3r  were  never  turned 
from  his  door  empty-handed.  In  politics,  he  was 
a  Whig  and  afterward  a  Republican.  "Uncle  Rob- 
bin,"  as  he  was  familiarly  known,  was  loved  and 
esteemed  throughout  the  entire  community. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  amid  the 
wild  scenes  of  frontier  life  and  received  only  such 


488 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


educational  privileges  as  the  early  subscription 
schools  afforded  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when 
lie  went  to  an  academy  in  Sullivan,  but  after  two 
months,  on  account  of  his  eye-sight,  he  had  to  re- 
turn home,  and  for  three  years  was  nearly  blind. 
In  his  early  years  he  enjoyed  hunting  sports,  for 
his  father  also  enjoyed  hunting  and  kept  a  num- 
ber of  hounds.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five  Mr. 
Wilson  enlisted  at  Decatur,  August  5,  1861,  as  a 
member  of  Company  E,  Forty-first  Illinois  Infan- 
try, and  was  elected  Sergeant.  He  participated  in 
all  the  engagements  of  his  regiment,  including  the 
battles  of  Ft.  Donelson,  Ft.  Henry,  Pittsburg 
Landing,  Corinth  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  At 
Pittsburg  Landing  he  was  promoted  to  be  First 
Lieutenant  for  meritorious  conduct,  and  from  the 
22d  of  June,  1863,  had  command  of  his  company, 
C'apt.  Strait  having  been  severely  wounded  before 
Vicksburg.  He  saw  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg 
on  the  4th  of  July,  from  the  heights  of  Horse  Shoe 
Bend,  and  witnessed  the  display  of  the  white  flag. 
Right  in  front  of  his  troops  was  the  Tenth  rebel 
regiment  from  Georgia,  and  after  the  surrender 
the  boys  in  gray  ate  supper  with  those  in  blue. 
Lieut.  Wilson  also  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Jack- 
son, and  out  of  sixteen  men  in  his  company,  eight 
were  lost  in  the  fight,  four  being  killed.  On  the 
7th  of  March,  1864,  some  of  the  regiment  re-en- 
listed and  returned  home  on  furloughs.  The  non- 
veterans,  with  Lieut.  Wilson,  were  then  sent  under 
Lieut.-Col.  John  H.  Nail  up  the  Red  River  on  the 
Bunks  expedition  and  were  sent  to  the  rear  of  Ft. 
De  Russer,  which  they  charged  and  captured. 
Going  on  to  Alexandria,  Lieut.  Wilson's  regiment 
was  sent  as  a  guard  on  the  transports.  When 
within  sixty  miles  of  Shreveport  the  news  of 
Banks'  defeat  at  Pleasant  Hill  reached  them,  and 
in  consequence  they  were  ordered  back  to  the  fleet 
Our  subject  was  taken  sick  at  Memphis,  but  after- 
ward took  part  in  the  Tupelo,  Miss.,  expedition 
under  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith,  in  July,  1864.  He  was 
mustered  out  in  Springfield,  August  20,  1864,  af- 
ter three  years  of  faithful  and  meritorious  service, 
in  which  he  endured  all  the  perils  and  hardships 
of  war.  He  was  constantly  with  his  regiment,  was 
never  absent  when  duty  called,  and  is  the  only 
officer  the  Forty-first  ever  had  who  was  with  it 


under  all  circumstance,  in  all  marches  and  battles. 

In  1864  Lieut.  Wilson  returned  home,  built  a 
house  and  began  farming  for  himself.  He  married 
Miss  Sarah  E.  Jones  October  29,  1867,  and  unto 
them  were  born  the  following  children:  Charles 
C.,  who  was  born  October  11,  1868,  and  is  pursu- 
ing his  third  year  of  study  in  the  Collegiate  Uni- 
versity of  New  York,  and  during  the  summer  vaca- 
tion is  serving  as  a  Columbian  Guard  at  the 
World's  Fair  in  Chicago;  Mabel  E.,  who  was  edu- 
cated in  Decatur  and  in  Normal,  111.,  and  is  now  a 
teacher  in  the  Jasper  Street  School;  Sarah  M..  a 
graduate  of  the  High  School ;  Robert  Roy,  attend- 
ing High  School;  Bessie  B.  and  James  Victor. 

Mr.  Wilson  still  owns  a  good  farm  of  eighty 
acres  in  Mt.  /ion  Township,  but  in  February, 
1887,  came  to  Decatur,  where  lie  is  now  living  a 
retired  life.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church.  He  cast  his  first  Presi- 
dential ballot  for  Fremont,  was  a  Republican  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  is  now  a  Prohibitionist  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 
The  history  of  Macon  County  is  familiar  to  him, 
and  the  story  of  its  pioneer  days  forms  part  of  his 
life.  In  the  long  years  of  his  residence  here  he 
has  been  known  to  his  fellow-townsmen  as  an  hon- 
orable, upright  man,  and  his  worth  has  won  re- 
cognition in  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held 
by  all. 


Y  FORT,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  24,  Austin  Township, 
'ias  keen  a  lifelong  agriculturist,  and  is  now 
the  owner  of  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  of  valuable 
land,  which  3'ields  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in 
return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  it. 
A  native  of  New  Jersey,  he  was  born  in  Burling- 
ton County  July  20,1835.  His  father,  Stephen 
L.  Fort,  was  born  in  the  same  county  in  1808, 
and  there  married  Miss  Thirza  Lamb,  of  Burling- 
ton County,  by  whom  he  had  five  children  namely: 
Gooldy;  John,  who  makes  his  home  in  Mattoon, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


489 


111.;  Jacob  L.,  who  died  in  1875, and  was  buried  in 
DeWitt  County;  Samuel,  who  died  in  the  array, 
and  was  buried  in  Corinth,  Miss.;  and  Mary  Ann, 
whose  death  occurred  in  Darke  County,  Ohio. 

The  family  having  removed  to  the  Buckeye 
State,  our  subject  acquired  his  education  in  its 
common  schools.  During  his  youth  he  worked 
upon  a  farm  and  learned  the  woodturners'  trade, 
but  he  followed  that  occupation  for  only  one 
year.  During  the  late  war  we  find  him  among 
the  boys  in  blue,  who  so  valiantly  aided  their 
country  and  thus  preserved  the  Union,  lie  en- 
listed in  1801  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Thirty- 
lifth  Ohio  Infantry,  and  participated  in  the  siege 
of  Corinth,  and  was  with  his  command  at  the 
battles  of  Perryville,  Chickamauga  and  Mission 
Ridge.  His  regiment  was  with  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  and  was  also  under  fire  at  the  battles 
of  Resaca  and  Peach  Tree  Creek.  Our  subject 
was  honorably  discharged  at  Chattanooga,  Tenn., 
in  1864,  at  the  close  of  a  three-years  term.  He 
was  a  faithful  soldier,  always  found  at  his  post. 

Mr.  Fort  returned  to  Ohio,  and  on  the  30th  of 
July,  1865,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Christiana  C.  Thomas,  a  daughter  of  Michael 
Thomas,  of  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  and  the 
eldest  of  six  children.  Her  father  is  still  living 
in  the  Buckeye  State,  but  her  mother  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  in  1872.  By  the  union  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife  were  born  nine  children: 
Mary,  now  the  wife  of  Frank  J.  Braden,  a  resident 
of  Maroa;  Nelson,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five 
years  and  was  buried  in  Ridge  Cemetery,  Maroa 
Township;  Ord,  who  was  married  August  9, 1893, 
to  Miss  Mary  Meudenhall;  Myrtle  K.,  at  home; 
Lydia  Ann,  who  died  in  January,  1883,  aged  seven 
years;  Thirza  O.  G.,  John  G.  T.  and  Lucy  J.  M.,  at 
home;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  his  social  relations,  Mr.  Fort  is  connected 
with  the  Odd  Fellows'  society  and  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic.  In  politics,  he  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Republican  party,  and  has  been  hon- 
ored with  a  number  of  oflicial  positions  of  public 
trust.  His  wife  is  a  worthy  member  and  active 
worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Our 
subject  and  his  wife  have  an  attractive  home,  sit- 
uated in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  farm  of  eighty 


acres,  and  are  numbered  among  the  worthy  citi- 
zens of  the  community,  being  held  in  high  regard 
by  all  with  whom  they  have  been  brought  in  con- 
tact. They  came  to  this  county  in  1870,  and  have 
therefore  been  numbered  among  its  residents  for 
a-quarter  of  a  century.  Mr.  Fort  faithfully  dis- 
charges his  duties  -of  citizenship  with  the  same 
fidelity  that  characterized  his  course  during  the 
late  war. 


EREMIAH  P.  NICHOLSON,  dealer  in  agri- 
cultural implements,  buggies  and  carriages 
of  Decatur,  is  numbered  among  the  early 
_  settlers  of  this  county.  He  was  born  in 
Garrard  County,  Ky.,  March  10,  1840,  and  is  de- 
scended from  one  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes,  his 
grandfather,  James  Nicholson,  having  aided  the 
Colonies  in  their  struggle  for  independence.  After 
the  war,  he  removed  from  Virginia  to  Kentucky, 
locating  in  Garrard  County,  when  there  were  but 
few  white  settlers.  The  Indians  were  very  troub- 
lesome at  that  time,  and  on  several  occasions  he 
had  to  hide  to  save  his  life.  His  death  occurred 
upon  the  farm  which  he  developed  and  improved, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  His  family 
numbered  the  following  children:  John,  James, 
William  and  Jeremiah,  all  deceased;  and  Robert, 
of  Caldwell  County,  Kan.  . 

The  first-named  of  these  sons  was  the  father  of 
our  subject.  He  acquired  a  good  education  and 
taught  school  in  Kentucky,  and  also  after  coming 
to  Illinois.  He  was  an  Abolitionist  in  political 
faith,  although  he  owned  one  negro,  that  he  had 
inherited.  He  was  married  in  his  native  State  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Henry,  who  died  when  Mary  Jane, 
her  only  child,  was  two  years  old.  Later  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Julia  Ann  Underwood,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Kentucky.  Seven  years  before  his  death 
he  went  to  live  with  his  son  Jeremiah,  and  at  his 
home  in  Long  Creek  Township  died  September  9, 
1870,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven.  He  was  laid  to 


490 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


rest  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery.  His  wife  died  when 
our  subject  was-  eighteen  years  of  age.  In  his 
younger  years,  John  Nicholson  was  a  great  ad- 
mirer of  Clay.  He  cast  the  only  vote  cast  for  Fre- 
mont in  South  Wheatland  Township,  and  from 
that  time  was  a  stanch  Republican.  He  was  a 
charter  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  De- 
catur,  and  was  a  zealous  worker  in  its  interest. 
The  cause  of  temperance  also  found  in  him  a  stal- 
wart adherent,  even  in  the  days  when  it  was  con- 
sidered the  proper  thing  to  partake  of  liquors. 
His  life  was  ever  honorable  and  upright,  and  he 
left  to  his  children  the  priceless  heritage  of  a  good 
name. 

John  Nicholson's  eldest  child  is  Mrs.  Mary  Jane 
Dunning,  of  Mt.  Zion,  and  she  was  followed  by 
William  II.,  who  was  a  member  of  Company  C, 
One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry, and 
died  of  measles  at  Young's  Point,  La.;  Martha,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  nineteen;  J.  P.,  of  this  sketch; 
Mrs.  Rachel  Armstrong,  who  died  in  Mt.  Zion 
Township;  Sarah  Margaret,  widow  of  Thomas  Gar- 
rison, of  New  Paris,  Ohio;  James,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  three  years;  Charles,  of  Bedford,  Iowa;  John, 
of  Chillicothe,  Mo.;  and  Robert,  a  farmer  of  Mt. 
Zion  Township. 

Our  subject  spent  his  early  years  in  a  log  cabin 
home  and  attended  the  subscription  schools,  his 
father  being  the  teacher  part  of  the  time.  In  1851, 
at  the  age  of  eleven,  he  accompanied  his  parents 
and  their  family  of  nine  children  to  Macon  County, 
the  journey  being  made  in  wagons  drawn  by  two 
teams.  After  the  first  winter,  which  was  spent  in 
a  log  cabin,  they  removed  to  South  Wheatland 
Township,  and  ten  years  later  went  to  Moultrie 
County.  In  1861,  Mr.  Nicholson  of  this  sketch 
began  working  as  a  farm  hand,  and  in  August  of 
that  year  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Eighth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  under  Col.  Oglesby  and  Capt.  Bruce, 
the  latter  being  succeeded  by  Capt.  Leeper,  who 
was  killed  at  Raymond,  when  G.  F.  Durfee,  of  De- 
catur,  was  placed  in  command.  The  first  important 
battle  in  which  our  subject  took  part  was  that  of 
Shilob.  After  his  year's  term  of  service  had  ex- 
pired, he  was  mustered  out  and  returned  home. 

Mr.  Nicholson  was  married  January  26,  1865,  to 
Catherine  A,,  daughter  of  Robert  Wallace,  of  Long 


Creek  Township,  where  the  lady  was  born.  They 
began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm  in  Moultrie 
County,  but  after  two  years  removed  to  Long 
Creek  Township,  where  they-lived  until  1887.  Mr. 
Nicholson  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  was  quite  successful.  On  coming  to 
Decatur,  he  carried  on  a  feed  store  for  a  year,  and 
then  began  working  for  the  firm  of  E.  G.  Allen  <fe 
Bro.,  dealers  in  agricultural  implements,  buggies 
and  carriages.  In  their  employ  he  remained  until 
1892,  when  he  bought  out  the  business,  which  he 
has  since  conducted  successfully.  He  carries  a  full 
line  of  everything  found  in  a  first-class  establish- 
ment of  the  kind,  and  has  a  fine  trade,  which  is 
constantly  increasing. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs?.  Nicholson  have  been  born 
the  following  children:  Mina;  William  11.,  who 
married  Miss  Lottie  Cressy,  and  is  now  book- 
keeper in  Milliken's  Bank;  Julia  Ann;  Cass,  who 
aids  his  father  in  the  store;  Robert  B.;  Carrie;  and 
Lester.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  are  highly  respected  citi- 
zens. Mr.  Nicholson  is  a  Knight-Templar  Mason, 
and  is  a  member  of  Dunham  Post,  G.  A.  R.  He  is 
now  serving  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  his 
township.  Whatever  our  subject  undertakes  he 
carries  forward  to  successful  completion.  He  is  a- 
man  of  good  business  ability,  persevering  and  in- 
dustrious, arid  by  his  own  efforts  he  has  gained 
prosperity,  which  is  well  deserved. 


ANIEL  SCHENCK,  who  is  the  owner  of  a 
fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five 
acres  of  arable  land  en  section  23,  Austin 
Township,  has  here  resided  for  the  past 
thirty  years.  He  first  visited  the  county  in  1843, 
but  it  was  not  until  some  time  later  that  he  made 
a  permanent  location.  He  was  born  in  eastern 
Pennsylvania,  August  2,  1811,  and  his  parents, 
Garrett  and  Rachel  (Richards)  Schenck,  were  also 
natives  of  the  Keystone  State.  They  were  married 


^r  _ 


' 


/ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


495 


when  quite  young,  and  in  an  early  day  emigrated 
to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where  they  remained 
for  a  few  years,  and  then  removed  to  Butler  County, 
in  the  same  State,  where  they  spent  their  last  days. 
Their  family  numbered  five  children:  Daniel; 
Rudolph,  who  died  in  Crawfordsville, Ind.;  Jacob, 
who  is  also  deceased;  Pollj^,  who  was  the  wife  of 
P.  R.  Foster,  and  died  in  Hamilton  County,  Pa.; 
and  Mrs.  Becky  Ann  Emerson,  who  is  living  in 
Kansas. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  has  made  his  own  way 
in  life  from  a  very  early  age.  When  a  lad  of 
eleven  years  he  was  bound  out  to  a  farmer  and 
served  until  a  youth  of  fifteen,  at  which  time  he 
sought  a  home  in  Butler  County,  Ohio.  There  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker,  and  followed 
that  occupation  for  some  three  years,  after  which 
he  embarked  in  fanning  in  Butler  County. 

Mr.  Schenck  was  married  January  15,  1834,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Sarah  Ann  De  Nice, 
who  is  also  of  German  descent.  They  began  their 
domestic  life  upon  a  rented  farm  in  Warren  County, 
Ohio,  and  Mr.  Sehenck  there  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits  until  1837,  when  he  went  with  his 
family  to  Butler  County,  Ohio,  where  he  remained 
until  1854.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  that  year,  lo- 
cating in  DeWitt  County,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  1861,  when  he  came  to  Maeon  County,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  He  first  came  to  this  State 
to  see  the  country  in  1843,  and  determined  to  own 
a  farm  upon  its  broad  prairies,  but  circumstances 
did  not  allow  him  to  purchase  immediately,  and 
be  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he  worked  for  eleven 
years  before  his  hopes  of  coming  to  this  State 
could  be  realized. 

Six  children  have  been  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Schenck:  Benjamin  W.,  who  is  now  married  and 
lives  in  Dccatur;  William,  who  resides  on  section 
24,  Austin  Township;  Garrett,  also  a  resident  of 
Decatur,  Frank,  who  is  living  at  home;  Margaret 
Ann,  wife  of  George  Reed,  a  resident  of  Arnold, 
Neb.;  and  Sara  V.,  wife  of  Ed  Reed,  of  Chicago. 
His  two  sons,  William  and  Benjamin,  were  soldiers 
of  the  late  war.  They  e'nlisted,  in  1862,  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
remained  in  the  service  until  the  close  of  the  strug- 
gle. They  took  part  in  many  important  engage- 

23 


ments,  participating  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and 
marching  with  Sherman  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea. 
The  blood  of  a  Revolutionary  hero  flows  in  their 
veins,  for  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Rulof 
R.  Schenck,  who  lived  until  1796,  aided  the  Col- 
onies in  their  struggle  for  independence.  He 
served  under  Washington  in  the  famous  battle  of 
Morimouth,  and  in  other  notable  engagements. 

Mr.  Schenck  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  views, 
public  spirited  and  progressive,  and  the  community 
numbers  him  among  its  valued  citizens.  His  life 
has  been  a  busy  and  useful  one,  for  idleness  is  ut- 
terl}7  foreign  to  his  nature,  but  now,  having  ac- 
quired a  handsome  competency  as  the  result  of  his 
labors,  he  expects  soon  to  remove  to  Decatur  and 
spend  his  declining  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
rest  which  lie  has  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves. 


ICHAEL  TROUTMAN,  who  was  one  of  the 
leading  contractors  and  a  prominent  citi- 
Dt  zen  of  Decatur,  was  born  May  3,  1835,  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  and  at  the  age  of  four 
years  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents, 
Andrew  and  Dorothy  Troutman.  The  family  lo- 
cated in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood.  Early  in  life  he  learned  the  brick- 
maker's  trade,  serving  a  two-years  apprenticeship 
in  Columbus,  Ohio.  In  1857,  he  came  to  Decatur, 
111.,  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  one  year,  but  as 
brick  work  was  scarce  he  accepted  a  position  as 
conductor  on  a  construction  train  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  being  thus  employed  until  he  was 
seriously  injured  on  the  20th  of  March,  1860,  the 
injury  resulting  in  the  loss  of  his  right  leg  below 
the  knee.  His  sickness  exhausted  all  the  means 
which  he  had  saved,  and  he  went  to  Chicago  to  see 
if  he  could  get  aid  from  the  railroad  company,  but 
all  help  was  refused  him  and  he  returned  to  Deca- 
tur. 

Being  unable  to  work  at  his  trade  on  account  of 


496 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


weakness  caused  by  his  injury,  for  the  next  two 
and  a-half  years  Mr.  Troutman  engaged  in  mak- 
ing brooms,  but  in  this  way  he  did  little  more 
than  pay  expenses.  However,  after  a  time  he 
was  elected  Street  Commissioner,  and  for  two  years 
faithfully  served  in  that  capacity,  and  it  is  said  that 
no  one  ever  filled  the  office  better.  He  was  elected 
Constable,  but  as  grasping  landlords  frequently 
wanted  him  to  turn  the  wives  and  widows  of  sol- 
diers out  of  their  homes,  and  he  could  not  bear  to 
do  this,  he  resigned  the  position.  At  the  close  of 
the  war  business  improved  and  he  again  resumed 
work  at  his  trade,  being  employed  by  the  day  for 
two  years.  He  then  began  contracting,  and  be- 
came one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  city's 
builders,  many  of  the  fine  buildings  of  Docatur 
standing  as  monuments  to  his  handiwork  and  en- 
terprise. He  erected  the  Brenneman  Block,  the 
Haworth  Block,  Judge  Race's  fine  residence,  the 
Stoner  and  Armstrong  buildings,  the  Haworth 
home,  the  Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the 
new  Shellabarger  mills,  the  furniture  factory,  the 
oil  mill,  the  coffin  factory,  the  Hatfield  mill,  the 
Busher  buildings,  and  many  others.  lie  employed 
from  twenty  to  thirty  men,  and  was  numbered 
among  the  leading  contractors  of  Decatur,  his  lib- 
eral patronage  being  secured  by  his  devotion  to 
business,  his  excellent  workmanship  and  his  fair 
and  honest  dealings.  He  also  dealt  considerably 
in  real  estate,  buying  property,  improving  it  by 
building  upon  it,  and  then  selling  it. 

In  all  the  dark  days  of  adversity  and  in  the 
brighter  ones  of  prosperity  his  troubles  and  pleas- 
ures were  shared  by  his  faithful  wife.  On  the  13th 
of  August,  1860,  he  wedded  Miss  Sophia  Volk,  a 
young  lady  of  twenty-four  years,  whose  home  was 
in  Columbus,  Ohio.  On  coming  to  the  West,  Mr. 
Troutman  left  his  betrothed  in  the  Buckeye  State, 
but  when  he  was  injured  his  mother  wrote  to  the 
young  lady,  who  came  and  aided  in  caring  for  him 
during  his  illness.  Mr.  Troutman  offered  to  release 
her  from  the  engagement,  saying  that  he  could  not 
make  a  living  for  her,  but,  with  a  spirit  of  gener- 
osity equaling  his  own,  she  replied  that  if  he  could 
not  make  the  living  she  could,  and  in  the  early 
days  of  hardship  she  was  true  and  steadfast  in  her 
deTOtion.  Four  children  graced  their  union.  Elmer 


E.,  who  was  born  on  the  day  when  Col.  Elmer  Ells 
was  killed,  is  a  brick  contractor  of  Decatur;  Regina 
is  the  wife  of  P.  K.  Albert,  of  Guthrie,  Okla.;  Elinor 
and  Clara,  the  two  youngest  children,  are  still  liv- 
ing at  home.  In  1868,  Mr.  Troutman  built  the 
present  commodious  residence,  which  is  famous  as 
being  the  first  brick  residence  on  West  Main  Street. 
In  politics  our  subject  was  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  took  quite  an  active  part  in  his  party's  service. 
In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Universalist  and  in  his 
early  da3~s  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  church. 
His  generosity  and  benevolence  were  well  known 
and  his  honesty  was  proverbial.  The  poorand  needy 
ever  found  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and  a  suffering 
one  was  never  turned  from  his  door  empty-handed. 
He  left  to  his  family  the  priceless  heritage  of  an 
honest  name.  He  passed  away  January  22,  1892, 
after  an  illness  of  three  months,  and  his  death  was 
mourned  by  many  friends.  His  widow,  a  most 
estimable  lady,  occupies  the  old  home  with  her  two 
youngest  daughters. 


ORACE  E.  PEVERLY,  who  deserves  men- 
(,  tion  among  the  leading  agriculturists  of 
Macon  County,  resides  on  section  36,  Aus- 
tin Township,  where  he  has  a  highly  im- 
proved farm.  As  he  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  this  community  we  feel  assured  that  this 
record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of 
our  readers.  He  comes  from  an  old  New  England 
family  of  Welsh  origin,  which  was  probably 
founded  in  America  in  early  Colonial  days.  His 
father,  Thomas  Peverly,  was  born  in  Merrimac 
County,  N.  H.,  in  1804,  and  in  1839  he  wedded 
Miss  Mary  Emery,  a  native  of  the  same  county.  In 
1855,  they  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the  West, 
and,  emigrating  to  Illinois,  located  in  De  Witt 
County,  and  after  two  years  there  spent  they  came 
to  Macon  County.  In  1868,  the  mother's  death 
occurred  and  her  remains  were  interred  in  Ridge 
Cemetery,  of  Maroa  Township.  Three  children  of 
the  family  are  yet  living.  Freeman  W.,  thg 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


497 


brother  of  our  subject,  makes  his  home  in  Henry 
County,  Mo.;  Fanny  is  the  widow  of  John  C. 
Tickner  and  is  living  in  Macon  County,  111.  May, 
the  other  child  of  the  family,  died  in  early  life. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Merrimac 
County,  N.  H.,  May  13,  1843,  and  when  a  lad  of 
sixteen  years  began  earning  his  own  livelihood. 
We  see  in  him  a  self-made  man  who  through  his 
own  exertions  has  achieved  the  success  which  now 
crowns  his  efforts.  On  the  16th  of  September, 
1866,  lie  marned  Miss  Emily  B.  Dudley,  who  died 
September  28,  1875.  Four  children  were  born  of 
that  union:  Edith,  who  married  Charles  Conley 
and  lives  near  Warrensburg;  Flora,  who  died  in 
Kansas  in  October,  1875;  Minnie,  who  makes  her 
home  with  her  aunt  in  Warrensburg,  and  is  being 
educated  at  Findlay  College,  of  Ohio;  and  Ray- 
mond, who  completes  the  family. 

In  1870,  Mr.  Peverly  removed  from  Macon 
County  to  Greenwood  County,  Kan.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  about  eight  years,  but  in  1878  he  re- 
turned to  Illinois,  and  has  since  here  made  his 
home.  In  the  year  1875  a  great  misfortune  over- 
took him  in  the  loss  of  his  wife  and  daughter  and 
of  his  father,  the  latter  of  whom  died  in  Green- 
wood County,  Kan.,  while  living  with  him,  and 
all  th oir  deaths  occurring  between  May  and  Oc- 
tober of  that  year.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1877, 
Mr.  Peverly  was  again  married,  his  union  being 
with  Miss  Eliza  M.  Brown,  daughter  of  John  A. 
and  Mary  Brown,  of  Austin  Township.  She  is 
a  lady  of  English  descent,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child, 
Howard,  who  lives  with  his  parents  on  section  36, 
Austin  Township,  which  was  the  home  of  his 
mother  before  her  marriage,  her  parents  settling 
here  about  1860.  This  attractive  and  beautiful 
farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
rich  land,  and  was  formerly  the  property  of  Mrs. 
Poverty's  father,  John  A.  Brown.  Her  parents 
were  prominent  citizens  of  this  county,  but  the 
father  is  now  deceased,  as  are  her  two  brothers, 
who  met  death  by  accident,  one  in  a  railroad  dis- 
aster, and  the  other  by  the  accidental  discharge  of 
a  gun.  Her  mother  resides  in  Warrensburg. 

Mr.  Peverly  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  has  been 


elected  .to  fill  various  official  positions  and  has 
served  in  the  offices  of  School  Director,  Road  Com- 
missioner and  Supervisor,  in  all  of  which  he  has 
discharged  his  duties  with  a  promptness  and  fideU 
ity  that  have  won  him  high  commendation.  The 
best  interests  of  the  community  ever  find  in  him  a 
friend,  and  his  aid  is  never  withheld  from  any 
enterprise  calculated  to  promote  the  general  wel- 
fare. In  his  business  he  has  manifested  good 
judgment,  and  his  fair  dealing  and  honesty  of 
purpose  have  made  his  word  as  good  as  his  bond. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Warrensburg  Lodge 
No.  600,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  his  wife  belongs  to  Olive 
Leaf  Rebecca  Lodge,  of  Warrensburg. 


ANIEL  W.  CRAIG,  a  contractor,  carpen- 
ter and  builder  of  Maroa,  has  made  his 
home  in  this  city  since  1879,  and  his 
handiwork  is  seen  on  all  sides,  many  of  the 
buildings  of  this  place  standing  as  monuments  to 
his  thrift  and  enterprise.  Mr.  Craig  was  born  in 
Allegheny  County,  Pa.,  in  the  city  of  Pittsburg, 
August  25,  1821,  but  though  he  has  now  reached 
the  age  of  seventy-two  his  years  rest  lightly  upon 
him  and  he  possesses  the  vigor  and  activity  of 
many  a  man  in  his  prime.  We  join  with  his  many 
friends  in  wishing  that  he  may  yet  long  continue 
to  be  a  resident  of  Maroa. 

The  Craig  family  is  of  Scotch  origin  and  was 
founded  in  America  by  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  Samuel  Craig,  who  became  a  Virginian 
farmer.  One  of  his  eleven  children,  William  Craig, 
became  the  father  of  our  subject.  He  was  born  in 
Rockbridge  County,  Va.,  and  followed  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter  and  farmer  in  the  Old  Dominion 
and  Pennsylvania.  He  wedded  Miss  Mary  Wed- 
dle,  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State  and  a  daughter 
of  Daniel  Weddle,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  after 
his  marriage  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  became  a 
farmer  of  Allegheny  County,  Pa.  In  1834  Mr. 
Craig  removed  with  his  family  to  Ohio  and  made 
his  home  in  Ashland  County  unlil  his  death,  in 


498 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1875,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-four.  He  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812  and  drew  a  pension 
until  his  death.  His  wife  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three.  Both  were  members  of  the  Hard- 
shell Baptist  Church.  Of  their  family  of  seven 
sons  and  four  daughters  only  four  are  now  living: 
Eleanor,  widow  of  Moses  Martin;  Daniel  W.;  John 
and  James. 

Mr.  Craig  whose  name  heads  this  record  was  a 
youth  of  sixteen  summers  when  with  his  parents 
he  went  to  Ohio.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  began 
learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  serving  a  five-years 
apprenticeship.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  went 
to  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,  and  a  few  months  later  en- 
listed for  the  Mexican  War  under  Joe  Lane,  as  a 
member  of  Company  C,  Third  Indiana  Infantry. 
At  Monterey  the  next  morning  after  his  arrival  he 
was  detailed  to  the  commissary  department  and 
became  messenger  for  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor.  He 
served  for  eighteen  months,  during  which  time  he 
was  badly  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista. 

Returning  to  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  Mr.  Craig 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary,  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Spielman)  Conn,  natives 
of  Maryland.  Eleven  children  were  born  of  their 
union.  Samuel  married  Miss  Isabel  Kemp,  and 
lives  in  Clinton,  111.  Luke  wedded  Miss  Cad  Ras- 
bach,  by  whom  he  has  three  children  and  resides 
on  a  farm  in  De  Witt  County.  Elisha  married 
Miss  Sallie  Pritchett,  and  they  have  a  son,  Robert. 
John,  who  resides  in  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  wedded  Miss 
Emma  Hunter,  by  whom  he  has  three  children. 
Elizabeth  is  now  deceased.  William,  of  Kinney, 
111.,  married  Miss  Annie  Davenport,  and  after  her 
death  chose  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Sallie  Turner. 
Curtis  has  passed  away.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Ed- 
gar Ferris,  of  Carthage,  Mo.,  by  whom  she  has  two 
sons,  William  and  Kile.  Ida  and  Vallandigham 
are  both  deceased;  and  Estelle  completes  the  fam- 
ily. The  mother  died  June  23,  1892,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-seven  years,  and  her  loss  was  widely  and 
deeply  mourned.  In  early  life  she  was  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  but  about  eight  years  be- 
fore her  death  had  joined  the  Christian  Church. 

It  was  in  1854  that  Mr.  Craig  came  with  his 
family  to  Illinois,  locating  in  De  Witt  County,  near 
what  is  now  Lane  Station,  where  he  lived  for  nine 


3'ears,  during  four  years  of  which  time  he  was 
Sheriff  of  the  county.  He  then  removed  to  a  farm 
three  miles  north  of  Maroa,  where  for  seventeen 
years  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  con- 
nection with  carpentering  and  contracting.  As 
before  stated,  he  came  to  Maroa  in  1879.  Al- 
though well  advanced  in  life,  he  still  works  at  his 
trade  and  built  his  own  residence  unaided,  has 
now  a  good  home  and  other  city  property.  He 
has  not  only  built  for  others  but  has  been  the 
architect  of  his  own  fortune,  and  the  structure 
which  he  has  raised  is  a  worthy  one. 

Mr.  Craig  frequently  acted  as  attorney  before 
the  justice  courts  and  even  before  the  Circuit 
Court,  but  was  never  admitted  to  the  Bar.  He 
is  a  strong  pleader  and  is  found  in  almost  every 
case  tried  before  the  local  courts.  He  does  collect- 
ing, etc.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  a  natural 
politician  and  is  frequently  found  discussing  the 
political  issue.  Possessing  the  sturdy  indepen- 
dence of  his  Scotch  ancestors  and  the  perseverance 
of  his  German  forefathers, as  the  result  he  has  won 
success  in  life. 


S  L1JAH  A.  MORGAN,  M.  D.,  is  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in 
— ^  Maroa.  Native  skill  and  ability  and  thor- 
ough preparation  have  well-fitted  him  for  his  life 
work,  and  he  holds  an  enviable  position  in  the 
foremost  rank  among  his  professional  brethren  in 
Macon  County.  He  has  the  honor  of  being  a  na- 
tive of  this  county,  his  birth  having  occurred  near 
Niantic  October  10,  1854.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  W. 
and  Elizabeth  (Derry)  Morgan,  who  were  natives 
of  Ohio  and  West  Virginia,  respectively,  and  he 
comes  of  Scotch  and  German  parentage.  His  pa- 
ternal great-grandfather  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  on  coming  to  America  located  in  the  Buckeye 
State.  The  maternal  great-grandfather  was  born 
in  Germany,  and  on  leaving  the  Fatherjapd  loca- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


499 


ted  in  Pennsylvania.  The  grandfather,  Charles 
W.  Morgan,  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  with  his  fam- 
ily came  to  Illinois  when  the  country  was  new 
and  wild.  He  once  owned  the  land  on  which  the 
state  house  in  Springfield  now  stands,  and  at  his 
death  his  landed  possessions  aggregated  more  than 
one  thousand  acres.  When  he  went  to  the  capital 
city  it  contained  only  one  house,  and  that  was  a 
log  cabin.  He  held  various  township  offices  and 
was  a  prominent  man  among  his  neighbors.  His 
death  occurred  when  he  was  more  than  four-score 
years  of  age. 

Charles  W.  Morgan  came  with  his  father  to  Illi- 
nois, and  for  many  years  lias  lived  in  Sangamon 
County.  He  is  now  a  retired  farmer  residing  in 
Illiopolis.  By  well-directed  efforts  he  has  accu- 
mulated a  considerable  property,  and  now  owns  a 
valuable  tract  of  two  hundred  acres  of  rich  land. 
Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  has  been  an  officer 
for  many  years.  Twelve  children  were  born  unto 
them,  of  whom  six  grew  to  mature  years.  Those 
living  are:  Minerva,  wife  of  Benjamin  Cox;  James 
R.;  Elijah  A.;  Laura,  wife  of  J.  M.  Oakes,  a  mer- 
chant of  Maroa;  Luella,  wife  of  James  Bradley,  of 
Illiopolis;  and  Charles  A.,  a  druggist  of  Maroa. 

The  Doctor  received  a  common-school  education 
in  this  county,  and  afterward  pursued  a  course  of 
study  in  the  Illinois  Wesleyau  University,  of 
Bloomington,  which  completed  his  literary  educa- 
tion. Afterward  he  entered  upon  a  course  of  medi- 
cal study  in  the  Bjllevue  Hospital  Medical  College, 
of  New  York  City,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  1883,  when  he  located  in  Maroa, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  In  the  years 
which  have  since  passed,  he  has  built  up  a  fine 
practice,  which  has  constantly  increased.  I  n  March, 
1890,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Dr.  W.  T. 
McLean,  and  they  now  carry  on  operations  under 
the  firm  name  of  Morgan  ife  McLean. 

Dr.  Morgan  was  married  August  11,  1885,  to 
Miss  Marguerite  Happer,  of  Springfield,  111.,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  a  son  and  two 
daughters,  but  the  former  died  in  infancy.  Marie 
II.  and  Helen  G.  are  still  with  their  parents.  The 
Doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  serves  as  Steward 


and  Trustee.  He  also  belongs  to  Maroa  Lodge 
No.  454,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Maroa  Chapter  No. 
192,  R.  A.  M.  He  is  also  connected  with  Beau- 
man  oir  Commandery,  of  Deeatur,  and  the  Mystic 
Shrine  of  Chicago.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Uni- 
formed Rank  of  Knights  of  Pythias,  is  Surgeon  of 
the  Fourth  Regiment,  belongs  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  and  to  the  Knights  of  the 
Globe.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  Republi- 
can principles,  and  for  two  terms  was  President  of 
the  Board  of  Education  in  Maroa.  He  owns  a 
good  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  besides 
his  home  and  other  property  in  the  city.  His  ca- 
reer has  been  a  successful  one,  his  life  has  been 
well  and  worthily  passed,  and  his  sterling  worth 
and  genial,  pleasant  manner  have  won  him  many 
warm  friends. 


'(„,.  1RAM  WARD,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers, 
and  ceitainly  one  of  theoldest  native  sons, 
of  Macon  County,  as  well  as  a  representa- 
tive of  an  honored  pioneer  family,  was 
born  upon  the  farm  which  is  still  his  home  Janu- 
ary 28,  1837.  His  grandfather,  John  Ward,  was  a 
native  of  England,  born  in  1769.  His  wife,  Mary 
Ward,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1768.  and  their  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  in  South  Carolina.  They  af- 
terwards removed  to  Tennessee,  and  after  spend- 
ing a  few  years  near  Nashville  went  to  Logan 
County,  Ky.,  where  Mr.  Ward  died  in  1811.  In 
1819,  Mrs.  Ward  came  with  her  children  to  Illi- 
nois, arriving  in  Fay ette  County  on  tho  llth  of 
November.  In  1824,  they  came  to  Macon  County, 
where  the  Ward  settlement  was  established.  The 
children  were:  Jerry,  who  died  in  Texas;  John, 
who  died  in  Walnut  Grove;  James  and  Sarah,  who 
died  in  Texas;  Margaret,  who  died  in  Macon 
County;  Polly  and  Lucy,  who  died  in  Missouri; 
William,  the  father  of  our  subiect;  Thomas,  who 
died  in  Christian  County;  Nancy  and  Lewis  B.,  who 
died  in  Missouri. 

William    Ward    was    born  in  South  Carolina  in 


500 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1802,  and  removed  with  his  parents  to  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee,  and  later  came  with  his  mother  to 
Illinois.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Wheeler,  a 
native  of  Tennessee,  and  a  sister  of  one  of  the 
prominent  pioneers  of  the  county.  She  died  in 
June,  1841,  when  our  subject  was  only  four  years 
of  age.  The  children  of  the  family  were:  Larkin, 
who  died  some  years  ago  in  this  county;  Franklin, 
of  Blue  Mound,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  work;  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Mor- 
ris, and  with  all  her  family  is  deceased;  Hiram, 
who  is  the  next  younger;  and  Rial,  who  is  living 
near  Hampton  Station,  Moultrie  County.  Mr. 
Ward  was  a  second  time  married,  this  union  being 
with  Mrs.  Sarah  Ann  Abbott,  widow  of  Josiah  Ab- 
bott, and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Morris,  of  Ohio. 
The  following  children  were  born  of  this  mar- 
riage: John;  Mrs.  Nancy  Jane  Logan,  of  South 
Whcatland  Township;  Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Elder,  of 
Ellwin;  William  J.,  of  Illinois;  and  George  W.,  of 
Colorado.  The  father  died  in  January,  1852,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-four  years,  but  the  mother  of  this  fam- 
ily is  still  living  in  Elwin.  Mr.  Ward  entered  the 
land  on  which  our  subject  now  resides  from  the 
Government,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  owned 
between  four  and  five  hundred  acres,  becoming  a 
successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  He  was  a 
ranger  in  the  service  of  the  Government  against 
the  Indians  under  Gen.  Warwick,  for  the  red  man 
still  lived  in  this  locality.  In  early  days  he  was 
obliged  to  haul  goods  from  Springfield,  Peoriaand 
Beardstown,  and  experienced  all  the  hardships 
and  piivations  of  pioneer  life.  In  politics  he  was 
a  Democrat. 

The  earliest  recollections  of  our  subject  date  back 
to  the  pioneer  home,  a  log  cabin  on  a  wild  prairie. 
His  school  privileges  were  very  limited,  bul  through 
business  experience  and  contact  with  the  world  he 
has  gained  a  practical  knowledge.  From  an  early 
age  he  engaged  in  farm  work,  and  during  the  two 
years'  illness  of  his  father  the  management  of  the 
homestead  fell  upon  his  sons.  His  father  dying 
when  Hiram  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  our  subject 
ever  after  was  dependent  upon  his  own  resources. 
He  began  splitting  rails  at  seventy-five  cents  per 
hundred,  and  afterwards  secured  a  position  as  a 
farm  hand  at  $15  per  month.  After  two  years 


spent  in  that  way,  in  connection  with  his  brothers 
he  operated  the  old  home  farm,  upon  which  he  has 
since  resided.  From  the  other  heirs  he  bought 
one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  the  estate,  and  he 
now  has  the  entire  amount  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  Upon  the  greater  part  of  the  place  he 
first  turned  the  sod,  and  its  improvements  stand  as 
monuments  to  his  enterprise.  He  now  has  a  good 
home  and  other  farm  buildings,  and  his  fields  are 
well  tilled.  Besides  farming  he  buys  and  ships 
stock,  and  for  some  years  has  also  engaged  in 
breeding  Poland-China  hogs. 

On  the  llth  of  March,  1858,  Mr.  Ward  married 
Miss  Clara  E.  Odor,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky 
January  7,  1843,  and  with  her  father,  George  Odor, 
came  to  Illinois  in  1858.  She  attended  the  same 
school  as  her  husband  and  they  were  reared  in  the 
same  neighborhood.  The  following  children  have 
been  born  of  their  union:  Luvena  E.  and  Hattie 
B.,  who  died  in  childhood;  Laura  A.,  wife  of  W. 
L.  Phillips,  a  farmer  of  South  Wheatland  Town- 
ship; Eva  May,  wife  of  Frank  Falconer,  an  agri- 
culturist of  the  same  township;  Frank  N.,  who 
was  ed ucated  at  Brown's  Business  College  in  De- 

O 

catur  and  carries  on  the  home  farm;  Myrtle  Lu- 
ella,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Bettie,  a 
graduate  of  Brown's  Business  College;  Cora  Edith 
and  Clyde.  The  children  have  all  been  well  edu- 
cated and  thus  fitted  for  the  practical  duties  of 
life. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ward  are  members  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church,  and  take  a  prominent 
part  in  its  work,  our  subject  serving  as  Elder.  The 
cause  of  education  also  finds  in  him  a  friend,  and 
in  fact  no  worthy  enterprise  solicits  his  aid  in  vain. 
For  sixteen  consecutive  years  he  has  served  as  Su- 
pervisor of  his  township,  and  during  six  years  of 
that  time  was  unanimously  elected.  He  has  also 
served  as  Collector,  Assessor  and  Township  Clerk. 
In  the  various  offices  that  he  has  been  called  upon  to 
fill  he  has  proved  an  able  and  conscientious  offi- 
cial, and  the  promptness  and  fidelity  with  which 
he  has  discharged  his  duties  have  won  him  high 
commendation.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  Douglas  in  1860,  and  has  since  been  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party  and  one  of  its 
leaders  in  this  community.  He  takes  au  active 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


501 


part  in  campaign  work,  and  has  been  Chairman  of 
the  Centra!  Committee.  He  was  a  candidate  for 
Sheriff  in  1878,  and  reduced  the  Republican  ma- 
jority from  six  hundred  to  thirtj'-two.  His  high 
moral  worth  and  upright  life  have  made  him  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  community,  and  he 
is  one  of  its  honored  pioneers  who.  well  deserve 
representation  in  this  volume. 


RS.  MARY  SPENCER,  who  is  living  on 
section  2,  Oakley  Township,  was  born  in 
Gallia  County,  Ohio,  March  12,  1811,  and 
has  been  a  resident  of  Macon  County 
since  1834.  She  is  therefore  numbered  among  its 
honored  pioneers,  and  well  deserves  representation 
in  its  history.  Her  parents,  Matthew  and  Isabel 
(Coughborn)  Patton,  were  both  natives  of  Virginia, 
and  unto  them  were  born  nine  children:  Agnes, 
Robert,  John,  Hannah,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  Francis, 
George  and  Samuel.  All  are  now  deceased  with 
the  exception  of  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Charles  Day,  a 
resident  of  Kansas;  George,  who  is  living  in  Mis- 
souri; and  Mrs.  Spencer. 

In  1830,  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  Mary  Pat- 
ton  became  the  wife  of  Archibald  Walton,  the 
marriage  ceremony  being  performed  at  the  home 
of  her  parents  in  Ohio.  During  that  year,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Walton  removed  to  Indiana,  where  they  re- 
mained about  three  years,  and  in  1834  came  to 
Macon  County.  They  became  the  parents  of  ten 
children:  William  F.,  Margaret  A.,  James,  Rachel, 
Elizabeth,  Charles,  Samuel,  Archibald,  Louisa  and 
Thomas  J.  Of  this  number,  only  James  and  Charles 
are  now  living.  The  father  of  this  family  died  of 
cholera  in  St.  Louis  in  1852,  and  was  buried  in 
Missouri.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  was  a  devout  Christian.. 

In  18G7,  Mrs.  Walton  was  united  in  marriage 
with  John  Spencer,  who  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, born  in  1806.  His  death  occurred  on  the 
10th  of  January,  1891,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in 
Spangler  Cemetery.  He  held  membership  with 


the  Baptist  Church.  James  Walton  is  now  living 
with  his  mother.  lie  married  Miss  Susan  McCon- 
kie  in  1868,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with  a  son, 
Charles  A.,  who  is  now  living  in  Farmer  City,  De- 
Witt  County,  111. 

Mrs.  Spencer  is  a  well-preserved  old  lady  of 
eighty-two  years,  and  is  yet  enjoying  good  health. 
She'  is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Universalist 
Church,  and  now  in  her  declining  days  she  can 
look  back  over  the  years  of  her  life  as  having  been 
spent  in  usefulness.  Many  acts  of  kindness  and 
deeds  of  charity  have  made  her  loved  and  re- 
spected by  all.  She  has  a  pleasant  home  and  one 
hundred  and  thirty-six  acres  of  fine  land  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  She  can  well  remember 
when  this  part  of  Illinois  was  an  almost  unbroken 
wilderness.  For  sixty  years  she  has  lived  in  this 
community,  and  has  passed  through  all  the  hard- 
ships and  trials  incident  to  life  in  a  new  county, 
and  experienced  all  the  happy  changes  that  have 
taken  place  in  the  community,  until  Macon  County 
has  become  a  veritable  garden  of  grains,  fruits  and 
flowers.  Mrs.  Spencer  has  the  esteem  of  all  who 
know  her,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present 
this  record  of  her  life  to  our  readers. 


[f^ENEDICT  ALEXANDER  McGORRAY, 
who  is  Superintendent  of  the  Decatur  Ice 
and  Cold  Storage  Company  of  this  city,  has 
the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Decatur. 
He  was  horn  on  the  25th  of  March,  1858,  and  is  a 
son  of  Benedict  and  Catherine  (O'Brien)  McGor- 
ray,  both  of  whom  are  still  living  in  this  city, 
where  the  father  follows  the  real-estate  business. 

Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  un- 
der the  parental  roof  and  acquired  his  education 
in  the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  he 
began  to  learn  the  engineer's  trade  in  the  oil  re- 
gions of  Pennsylvania,  where  his  uncle,  B.  McGor- 
ray,  who  owned  some  oil  wells  in  that  locality,  was 
living.  There  our  subject  began  to  run  an  engine, 
which  he  operated  for  about  four  years.  On  the 


502 


POxtTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


expiration  of  that  period  he  returned  to  Decatur, 
and  for  a  few  months  served  as  engineer  with  the 
Decatur  Coffee  Company.  In  the  spring  of  1880 
lie  went  to  Texas,  and,  locating  in  Dallas,  became 
agent  for  the  engines  and  boilers  of  the  Russell 
Company,  of  Ohio.  The  succeeding  two  years  of 
his  life  were  passed  in  that  way,  and  on  the  expi- 
ration of  that  time  he  returned  to  his  native  city, 
in  1882.  Here  Mr.  McGorray  became  Overseer  of 
Highways  for  Decatur  Township,  to  which  posi- 
tion he  was  appointed  by  the  Highway  Commis- 
sioners. For  a  number  of  years  he  filled  that  po- 
sition, serving  in  that  capacity,  with  the  exception 
of  the  year  1890,  until  the  latter  part  of  1892, 
when  he  embarked  in  business  for  himself,  forming 
a  partnership  with  D.  A.  Maffitt,  who  began  dealing 
in  natural  ice.  In  October,  1891,  Mr.  McGorray 
was  made  Superintendent  of  the  plant  of  the  De- 
catur Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Company,  and  has 
since  filled  the  position. 

This  company  was  incorporated  on  the  10th  of 
March.  1890,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $40,000,  and 
its  officers  are  H.  Shlaudeman,  President;  Frank 
Shlaudeman,  Vice-President;  and  Harry  Shlaude- 
man, Secretary  and  Treasurer.  The  factory  man- 
ufactures artificial  ice,  having  a  capacity  of  twenty 
tons  in  twenty-four  hours.  It  requires  about  thirtj'- 
five  hundred  pounds  of  aqua  ammonia  to  charge 
the  machinery.  The  absorption  system  is  used,  with 
the  Blimeyer  machinery.  It  requires  two  hundred 
and  sixty  horse  power  to  run  the  pumps.  Under  the 
able  management  of  our  subject  the  business  has 
steadily  increased,  until  employment  is  now  fur- 
nished to  nine  men,  and  the  stockholders  of  the 
company  are  receiving  a  liberal  patronage.  John 
Mildenberger,  who  is  a  practical  ice  manufacturer 
of  several  years'  experience,  has  charge  of  the 
technical  features  of  the  plant. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1890,  Mr.  McGorray  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lillie  Shlaudeman, 
the  eldest  daughter  of  Henry  Shlaudeman,  and  a 
native  of  Decatur.  The  union  has  been  blessed 
with  one  son,  Charles  Henry.  The  parents  are 
both  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  com- 
munity and  hold  a  high  position  in  social  circles. 
Our  subject  is  a  self-made  man.  During  his  boy- 
hood he  learned  the  trade  of  brick  manufacturing 


with  his  father,  which  he  followed  until  his  re- 
moval to  Pennsylvania.  From  that  time  on  he 
has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and  whatever 
success  he  has  achieved  in  life  has  been  the  result 
of  his  own  efforts. 


m 


T.  STUART,  a  worthy  representative 
of  one  of  the  early  pioneer  families  of  this 
count}',  who  owns  and  operates  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  sections  13 
and  18,  Whitmore  Township,  was  born  on  the 
farm  which  is  still  his  home,  July  23,  1836.  His 
father,  David  Stuart,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
was  of  German  and  Scotch  descent.  After  arriv- 
ing at  man's  estate,  he  married  Sarah  Florrey, 
who  was  also  born  in  the  Old  Dominion.  About 
1834,  they  removed  from  Virginia  to  Tennessee, 
and  in  1836  joined  a  party  of  eight  or  ten  families 
en  route  for  Illinois.  Railroad  transportation  was 
then  unknown  in  this  locality,  and  with  team  and 
wagon  the  journey  was  made.  Mr.  Stuart  made 
his  first  location  in  Decatur  Township,  Macon 
County,  and  after  a  short  time  he  entered  from 
the  Government  eighty  acres  of  land  on  what  is  now 
section  13,  Whitmore  Township,  but  which  at  that 
time  was  not  organized.  Indians  still  lived  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  the  county  seemed  just  waken- 
ing to  civilization.  Fora  number  of  years,  he  had 
to  haul  his  grain  to  Springfield,  and  he  and  his 
family  experienced  all  the  difficulties  and  trials  of 
pioneer  life.  His  farm  comprised  forty  acres  of 
timber  land  and  forty  acres  of  prairie,  and  upon  it 
a  small  log  cabin  had  been  previously  erected. 
Mr.  Stuart  at  once  began  its  development  and 
there  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  June  23,  1857.  He  was  one 
of  Nature's  noblemen  and  he  left  to  his  family  a 
priceless  heritage  of  a  good  name.  He  was  a  faith- 
ful member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  through 
his  connection  with  the  Good-Templar  Lodge  he 
did  effective  service  in  the  cause  of  temperance. 
He  always  took  an  active  part  in  politics,  and  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


503 


early  life  was  a  supporter  of  Whig  principles, 
but  on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
he  joined  its  ranks.  In  an  early  day,  he  served  as 
Constable  of  the  county  for  a  number  of  years. 
The  cause  of  education  found  in  him  a  warm 
friend  and  lie  helped  to  organize  the  schools  and 
lay  out  the  roads  in  this  locality.  His  wife,  who 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  passed 
away  January  1,  1874. 

In  the  Stuart  family  were  three  children,  two 
sons  and  a  daughter:  Oliver  L.,  a  farmer  of  this 
township;  John  T.,  whose  name  heads  tli  is  sketch; 
and  Mary,  wife  of  Edward  Kile,  a  farmer  residing 
in  Friends'  Creek  Township,  Macon  County. 

Our  subject  has  no  other  home  than  Macon 
County,  and  is  familiar  with  the  history  of  its  pro- 
gress and  upbuilding  for  a  period  of  fifty-six  years. 
In  his  early  days  there  were  no  public  schools 
and  he  attended  the  subscription  schools,  which 
were  held  in  a  log  house  on  section  13,  Whitmore 
Township.  School  was  in  session  for  only  three 
months  during  the  year  and  during  the  remainder 
of  the  time,  as  soon  ns  he  was  old  enough,  Mr. 
Stuart  worked  upon  a  farm..  He  remained  upon 
the  old  homestead  until  after  his  father's  death 
and  then  took  charge  of  the  farm,  caring  for  his 
mother  until  she  was  called  to  the  home  beyond. 
He  now  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
good  land,  and  has  a  neat  and  valuable  farm,  upon 
which  he  carries  on  stock-raising  in  connection 
with  the  culti'vation  of  cereals  adapted  to  this 
climate. 

On  the  19th  of  July,  1860,  Mr.  Stuart  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Minerva  A.  Young,  a  daughter  of 
Adam  and  Elizabeth  (Shaw)  Young.  The  lady 
was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  April  2, 
1841,  and  came  to  this  county  with  her  parents  in 
1849.  By  her  marriage,  she  became  the  mother  of 
ten  children,  namely:  Adda,  wife  of  Charley 
Hedges,  a  farmer  residing  in  Nebraska;  Sadie,  a 
successful  school  teacher  of  the  county;  William, 
a  farmer  of  Maroa  Township;  Emma,  who  is  also 
teaching  school;  Amanda, at  homo;  Samuel,  Frank, 
Robert,  James,  and  David,  who  died  October  26, 
1864. 

Mr.  Stuart  is  a  public-spirited  and  progressive 
citizen  and  one  that  has  taken  an  active  interest 


in  all  that  pertains  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  com- 
munity and  the  promotion  of  the  general  welfare. 
His  fellow-citizens,  recognizing  his  worth  and 
ability,  have  called  upon  him  to  serve  in  public 
office,  and  for  twelve  years  he  has  filled  the  po- 
sition of  Constable  and  for  fifteen  years  served  as 
School  Director.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican 
and  always  votes  with  that  party,  for,  according  to 
his  judgment,  its  principles  are  those  best  calcu- 
lated to  promote  the  interests  of  the  majority. 
Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  are  active  workers  in 
the  Master's  vineyard. 


>HOMAS  B.  STROPE,  who  carries  on  black- 
smithing  and  is  proprietor  of  a  feed  stable 
in  Argenta,  was  born  in  Pickaway  County, 
Ohio,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1841,  and  is  one  of 
eight  children  born  to  the  union  of  Perry  and 
Jane  (Wells)  Strope.  The  family  is  of  English 
descent.  In  1853,  the  parents  emigrated  West- 
ward and  became  residents  of  Whitmore  Township, 
Macon  County.  Of  their  children,  Elizabeth  is 
now  deceased;  Thomas  is  the  second  in  order  of 
birth;  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  Isaiah  Queeney,  a 
farmer  of  Whitmore  Township;  John,  Othey  and 
Finney  are  the  next  younger;  and  Katie  is  the  wife 
of  Isaac  Dunlap,  a  resident  of  Missouri. 

Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  only  ten  summers 
when  with  the  family  he  came  to  Illinois.  Here 
he  was  reared  to  manhood,  spending  the  days  of, 
his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  usual  manner  of 
farmer  lads.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war, 
prompted  by  patriotic  impulses,  he  responded  to 
the  country's  call  for  troops,  and  on  the  5th  of 
August,  1861,  enlisted  as  a  private  of  Company 
A,  Forty-first  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  mustered 
into  service  at  Decatur,  and  the  first  active  engage- 
ment in  which  he  participated  was  at  Ft.  Donelson, 
where  he  was  wounded  in  the  right  leg,  below  the 
knee,  by  a  minie-ball.  He  also  took  part  in  the 


504 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


battle  of  Shiloh,  but  on  the  27tli  of  April,  1862,  he 
was  honorably  discharged  on  account  of  sickness. 
He  then  returned  to  his  home  in  Whitmore  Town- 
ship, where  he  remained  for  three  years.  When 
he  had  sufficiently  recovered  his  health,  he  began 
working  on  the  farm  by  the  month,  and  was  thus 
employed  for  about  five  years.  In  1884,  he  re- 
moved to  Argenta,  where  he  erected  three  dwelling 
houses,  which  he  afterwards  sold.  He  now  owns  a 
blacksmith  shop,  where  he  does  a  good  business, 
receiving  a  liberal  share  of  the  public  patronage. 
He  also  carries  on  a  feed  stable. 

In  the  year  1867  Mr.  Strope  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Katherine  Shutter,  and  unto  them 
were  born  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  liv- 
ing, namely:  Annie,  wife  of  Frank  Hanks,  a  resi- 
dent farmer  of  this  county;  Willie,  who  is  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Kansas;  and  Hattie,  wife 
of  John  Parrs,  of  Argenta.  The  mother  of  this 
family  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  September, 
1875  and  her  remains  were  interred  in  the  Garver 
Cemetery.  She  was  an  estimable  lady,  and  man}7 
friends  mourned  her  loss.  Mr.  Strope  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  exercises 
his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  has  afliliated  since  attaining 
his  majorit}'.  He  was  a  faithful  soldier  to  his 
country  during  the  late  war,  and  is  equally  true 
as  a  citizen  in  times  of  peace. 


IfelLLIAM  T.  LYONS  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising  on  section  24, 
Maroa  Township.  The  farming  people 
form  a  solid  foundation  upon  which  the  prosper- 
ity and  progress  of  a  county  is  based,  and  as  one 
of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  community  we 
present  Mr.  Lyons  to  our  readers.  He  now  owns 
and  opeiates  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land, 
constituting  a  good  farm  under  a  higli  state  of 
cultivation  and  well  improved. 

Our   subject  was    born    in    Coshoctou    County, 


Ohio,  January  4,  1847,  and  is  one  of  five  children 
whose  parents  were  John  Y.  and  Matilda  (Craw- 
ford) Lyons.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  was  twice  married.  The  children  of  the  first 
union  were  George,  Matthew,  Nancy,  William  and 
Edward.  Those  born  of  the  second  union  were 
Ada,  Samuel,  Arburthnet,  Thomas,  Charles  and 
Bell.  John  Lyons  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
and  followed  that  business  through  life.  He  was 
reared  upon  a  farm,  and  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood  afforded  him  his  educational  priv- 
ileges. At  the  age  of  twenty  lie  began  earning 
his  own  livelihood  and  devoted  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  agriculture.  He  cleared  and  improved 
a  farm  in  Ohio,  where  he  lived  until  1863,  when 
he  sold  out  and  came  to  Macon  County,  locating 
in  Maroa  Township,  where  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  24.  This 
tract  was  but  partially  improved,  and  he  devoted 
his  energies  to  its  further  development  and  culti- 
vation until  1887,  when  he  removed  to  Piatt 
County,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  January  24,  1889,  at  the  age  of  seven ty- 
two  years.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Democrat  and 
had  served  his  township  as  Supervisor  and  Justice 
of  the  Peace.  The  Presbyterian  Church  found 
in  him  a  consistent  and  faithful  member  and  one 
who  labored  untiringly  in  its  interests. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  when  sixteen  years  of  age  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  county,  where  the  greater  part 
of  his  education  was  acquired.  To  his  father  he 
gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  he  had  at- 
tained his  majority,  when  he  began  to  earn  his 
own  livelihood  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month.  He  also  performed  general  labor  for  ten 
years  and  afterward  rented  land.  At  length  he 
purchased  his  present  farm,  and  has  since  with 
good  success  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits. 

The  lady  who  now  bears  the  title  of  Mrs.  Lyons 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Sarah  Baird.  She  is 
an  estimable  lad}',  who  has  the  high  regard  of 
many  friends.  Three  children  have  graced  the 
union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife, daughters,  Auiy, 
Nellie  and  Edna,  who  are  still  with  their  parents. 
Mr.  Lyons  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  sup- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


505 


port  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  been  elected 
to  the  offices  of  Road  Commissioner  and  School 
Director,  the  duties  of  which  he  discharged  in  a 
prompt  and  faithful  manner. 


THEODORE  SCHAFER,  a  merchant  tailor 
doing  business  in  Maroa,  claims  Germany 
as  the  land  of  his  birth.  He  was  born  in 
I-Iclsa,  in  the  district  of  Cassel,  January  11,  1844, 
and  his  parents,  Peter  and  Margaret  (Rosen thai) 
Schafcr,  were  also  natives  of  the  same  country. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Peter  Schafer,  held  the 
position  of  overseer  of  timber  lands  under  the 
Governor,  and  in  the  general  army  served  as  a 
soldier.  He  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  Peter  Schafer,  Jr.,  like  his  father, 
served  in  the  German  army,  and  was  overseer  of 
timber  lands  for  twenty-seven  years.  He  died  in 
April,  1865,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven,  having  sur- 
vived his  wife  for  two  years.  They  were  members 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  had  a  family  of  three 
children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter:  Henry,  Mrs. 
Eliza  Selnoff  and  Theodore. 

Our  subject  attended  school  in  his  native  land 
until  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  left  home  and 
began  learning  the  tailor's  trade,  serving  a  five- 
years  apprenticeship.  After  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  remained  with  his  employer  for  a 
year,  and  then  went  to  Hamburg,  and  in  1865  he 
joined  the  army  in  Cassel,  and  served  with  the 
Austrians  against  Prussia  in  1866.  In  1870  and 
1871,  he  participated  in  the  Franco- Prussian  War, 
and  was  slightly  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Metz,  on 
the  1st  of  October,  1870.  After  receiving  his  dis- 
charge he  returned  to  Hamburg  and  worked  at  his 
trade  until  1873,  which  year  witnessed  his  emigra- 
tion to  America.  On  the  1st  of  May  of  that  year, 
he  landed  in  New  York  City,  and  immediately 
boarded  a  train  for.  Chicago,  but  on  account  of  the 
panic  he  could  find  no  employment  in  that  city 
and  went  to  Ligonier,  Ind.,  where  he  remained 
ten  months.  lie  then  returned  to  Chicago,  but 


after  a  short  time  he  came  to  Maroa.  April  16,1874, 
and  opened  a  merchant-tailoring  establishment 
which  he  has  since  carried  on. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  1879,  Mr.- Schafer 
wedded  Henrietta,  daughter  of  Andrias  and  Helena 
(Nofsicher)  Otto.  Her  parents  are  natives  of 
Germany,  and  came  to  America  in  1873.  The 
father  makes  his  home  in  Maroa  during  the  winter, 
and  in  the  summer  lives  with  his  daughter  on  a  farm 
in  Benson,  near  Bloomington.  He  has  six  children 
living:  Albert,  of  Chicago;  Mrs.  Henrietta  Schafer; 
Caroline;  Christian;  Herman  and  Helen.  Six 
children  have  been  born  unto  our  subject  and  his 
wife,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  five 
are  living,  namely:  Emma  H.,  Laura,  Paulina,  Tony 
T.,  Albiene  Helene  and  Harry.  Carl  Arthur,  the 
second  child,  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schafer  are  members  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church,  and,  socially,  he  is  connected  with 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  politics  lie  sup- 
ports Republican  principles  and  for  three  terms  he 
etticiently  served  as  Alderman,  and  for  two  years 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education. 
His  business  career  has  been  a  prosperous  one. 
He  now  owns  two  hunded  and  seventy-seven  acres 
of  well-improved  land  five  miles  west  of  Olney, 
111.,  besides  his  home  and  other  city  property  in 
Maroa,  and  five  lots  in  the  southern  part  of  Chicago. 
In  his  early  years  he  had  many  hardships  and  ob- 
stacles to  overcome,  but  he  surmounted  the  difficul- 
ties and  thereby  gained  strength  for  other  efforts. 
Steadily  he  has  worked  his  way  upward  to  a 
position  of  affluence.  He  is  truly  a  self-made  man 
and  his  possessions  are  as  monuments  to  his  thrift 
and  enterprise. 


ON.  WILLIAM  T.  MOFFETT,  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of 
Macon  County,  and  a  representative  farmer 
and  early  settler  of  Blue  Mound  Township, 
now  residing  on  section  32,  is  a  native  of  Sanga- 
mon  County,  111.  He  was  born  February  19, 1826, 


506 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  is  the  youngest  and  only  survivor  in  a  family 
of  three  children.  His  parents,  John  B.  and  Patsy 
A.  (Morgan)  Moffett,  were  pioneer  settlers  of 
Sangamon  County.  The  father  was  a  native  of 
Bath  County,  Ky.,  born  in  October,  1800,  and  was 
the  ninth  in  a  family  of  ten  children.  He  went  to 
Sangamon  County  in  1821,  locating  seven  miles 
southwest  of  Springfield,  upon  a  farm  which  he 
made  his  home  until  after  the  death  of  his  wife. 
He  then  removed  to  the  capital  city,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade,  that  of  a  wheelwright.  He 
was  a  natural  mechanic  and  could  do  anything  in 
that  line.  He  adapted  himself  to  almost  any 
circumstances,  and  in  an  early  day  he  acted  as 
physician  to  the  people  of  the  settlement  in  which 
he  resided.  lie  had  never  studied  medicine,  but 
had  read  such  books  as  he  could  obtain  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  his  neighbors,  thinking  that  he  possessed 
much  skill  as  a  physician,  would  insist  on  his 
treating  them  when  there  was  any  illness  in  the 
neighborhood. 

In  1831  John  Moffett  went  to  Rushville,  111., 
and  tliere  erected  the  first  steam  mill  ever  built 
west  of  the  Illinois  River.  He  also  built  the  first 
court  house  in  Springfield.  For  ten  years  he  en- 
gaged in  the  milling  business  in  Rushville,  and 
then  came  to  Macon  County,  locating  on  land  in 
Blue  Mound  Township  which  he  had  entered  from 
the  Government.  Here  he  opened  up  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  made  his  home  until  his  death,  in 
the  fall  of  1862.  About  1828  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Polly  A.  Taylor,  daughter  of  Judge  Taylor, 
of  Springfield,  111.  She  died  in  1849,  and  for  his 
third  wife  he  wedded  Mrs.  Nancy  McDowell,  widow 
of  Rev.  Abner  McDowell,  of  Rushville,  III.  Mr. 
Moffett  was  one  of  the  representative  and  promi- 
nent citizens  of  central  Illinois,  as  well  as  one  of 
its  earliest  settlers.  Only  four  of  his  children  are 
now  living:  William,  of  this  sketch;  John  M.,  a 
prosperous  farmer  of  Blue  Mound  Township;  Jo- 
seph M.,  who  is  City  Marshal  of  Clinton,  111.;  and 
Laura  A.,  wife  of  William  Evans,  of  Louis- 
ville, Ky. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  began  his  education  in  Springfield,  111., 
and  afterward  attended  school  in  Rushville  until 
sixteen  years  of  age.  He  taught  the  first  school 


ever  held  in  this  neighborhood  when  a  youth  of 
seventeen  summers.  In  1847  he  returned  to  Spring- 
field with  his  father,  and  there  again  entered 
school,  but  at  the  expiration  of  six  months  he  was 
stricken  with  the  gold  fever  and  went  to  Cali- 
fornia with  some  overland  emigrants,  remaining 
on  the  Pacific  Slope  for  some  eighteen  mouths. 
For  a  short  time  he  engaged  in  mining,  and  then 
with  a  partner  embarked  in  mercantile  business. 
He  was  doing  nicely  when  he  was  called  home  on 
account  of  his  father's  failing  health.  He  aided  in 
placing  his  father's  estate  in  a  good  condition,  and 
also  helped  his  father  in  improving  his  land  in 
Blue  Mound  Township,  and  then  turned  his  at- 
tention to  his  own  private  business. 

In  1856  Mr.  Moffett  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Helen  L.  Barrows,  a  native  of  Bridport,  Addi- 
son  County,  Vt.,  and  a  daughter  of  Josiah  and 
Susan  (Walker)  Barrows,  the  latter  of  whom  is 
still  living.  By  their  union  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  died  in  early  childhood.  Ed- 
ward R.,  the  eldest,  now  owns  his  grandfather's 
old  homestead  in  this  county,  and  is  one  of  the 
representative  citizens  of  Blue  Mound  Township. 
He  is  engaged  as  his  father's  partner  in  the  stock 
business.  John  B.  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law  in  Kingfisher,  Okla.  William  D.,  a  graduate 
of  the  Illinois  State  University,  is  a  civil  engineer 
by  profession,  but  is  now  at  home  with  his  parents. 
Lenora  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Hall,  a  farmer  of 
Sangamon  County.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  E.  W. 
Allen,  who  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in 
this  county.  Elizabeth  A.,  who  completes  the  fam- 
ily, is  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  Moffett  is  numbered  among  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  Sangamon  and  Macon  Counties,  111.  When 
a  young  man  he  was  personally  acquainted  with 
Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was  emploj'ed  as  his  fa- 
ther's lawyer  for  a  number  of  years.  He  used  to 
ride  on  horseback  to  Springfield  to  consult  him 
before  there  were  any  railroads  in  the  county. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moffett  hold  membership  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  In  social  circles  they 
hold  an  enviable  position,  and  their  friends  are 
many.  In  politics  Mr.  Moffett  is  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican. The  first  office  which  he  held  was  that 
of  Supervisor  of  his  township,  he  serving  in  that 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


507 


position  for  nine  years.  In  1870  he  was  elected 
to  the  State  Legislature,  and  his  term  of  service 
having  expired  he  was  re-elected  in  1872.  He  was 
elected  to  the  State  Hoard  of  Equalization  in  1876, 
and  after  serving  for  two  years  resigned  to  take 
his  seat  in  the  State  Senate,  where  he  served  for 
one  term.  In  positions  of  honor  which  he  lias 
been  called  upon  to  (ill  he  has  been  found  an  able 
and  efficient  incumbent,  who  discharged  his  duties 
with  promptness  and  fidelity  and  to  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  people  whom  he  represented.  In  his 
business  career  Mr.  Moffett  lias  met  with  excellent 
success  and  now  owns  over  a  section  of  valuable 
land,  comprising  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  Macou 
Count}'.  Energy,  enterprise  and  faithfulness  to 
duty  have  characterized  both  his  business  and  offi- 
cial life,  lie  has  been  alike  true  to  public  and 
private  trusts,  and  therefore  has  won  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  lie  has  been 
brought  in  contact. 


JAMES  S.  SHASTID,  who  is  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  on  section  4,  Whitmore  Town- 
ship, is  a  native  of  Tennessee,  born  in  Over- 
_  '    ton  County  on  the  8th  of  November,  1818. 
His  parents  were  John  G.and  Elizabeth  (Edwards) 
Shastid,  the    former    of    whom    was  a   native    of 
Kentucky,  who  in  early  life    removed    to  Tennes- 
see.    Their  family    numbered    seven    children,  of 
whom  the  following  are  yet  living:  James  S.,  who 
is    the  eldest;    Sarah,   John    and    Thomas.     Elsie 
and  Armstead  are  both  deceased. 

Our  subject  was  born  and  reared  upon  a  farm, 
his  days  being  passed  midst  play  and  work, 
while  in  the  subscription  schools,  held  in  a  log 
schoolhouse,  he  acquired  his  education,  or  rather 
improved  the  opportunities  afforded  him.  lie  is 
practically  self-educated,  however,  and  through 
experience,  reading  and  observation  has  become  a 
well-informed  man.  He  came  to  Illinois  with  his 
parents  in  1828,  being  then  a  lad  of  ten  summers. 
The  journey  Westward  was  made  by  team  in  a 


company  of  three  families,  and  after  several  weeks 
of  travel  they  landed  in  Springfield  on  the  4th 
of  July.  A  location  was  made  near  where  Peters- 
burg now  stands,  but  a  few  years  after  the  father 
took  up  a  Government  claim  in  Menard  County, 
which  was  then  a  portion  of  Sangamon  County, 
and  thereon  James  Shastid  was  reared,  remaining 
under  the  parental  roof  until  seventeen  years  of 
age.  lie  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by 
working  on  a  farm  at  $10  per  month.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  labor,  he  also  engaged  at  carpenter 
work  for  about  eleven  years.  He  continued  to 
make  Menard  County  his  place  of  residence  until 
1835,  when  he  went  to  Pike  County,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1857.  In  the  mean  time  he  made 
his  first  purchase  of  land,  and  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  farm  he  devoted  his  time  and  attention 
until  his  removal  to  Fayette  County.  There  he 
again  bought  land,  on  which  he  made  his  home 
until  1859,  which  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in 
Macon  Count}'. 

A  marriage  ceremony  performed  in  1845  united 
the  destinies  of  Mr.  Shastid  and  Miss  Susan  An- 
derson. By  their  union  were  born  six  children: 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  H.  C.  Bowers,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Whitmore  Township;  George,  who  is  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  in  "Kansas;  Margaret,  at 
home;  James  T.,  who  died  August  18,  1857;  Sarah 
J.,  whose  death  occurred  August  2,  1861;  and 
Lydia  K.,  at  home. 

On  coming  to  Macon  County  in  1859,  Mr.  Shas- 
tid located  upon  a  rented  farm  near  Maroa,  where 
he  remained  for  a  year  and  a-half,  when  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  Whitmore  Township,  making  it 
his  home  until  1869.  In  that  year  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  4,  his  present 
home.  All  of  the  improvements  thereon  have 
been  made  by  himself,  and  the  neat  and  thrifty 
appearance  of  the  place,  with  its  good  buildings, 
improved  machinery  and  well-tilled  fields,  indi- 
cates the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner.  The 
farm  is  considered  one  of  the  best  in  the  town- 
ship. For  many  years  Mr.  Shastid  carried  on 
general  farming  and  stock-raising  and  won  a  com- 
petence by  his  well-directed  efforts,  but  he  is  now 
living  a  retired  life,  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest. 
The  Republican  party  finds  in  him  a  stanch  sup. 


508 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


porter.  He  has  given  his  support  to  its  men  and 
measures  since  its  organization,  and  lias  never 
wished  to  sever  his  allegiance  to  the  party  of  re- 
fprm.  He  has  served  his  township  as  Roadmas- 
ter  and  School  Director.  A  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  he  takes  an  active  part  in  all 
church  work,  being  in  hearty  sympathy  with  all 
its  benefactions.  His  aid  is  also  given  to  other 
worthy  enterprises, and  the  community  recognizes 
in  him  a  valued  citizen,  who  during  his  long  resi- 
dence in  the  community  has  won  the  esteem  of  all 
by  an  upright  life. 


j  OSHUA  GREEN,  who  resides  on  section  81, 
is  one  of  the  extensive  land-owners  of 
Whitmore  Township,  and  an  enterprising 
and  progressive  farmer.  His  home  farm 
comprises  two  hundred  acres,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  places  in  the  neighborhood.  The  many  im- 
provements upon  it  stand  as  monuments  to  his 
thrift  and  industry,  and  the  trees  which  cast  their 
grateful  shade  over  the  place  were  planted  by  his 
hands.  He  formerly  engaged  extensively  in  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising,  but  is  now  practically  liv- 
ing a  retired  life,  having  laid  aside  the  more  ardu- 
ous duties  connected  with  agriculture. 

Mr.  Green  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  Oc- 
tober 3,  1826,  and  is  one  of  eight  children  born 
unto  Thomas  and  Sallie  (Wilson)  Green.  Three 
of  the  children  are  now  deceased,  William,  Charles 
and  George.  Those  still  living  are  Mary,  Sarah, 
Joshua,  Ann  and  Emma.  The  father  of  this  fam- 
ily spent  his  entire  life  in  England,  and  followed 
farming  in  pursuit  of  fortune.  Upon  the  old 
home  farm  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  and 
reared,  and  in  the  schools  near  his  home  his  educa- 
tion was  acquired.  He  remained  with  his  parents 
until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  became  Super- 
intendent of  a  large  farm  in  England,  and  con- 
tinued to  fill  that  important  position  until  his 
emigration  to  the  New  World,  in  1850. 


Mr.  Green  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  a  sailing-vessel, 
which  after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  dropped  an- 
chor in  the  harbor  of  New  York  City.  He  first 
located  in  Montgomery  County,  Pa.,  where  he  be- 
gan work  as  a  farm  hand,  being  thus  employed  for 
three  months.  He  then  resolved  to  seek  a  home 
in  the  West,  and  the  same  year  removed  to  Greene 
County,  111.,  locating  near  Carrollton.  In  that 
neighborhood  he  secured  work  on  a  farm  at  $10 
per  month,  and  served  in  that  capacity  for  the  two 
succeeding  years.  It  was  in  1852  that  he  made  his 
first  purchase  of  land,  becoming  the  owner  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  in  Greene  County. 
Only  a  very  small  portion  of  this  was  under  cul- 
tivation, and  he  carried  on  the  work  of  its  de- 
velopment for  two  years,  and  then  sold  out,  re- 
moving to  Christian  Count}',  where  he  entered 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  Government 
land,  paying  the  usual  price  of  $1.25  per  acre. 
That  farm  he  sold  in  1864,  and  came  to  Macon 
County,  locating  in  Whitmore  Township.  On  pur- 
chasing the  farm  which  is  still  his  home,  he  secured 
two  hundred  acres  of  land,  the  greater  part  of 
which  was  still  in  its  primitive  condition.  His 
untiring  efforts  and  enterprise  soon  wrought  a 
great  transformation  and  the  place  became  a  tract 
of  rich  fertility.  It  has  also  been  enlarged  by 
additional  purchase  until  it  now  comprises  between 
three  and  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land. 

Mr.  Green  was  married  on  the  10th  of  October, 
1854,  to  Miss  Hannah  Dodson,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Prudence  (Robins)  Dodson,  and  a 
native  of  Greene  County,  III.,  born  June  19,  1837. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  two  children,  Ed- 
ward W.  and  Charles  W.,  both  of  whom  are  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Whitmore  Township.  The 
parents  are  both  faithful  and  consistent  members 
of  the  Methodist  Church  and  contribute  liberally 
to  its  support.  In  fact,  no  enterprise  of  worth 
calls  for  their  aid  in  vain. 

In  politics  Mr.  Green  is  a  supporter  of  the  Peo- 
ple's party.  His  wife,  who  is  a  warm  advocate  of 
Prohibition  principles,  was  the  first  woman  to  cast 
a  vote  in  Whitmore  Township.  Our  subject  has 
filled  a  number  of  positions  of  honor  and  trust. 
He  has  been  Highway  Commissioner,  was  Superin- 
tendent of  the  County  Farm  for  six  years,  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


509 


Assessor  for  a  number  of  years,  served  as  Town- 
ship Supervisor  four  terms,  and  lias  been  Trustee 
of  the  schools  and  School  Treasurer  of  Wlutmore 
Township  for  twenty-four  years.  His  faithful  ser- 
vice and  promptness  in  the  discharge  of  duty  were 
attested  by  his  frequent  re-elections.  In  all  the 
offices  he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill  he  has  proved 
himself  a  capable  incumbent,  and  he  has  won  the 
commendation  of  all  concerned.  He  is  now  rest- 
ing in  the  enjoyment  of  a  competence  that  his  toil 
in  former  years  has  brought  to  him. 


ACOB  W.  DILL  is  the  editor  of  the  Maroa 
News,  published  in  Maroa,  and  in  that  ca- 
pacity does  much  toward  molding  public 
opinion.  His  influence  is  ever  used  for  the 
best  interests  of  the  community,  which  recognizes 
in  him  a  valued  citizen.  The  record  of  his  life  is 
as  follows:  He  was  born  in  De  Witt  County,  111., 
June  20,  1857,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  three 
sons  and  four  daughters  whose  parents  were  Isaac 
and  Mary  Ann  (Bruss)  Dill,  natives  of  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  The  father,  having  emigrated  with  his  family 
to  the  We.st,  located  in  De  Witt  Count}-,  111.,  where 
he  followed  farming  until  his  death,  which  occur- 
red in  1860.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Protestant 
Methodist  Church,  to  which  his  wife  also  belongs. 
She  is  still  living  and  is  now  the  widow  of  Thomas 
Hackney.  By  her  first  marriage  she  had  seven 
children,  namely:  Catherine,  deceased;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  J.  J.  Leach,  of  Maroa;  Mary  Ann,  wife  of 
Clinton  Ray,  of  Clinton,  111.;  Ella,  wife  of  F.  M. 
Smith,  of  Maroa;  John  W.,  now  deceased;  William 
F.,  who  married  Miss  Ida  Taylor,  and  lives  in  Ma- 
roa; and  Jacob,  who  completes  the  family.  By 
her  marriage  with  Mr.  Hackney  one  daughter  was 
born,  Clara  Belle,  now  the  wife  of  Joseph  Swift, 
of  Maroa.  Mr.  Hackney  was  a  soldier  of  the  late 
war,  serving  for  three  years  in  defense  of  the  Old 
Flag  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  Fifty-first  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  He  died  January  1,  1890,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-six  years, 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  ten 
years  of  his  life  in  the  county  of  his  nativity,  and 
then  with  his  mother  and  her  family  came  to  Ma- 
roa, where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  lived 
upon  a  farm  until  ill-health  caused  him  to  abandon 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  in  1871  he  began  to  learn 
the  printer's  trade,  which  ho  has  followed  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  time  since,  although  in  the 
mean  time  he  learned  the  baker's  trade,  and  carried 
.on  business  along  that  line  for  three  years. 

On  the  20th  of  March,  1890,  Mr.  Dill  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie  Ritter,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Mary  (Berger)  Ritter,  of  Springfield, 
111.  The  young  couple  are  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  this  locality  and  their  circle  of  friends 
is  indeed  large.  The  lady  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Dill  takes  some  interest  in 
civic  societies  and  holds  membership  with  the 
Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Daughters  of  Rebecca.  In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, but  has  never  sought  public  olllce,  never 
caring  for  such  reward  for  party  fealty.  In  1889, 
he  began  publishing  the  Maroa  News  and  has  since 
been  its  editor.  The  paper  was  established  in 
1871  by  II.  B.  Funk,  who  was  succeeded  by  A.  N. 
Corman,  after  whom  came  Arbuckle  &  Axton,  who 
conducted  it  till  succeeded  by  Turner  O'Banion 
and  he  by  W.  A.  Steidley,  followed  by  Mr.  Dill. 
The  office  is  well  equipped  with  a  full  outfit  for 
general  commercial  printing.  It  takes  a  neutral 
position  on  politics,  and  is  well  worthy  of  public 
patronage,  for  it  is  ably  edited  and  the  subscrip- 
tion list  is  being  constantly  increased. 


ILLIAM  T.  SCHENCK,  who  resides  on 
section  24,  Austin  Township,  was  born 
on  the  9th  of  December,  1842.  in  Butler 
County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and  Rachel 
Schenck,  who  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. He  came  to  the  West  with  his  parents  in 
1854,  the  family  locating  in  De  Witt  County.  In 
his  youtU  he  worked  on  his  father's  farm,  and  oc- 


510 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


casionally  went  to  school  for  a  few  weeks  during 
the  year  up  to  the  time  when  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age.  In  1862,  feeling  that  his  country 
needed  his  services,  he  could  no  longer  remain 
contentedly  at  home,  and  so  joined  the  boys  in 
blue. 

Going  at  once  to  the  South,  Mr.  Schenck  saw 
much  arduous  service.  He  participated  in  the 
siege  and  battle  of  Vicksburg,  the  siege  of  At- 
lanta, the  battles  of  Black  River  and  Missionary 
Hidge,  and  went  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated 
march  to  the  sea.  He  was  never  wounded  by 
rebel  lead,  but  was  quite  seriously  injured  by 
heavy  lifting  in  making  breastworks  at  Marietta, 
Ga.  He  was  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Fifteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  remained  continu- 
ously in  the  service  from  1862  until  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  mustered  out  in 
Washington,  D.  C.  He  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge in  Springfield,  June  8,  1865. 

Mr.  Schenck  was  married  in  186'J  to  Miss  Isabel 
Brown,  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Mary  Brown,  of 
Macon  County,  and  unto  them  were  born  four 
children:  De  Witt,  who  is  now  living  in  De  Witt 
County;  «•  Laura,  wife  of  William  Mendenhall,  a 
resident  of  De  Witt  County;  Araminta  wife  of 
George  Hieserman,  who  is  living  in  Colorado; 
and  Grace  at  home.  Mr.  Schenck  was  again  mar- 
ried, April  8,  1886,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Hannah  Ma  rial  i  Shafer,  who  was  born  in 
Butler  County,  Ohio.  They  had  four  children, 
but  Lee  and  Harvey,  twins,  and  Lydia  all  died  in 
infancy.  Daniel  is  the  only  surviving  child. 

Mr.  Schenck  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party,  but  has  never  aspired  to  ollicial 
preferment,  preferring  to  give  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  his  business.  He  is  an  inventor  of  con- 
siderable note,  and  has  secured  patents  on  some 
valuable  inventions,  including  a  combined  in- 
sole and  heel  protector,  patented  July  24,  1882; 
wagon  bed  staple,  October  7,  1884;  tram  buckle, 
August  25,  1891;  and  a  check  hook  for  harness, 
December  7,  1892.  A  patent  has  also  been  applied 
for  on  his  halter  fixture.  Mr.  Schenck  has  also 
invented  a  shield  for  a  grain  binder,  which  will 
undoubtedly  prove  to  be  very  valuable,  as  with 
this  appliance  the  binder  is  kept  from  being  clogged 


every  bundle  of  grain  being  in  consequence 
bound  securely.  Hitherto  the  unsecured  binding 
has  been  a  constant  source  of  annoyance.  This 
appliance  is  very  simple  and  can  be  easily  attached 
to  any  binding  machine.  Mr.  Schenck  at  present 
resides  on  his  farm  of  eighty  acres  on  section  24, 
but  expects  soon  to  remove  to  Decatur,  where  he 
will  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  his  patented 
articles.  He  certainly  possesses  more  than  ordi- 
nary genius,  and  some  of  his  inventions  will  no 
doubt  meet  with  a  ready  sale. 


xp^EORGE  VEECH,  who  resides  on  section  2, 
(If  ,— -,  Oakley  Township,  claims  Kentucky  as  the 
^^jj  State  of  his  birth,  which  occurred  in  Shelby 
County  in  1829.  In  1831  his  parents  removed 
with  their  family  to  Macon  County,  111.,  locating 
on  a  farm  on  section  11,  Oakley  Township.  The 
parents,  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Boyd)  Veech,  were 
both  born  and  reared  in  Shelby  County,  and  their 
marriage  was  there  celebrated  in  1823.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  six  children,  namely:  John; 
George,  of  this  sketch;  Mary  Jane;  Martha;  Al- 
exander, who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years; 
and  Andrew  J.,  whose  life  record  appears  on  an- 
other page  of  this  volume.  The  parents  and  their 
son  lie  buried  in  North  Fork's  Churchyard,  near 
the  Sangamon  River.  The  father  passed  away  in 
1864,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  and  his  wife, 
who  long  survived  him,  was  called  to  the  home 
beyond  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 

George  Veech  received  but  limited  opportuni- 
ties for  securing  an  education  in  his  youth,  for  the 
pioneer  schools  did  not  afford  the  best  advantages; 
however,  by  experience,  reading  and  observation 
in  later  years  he  has  made  himself  a  well-informed 
man.  He  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  far- 
mer lads,  no  event  of  special  importance  occurring 
in  his  youth.  He  is  familiar  with  all  the  experi- 
ences of  pioneer  life,  and  has  been  an  eye-witness 
of  the  growth  and  development  of  the  county  for 
more  than  sixty  yeais.  To  farm  work  he  has  al- 


v<^ 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


515 


ways  devoted  his  energies,  and  that  he  has  been 
successful  in  an  eminent  degree  will  appear  from 
the  fact  that  he  is  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  land,  comprising 
one  of  the  best  farms  of  the  county.  It  is  well 
fenced,  supplied  with  good  buildings,  and  is  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Its  neat  and  attract- 
ive appearance  indicates  the  supervision  of  a  care- 
ful owner. 

In  the  spring  of  1860  was  celebrated  the  mar- 
riage of  our  subject  and  Miss  Loufea  Heckle,  whose 
mother  was  a  distant  relative  and  playmate  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  a  relationship  of  which  the  fam- 
ily may  well  be  proud.  Unto  our  subject  and  his 
wife  were  born  eight  children:  Belle,  now  the  wife 
of  M.  Clarkson,  of  Piatt  County;  John  I.,  at  home; 
Clement,  who  is  married  and  resides  in  Long  Creek 
Township;  Ilaj-den,  Otis,  Augustus  and  George, 
who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof;  and  Graeie, 
the  youngest,  who  died  in  the  fall  of  1892,  at  the 
age  of  eight  years,  and  was  buried  in  Greenwood 
Cemeteiy,  of  Decatur. 

Mr.  Veech  votes  with  the  Democratic  party,  but 
has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  office.  He 
is  a  worthy  citizen  of  the  community  and  one  who 
for  many  long  years  has  been  identified  with  the 
history  of  the  county.  He  has  seen  its  wild  lands 
transformed  into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  has 
seen  the  introduction  of  the  railroad,  telegraph 
and  telephone,  and  of  all  other  modern  discoveries, 
and  has  watched  the  rapid  march  of  progress  which 
has  placed  Macon  County  in  the  front  rank  in 
Illinois. 


,,.,  BEL  B.  CAMP,  a  farmer  residing  on  sec- 
fill  tion  23,  Long  Creek  Township,  was  born 
IJ  li  in  what  was  then  Morgan  County,  but  is 
now  Scott  Count.y,  III.,  July  29,  1828.  He 
comes  from  one  of  the  old  New  England  families. 
His  father,  George  Camp,  was  born  in  Connecti- 
cut, and  at  the  age  of  twelve  removed  to  Vermont, 

24 


where  he  married.  He  walked  from  the  Green 
Mountain  State  to  Illinois  on  a  prospecting  tour, 
and  about  1820  brought  his.  wife  and  four  chil- 
dren to  the  West.  He  loaded  his  goods  in  a 
wagon  drawn  by  two  yoke  of  oxen  and  went  to 
the  Alleghany  River,  where  he  bought  two  flat- 
boats  and  floated  down  the  Ohio  to  Shawneetown, 
111.  The  trip  consumed  more  than  three  months. 
After  a  year  spent  near  St.  Louis,  he  removed  to  a 
farm  twelve  miles  west  of  Jacksonville,  111.,  enter- 
ing land  from  the  Government.  His  efforts,  how- 
ever, made  him  successful,  and  at  his  death  he 
owned  a  valuable  tract  of  more  than  three  hun- 
dred acres.  He  also  owned  a  sawmill,  ran  a 
card  ing-mi  11,  and  carried  on  a  store  for  a  time.  He 
became  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen  and 
held  several  local  offices.  He  died  of  paralysis  at 
the  home  of  his  daughter  in  Jacksonville,  October 
9,  1886,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried April  7,  1814,  to  Nancy  Felton,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  who  died  April  7,  1849,  when  fifty-nine 
years  of  age.  Their  children  were  Mrs.  Sarah 
Kennedy,  who  died  in  Springfield,  111.;  Mrs.  Annie 
M.  Barber,  of  Jacksonville;  Mrs.  Harriet  A.  Bent, 
of  California;  Mrs.  Lucy  V.  Mosher,  of  Canton, 
Mo.;  George  W.,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1823, 
and  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  near  Jackson- 
ville; Mrs.  Mary  A.  Rice,  of  Jacksonville;  Abel  B., 
of  this  sketch;  Warren  P.,  who  was  a  member  of 
Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois 
Infantry,  and  died  February  23,  1863,  at  Young's 
Point,  Miss;  Mrs.  Laura  S.  Brassfield,  deceased; 
and  Emily  J.,  now  Mrs.  McCullough,  of  Scott 
County. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  the  seventh 
in  order  of  birth,  spent  his  boyhood  days  upon  the 
old  farm  in  Scott  County,  and  in  the  summer 
months  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field,  while  in 
the  winter  season  he  conned  his  lessons  in  the  old 
subscription  schools.  His  youth  was  not  one  of 
the  utmost  freedom,  for  his  services  were  needed 
at  home  and  hard  work  occupied  much  of  his 
time,  but  he  thereby  became  a  self-reliant  and 
sturdy  young  man,  well  fitted  for  the  battles  of 
life.  He  early  learned  to  swing  the  axe  and  cradle 
and  to  make  rails,  and  between  the  ages  of  five 
and  six  years  he  was  a  general  chore  boy  about 


516 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  carding-machine  for  his  father,  having  charge 
of  the  carding  department  from  the  age  of  eight 
until  he  was  twenty-one. 

On  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Camp  started  out 
in  life  for  himself,  and  after  working  as  a  farm 
hand  for  a  time  rented  land  and  engaged  in  its 
cultivation.  In  the  spring  of  1852  he  came  with 
his  younger  brother  to  Macon  County  and  began 
farming  and  breaking  prairie.  In  that  year  he 
bought  a  pre-emption  right  on  the  lake  fork  of  Salt 
Creek,  about  four  miles  west  of  where  Maroa  is 
now  situated.  He  never  occupied  this  land  and 
later  sold  the  claim.  After  his  marriage  he  lo- 
cated on  a  tract  of  raw,  unimproved  prairie  land 
on  section  17,  town  16,  range  4,  developing  and 
improving  it  until  1857,  when  he  purchased  a 
part  of  his  present  farm,  which  has  since  been  his 
home.  The  boundaries  of  his  farm  have  been  ex- 
tended until  it  now  comprises  four  hundred  and 
twenty-six  acres  of  valuable  land,  and  the  owner  is 
ranked  among  the  substantial  agriculturists  of  the 
community. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  1853,  Mr.  Camp  wed- 
ded Mary  Davis,  daughter  of  Joseph  Davis,  a  pio- 
neer of  Macon  County.  She  proved  to  him  a 
faithful  wife  and  helpmate  and  her  death,  which 
occurred  March  24,  1891,  was  deeply  mourned. 
The  children  born  of  that  union  are  Electa  P.,  who 
keeps  house  for  her  father;  Laura,  wife  of  A.  W. 
Heaton,  of  Decatur;  William  P.,  at  home;  Heber 
F.,  who  married  Lois  Spangler  and  is  a  farmer  of 
Long  Creek  Township;  and  Ernest  D.,  a  well-edu- 
cated young  man,  who  has  engaged  in  teaching  but 
now  has  charge  of  the  home  farm. 

Mr.  Camp  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  of  Long  Creek,  to  which  his  wife 
also  belonged,  has  served  as  Steward  and  Trustee, 
and  has  given  liberally  to  its  support.  He  cast  his 
first  Presidential  ballot  for  John  P.  Hale  in  1852, 
was  a  stanch  Abolitionist,  and  in  1856  supported 
Fremont.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  a  stanch 
advocate  of  Republican  principles,  has  frequently- 
served  as  delegate  to  the  county  conventions,  and 
is  a  leader  of  his  party  in  this  locality.  Mr.  Camp 
is  a  man  of  liberal  and  generous  impulses,  who 
takes  a  commendable  interest  in  everything  cal- 
culated to  benefit  the  community,  and  those  who 


know  him  esteem  him  highly  for  his  many  excel- 
lencies of  character  and  his  sterling  worth.  He  may 
truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  for  his  success  has 
been  achieved  entirely  through  his  own  efforts. 


E  SEMON  is  the  owner  of  a  well-im- 
proved farm  located  on  section  4,  Whitmore 
Township.  As  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
the  county  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
and  is  widely  known,  we  take  pleasure  in  present- 
ing this  record  of  his  life  to  our  readers.  A  native 
of  Germany,  he  was  born  April  22,  1830,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Ann  Semon.  whose  family  num- 
bered only  three  sons,  the  other  two  being  John 
and  Andrew.  Upon  the  old  home  farm  our  sub- 
ject was  born  and  reared,  and  there  remained  until 
he  had  attained  to  man's  estate.  Hearing  of  the 
advantages  afforded  young  men  in  the  New  World, 
and  wishing  to  try  his  fortune  beyond  the  broad 
Atlantic,  on  reaching  mature  years  he  bade  good- 
bye to  home  and  friends  and  in  1835  crossed  the 
briny  deep.  The  voyage  was  made  in  a  sailing- 
vessel,  which  after  forty-one  days  dropped  anchor 
in  the  harbor  of  New  York.  Mr.  Semon  did  not 
tarry  long  in  the  Eastern  metropolis,  but  at  once 
made  his  way  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  worked 
by  the  month  for  year.  In  1856,  he  eame  to  Illi- 
nois, working  on  a  farm  in  Scott  County  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  war. 

Prompted  by  patriotic  impulses  and  a  desire  to 
aid  his  adopted  country  in  her  struggle  to  preserve 
the  Union,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  on  the  llth  of 
April,  1861,  and  was  assigned  to  Company  K, 
Fourteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  Going  to  the  front, 
he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Corinth, 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  battles  of  Jackson 
and  Chattanooga,  and  was  all  through  the  Atlanta 
campaign.  After  serving  for  three  years,  ten 
months  and  twent}'  days,  he  received  his  discharge, 
his  term  of  service  having  expired.  He  later  re- 
enlisted  as  a  veteran  and  remained  in  the  service 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


517 


HOMAS  CHAMBERS  is  one  of  Macon 
County's  highly  respected  citizens, and  one 
of  the  extensive  farmers  and  stock-raisers 
of  the  community.  He  resides  on  section  21,  Oak- 
ley Township,  and  his  highly  cultivated  and  well- 
improved  farm  indicates  the  thrift  and  enterprise 
of  the  owner.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, having  been  born  on  the  loth  of  May,  1826, 
in  Pendleton  County,  and  is  the  second  son  of 


until  the  close  of  the  war.  Fie  participated  in  many 
hard-fought  battles,  but  was  never  known  to  shirk 
any  duty,  being  always  found  at  his  post  as  a  faith- 
ful defender  of  the  Old  Flag. 

After  being  mustered  out,  Mr.  Semon  returned 
to  Scott  County,  and  in  the  winter  of  1865  came 
to  Macon  County,  purchasing  a  farm  in  Whitrnore 
Township.  The  same  year  he  was  married,  Miss 
Elvira  J.  Hooker  becoming  his  wife.  Their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  three  children,  two  sons  and 
a  daughter,  William  H.,  Emma  and  Frederick  D. 
The  family  circle  still  remains  unbroken  and  the 
children  are  all  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Semon  remained  upon  his  first  farm  in  this 
county  for  two  years,  and  then  purchased  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides,  comprising  sixty  acres. 
The  improvements  upon  it  have  all  been  made  by 
the  owner,  who  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  is  numbered  among  the  wide- 
awake and  enterprising  agriculturists  of  the  com- 
munity. In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party;  socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic;  and,  religiously,  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church.  He  has  never 
been  prominent  in  public  affairs,  devoting  his  en- 
tire time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests,  in 
which  he  has  met  with  goad  success.  Although  he 
came  to  this  country  empty-handed,  he  is  now 
comfortably  situated,  and  therefore  need  feel  no 
regret  that  he  carried  out  his  determination  of 
trying  his  fortune  in  the  New  World. 


James  Chambers.  The  family  is  of  Irish  lineage, 
and  was  founded  in  America  in  Colonial  days. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  1791,  and 
valiantly  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 
Having  attained  to  years  of  maturity,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  Buoy,  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  born  of  Scotch  parentage.  After 
selling  their  residence  in  Kentucky  they  came  to 
Illinois,  and  settled  in  1836  upon  a  farm  in  Maeon 
County,  where  they  reared  a  family  of  five  chil- 
dren, namely:  Laban,  Thomas,  James  R.,  Mary  and 
Margaret. 

Thomas  Chambers,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  and  began  life  for 
himself  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  He  was  at  that 
time  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Yates,  a 
resident  of  Scott  County,  111.  They  began  their  do- 
mestic life  empty-handed,  and  neither  had  had  much 
opportunity  of  securing  an  education — -only  a  few 
months'  schooling  in  the  little  log  schoolhouse  of 
the  district — but  earnest  toil  and  frugal  habits 
soon  won  for  them  a  start  in  life.  Mr.  Chambers 
has  always  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  and 
has  made  a  specialty  of  stock-raising.  He  always 
keeps  on  hand  fine  grades  of  horses,  cattle  and 
hogs,  and  at  the  present  time  has  some  two  hun- 
dred head  in  all.  This  branch  of  his  business  has 
proven  a  lucrative  one,  for  our  subject  is  an  ex- 
cellent manager.  His  farm  is  located  on  section 
21,  Oakley  Township,  and  comprises  four  hundred 
and  seventeen  acres  of  valuable  land.  Every  pas- 
ture lot  is  well  provided  with  fine  shade  trees  and 
running  water,  and  the  place  is  considered  one  of 
the  best  stock  farms  in  the  county. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chambers  were  born  five 
children:  Margaret  Ellen,  who  became  the  wife 
of  J.  K.  Peck,  and  died  October  9,  1892;  EiHe  C., 
wife  of  David  Pollard,  a  resident  of  Cerro  Gordo, 
Piatt  County;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  J.  K.  Wheeler, 
who  carries  on  farming  on  section  2 1 ,  Oakley  Town- 
ship; Emma,  wife  of  Samuel  Hiser,  a  resident  of 
Long  Creek  Township;  and  William  Reed,  who  re- 
sides on  the  old  home  farm  with  his  father.  After 
attending  the  district  schools,  he  pursued  his  studies 
in  Westfield,  and  completed  his  education  with  a 
course  in  a  business  college  of  Decatur. 


518 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mr.  Chambers  has  always  been  identified  with 
the  Republican  party  and  has  held  the  office  of 
Town  Supervisor  and  School  Director  at  different 
periods.  He  may  well  be  called  a  self-made  man, 
and  his  success  lias  all  been  achieved  through  his 
own  efforts.  He  is  broad-gauged  and  public- 
spirited  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  everything 
that  tends  toward  the  upbuilding  of  all  the  pub- 
lic institutions  of  the  town  and  county  in  which 
he  lives.  Although  he  is  now  well  advanced  in 
years,  he  is  still  an  industrious  worker,  yet  has  the 
capital  on  which  to  live  a  retired  life  if  he  so  de- 
sires. 


/  •S-==-S~=.S 


RAINES  G.  RITCHIE  is  the  efficient  Post- 
master of  Sangamon,  and  is  also  serving  as 
telegraph  operator  and  station  agent  for 
the  Wabash  Railroad  Company.  His  life  record 
is  as  follows:  He  was  born  on  the  loth  of  October, 
1851,  in  De  Witt  County,  111.,  and  there  remained 
with  his  parents  until  sixteen  years  of  age.  His 
father,  Thomas  W.  Ritchie,  was  born  January  26, 
1822,  in  Tallula,  Menard  County,  III.,  and  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Big  Grove,  Tazewell  County, 
in  1828.  In  1834  the  famity  became  residents  of 
Clinton,  Macon  County,  and  after  a  year  went  to 
Funk's  Grove,  McLean  County,  where  Thomas 
Ritchie  began  working  by  the  day  for  Isaac  Funk, 
in  whose  employ  he  remained  for  about  ten 
years.  In  1846  he  returned  to  Menard  County, 
and  the  same  year  enlisted  as  a  soldier  for  the 
Mexican  War.  He  served  his  country  faithfully 
for  twelve  months,  when,  after  receiving  a  serious 
wound  in  the  head  at  the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo 
and  being  otherwise  disabled,  he  received  an  hon- 
orable discharge  on  account  of  disability.  He 
participated  in  the  memorable  siege  of  Vera  Cruz 
and  in  many  battles.  A  bullet  shot  cost  him  the 
loss  of  one  eye  and  seriously  affected  the  sight  of 
the  other. 

Mr.  Ritchie   was   united   in    marriage  April  17, 
1849,  with    Miss   Rebecca   Lisenby,   and  by  their 


marriage  were  born  two  children:  Lydia  Ann 
and  Gaines  G.  The  father  remained  in  De  Witt 
County  until  1867,  when  with  his  family  he  re- 
moved to  Macon  Count}',  locating  on  section  23, 
Oakley  Township,  where  he  lived  for  four  3- ears. 
Since  that  time  he  has  resided  on  section  34  of  the 
same  township.  In  the  autumn  of  1854,  his  wife 
died  and  was  buried  in  Greenwood  Cemetery,  of 
Decatur.  The  following  year  Mr.  Ritchie  wedded 
Nancy  Lisenby,  a  cousin  of  his  first  wife,  and  the}- 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom  six 
are  now  deceased.  In  1880  Fannie  became  the 
wife  of  Martin  E.  Wentz.  She  died  in  1882,  and 
was  laid  to  rest  in  Greenwood  Cemetery.  Agnes 
is  still  with  her  parents.  The  mother  has  been  a 
consistent  and  respected  member  of  the  Christian 
Church  for  over  forty  years.  In  politics,  Mr. 
Ritchie  is  a  Democrat  and  has  served  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace  and  Supervisor.  He  has  a  pleasant  and 
comfortable  home  and  is  the  owner  of  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres,  the  income  from  which,  together  with 
the  pension  which  he  receives  in  recognition  of 
his  services  as  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War,  en- 
ables him  to  spend  his  declining  years  in  rest  from 
labor.  He  is  a  kind  father  and  husband  and  en- 
joys in  a  marked  degree  the  confidence  of  his 
friends  and  neighbors  and  of  the  communit}',  of 
which  he  is  a  worth 3'  member. 

Gaines  G.  Ritchie,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
came  with  his  parents  to  Macon  County  in  1868. 
He  had  been  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits  and 
remained  upon  the  old  home  farm,  aiding  in  its 
cultivation,  until  fourteen  j-cars  ago-,  when  he  be- 
came a  student  of  telegraphy  and  has  since  been  a 
telegraph  operator.  During  this  time  he  has  also 
been  employed  as  station  agent  for  the  Wabash 
Railroad  Compan}'  at  Sangamon.  He  is  faithful 
to  every  duty,  and  his  fidelity  has  been  shown  by 
his  efficient  management  of  the  postoffice,  which 
position  he  has  held  continuously  since  1886  with 
credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  con- 
stituents. 

Mr.  Ritchie  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  in 
this  county,  comprising  four  hundred  acres  of  rich 
land.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  a  Democrat 
since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Horace 
Greeley.  He  has  held  the  office  of  .Justice  of  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


519 


Peace  of  Oakley  Township  for  two  years,  hut  is 
not  an  aspirant  for  official  honors.  He  enjoys  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  the  public  at  large  and 
is  a  genial,  pleasant  gentleman,  who  well  deserves 
representation  in  this  volume. 


DANIEL  W.  BRENNEMAN  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  substantial,  prominent  and  rep- 
resentative business  men  of  Decalur,  having 
done  much  toward  the  upbuilding  and  develop- 
ment of  the  city  and  its  interests.  He  is  now  at 
the  head  of  the  firm  of  D.  W.  Brenneman  &  Co., 
wholesale  and  retail  liquor  dealers,  is  owner  of  one  of 
the  finest  stock  farms  of  Ma  eon  County,  and  is 
President  of  the  Wayne  Sulkyette  Company. 

The  life  record  of  our  subject  is  as  follows:  He 
was  born  in  Newcastle,  Ind.,  March  6,  1839,  and 
is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Margaret  M.  (Branson) 
Brenneman.  His  father  was  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Brenneman  &  Beam,  the  oldest  cabinet-making 
firm  in  Indiana,  the  partnership  continuing  until 
the  death  of  Mr.  Beam,  after  a  business  connection 
of  forty  years.  When  a  young  man,  Jacob  Bren- 
neman spent  some  time  in  the  Government  survey 
in  Arkansas,  and  in  1830  went  to  Chicago.  Later 
he  engaged  as  a  manufacturer  of  furniture  for  a 
year  in  Newcastle,  Ind.,  where  his  death  occurred. 

Our  subject  at  the  age  of  thirteen  went  to 
Cambridge  City,  Ind..  where  he  engaged  in  clerk- 
ing for  a  year.  He  then  returned  to  Newcastle, 
and  served  a  three-years  apprenticeship  to  the 
cabinet-maker's  trade,  receiving  $100  for  his  serv- 
ices during  that  time.  Later  he  worked  for  his 
father  for  five  years,  and  then,  after  a  year  spent 
in  the  grocery  business  in  Newcastle,  he  came  to 
Dccatur,  in  1865,  and  htis  since  made  his  home  in 
this  city.  He  had  been  married  in  Newcastle  in 
1858  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Mullin,  and  has  one 
daughter,  Laura,  wife  of  George  Keller,  who  is 
employed  as  manager  of  the  wholesale  house,  and 
attends  to  much  of  Mr.  Brenneman 's  business. 

On  coming  to  Decatur,  Mr.  Brenneman    began 


business  as  a  dealer  in  liquors,  being  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Brenneman  &  Murphy,  but  the  firm  got 
in  debt  and  after  six  months  sold  out.  Our 
subject  then  became  bar-keeper  for  Kain  &  Slaugh- 
ter for  a  year,  after  which  he  purchased  the  busi- 
ness of  Gilbert  Howell,  carrying  on  the  retail 
trade  from  1867  until  1871,  when  he  began  as  a 
wholesale  dealer.  In  1873,  he  built  his  present 
retail  building.  The  previous  year  he  had  been 
joined  by  his  brother  Eli,  and  in  Jan uary,  1882, 
William  P.  Shade  became  a  partner  in  the  business, 
which  represents  an  investmentof  $175,000.  Two 
salesman  are  employed  on  the  road,  and  the 
annual  sales  amount  to  $200,000.  As  above  stated, 
Mr.  Brenneman  is  President  of  the  Wayne  Sulky- 
ette Company,  which  was  incorporated  in  March, 
1890.  They  have  a  large  establishment  and  man- 
ufacture road  carts,  driving  carts  and  bicycle 
tires.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  firm  of  P.  H. 
Hunt  &  Co.,  which  is  engaged  in  general  contract- 
ing in  sewer  work,  street  paving,  grading  and  con- 
struction of  buildings. 

To  the  breeding  of  fine  horses,  Mr.  Brenneman 
devotes  considerable  attention,  having  begun  this 
business  about  fifteen  years  ago.  The  Elm  Grove 
Stock  Farm,  comprising  seven  hundred  acres,  is 
situated  eleven  miles  south  of  Decatur,  and  upon 
it  are  one  hundred  mares,  with  "Anderson  Wilkes" 
2:22^,  sire  of  "Jack  Sheppard,"  at  the  head.  The 
training  farm  lies  within  the  city  limits  and  com- 
prises the  Decatur  Trotting  Association  track. 
The  principal  owners  and  members  of  this  associa- 
tion are  D.  W.  Brenneman,  M.  F.  Kanan,  B.  Z. 
Taylor,  C.  P.  Housum,  George  Keller,  Otto  Curtis 
and  R.  R.  Montgomery.  It  was  on  their  track 
that  "Roy  Wilkes"  made  his  famous  half-mile  rec- 
ord. The  firm  of  Brenneman  &  Co.,  has  twenty-five 
fine  horses  in  training,  including  "Jack  Sheppard," 
with  a  record  of  2:14£,  and  "Magneta,"  2:21£. 
One  of  their  horses,  "Pat  Delaney,"  with  a  three- 
year-old  record  of  2:18^,  w!io  promised  to  be  one  of 
the  speediest  of  horses,  and  who  was  valued  at 
thousands  of  dollars,  recently  died  while  being 
shipped  between  points  on  the  circuit.  "Effle 
Price,"  a  very  fast  three-year-old,  is  much  ad- 
mired and  is  a  valuable  animal. 

Each    year    they    hold    auction   sales.     One   of 


.•520 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


their  fine  horses,  "Wayne  Wilson,"  with  a  record 
of  2:29,  sold  at  $11,000.  They  have  made  five 
importations  of  horses  from  France  and  Scotland, 
bringing  twenty-five  each  time,  and  they  now 
have  about  twenty  fine  imported  horses  on  the 
farm,  with  about  $100,000  invested  in  their  stock. 
They  also  own  a  Central  Ridge  farm  of  nine  hun- 
dred acres,  together  with  two  smaller  farms  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  and  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres,  respectively.  Probably  no  man  has 
done  more  toward  improving  the  breed  of  horses 
and  introducing  fine  horses  into  Macon  County 
than  Mr.  Brenneman.  He  is  a  true  lover  of  the 
noble  steed,  and  his  roadsters  justly  deserve  the 
high  reputation  that  they  have  gained. 

In  addition  to  his  other  interests,  our  subject 
lias  also  dealt  in  city  property,  and  he  platted 
Brenneman 's  Addition,  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  Decatur.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  business 
ability,  possessing  keen  judgment  and  far-sighted- 
ness, yet  in  all  his  dealings  has  maintained  a  rep- 
utation for  honesty  that  has  won  him  high  regard. 
In  personal  appearance  he^s  a  man  of  fine  phy- 
sique, and  his  genial  and  pleasant  manner  makes 
him  a  popular  citizen. 


OHN  P.  LEHN,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  12,  Illini  Township, 
and  who  is  numbered  among  the  settlers 
of  the  county  of  1856,  is  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  State.  He  was  born  in  Cumberland 
County,  Pa.,  January  2,  1838,  and  is  a  son  of 
Peter  Lehn,  who  was  born  in  the  same  count37. 
Having  arrived  at  man's  estate,  his  father  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Waggoner,  and  located  upon  a 
farm,  where  he  reared  his  family  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  da3'S.  He  died  about  1850,  and 
his  wife  survived  him  only  three  years.  In  the 
family  were  seven  children,  five  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Anna  is  the  wife  of  Frank  C'hugerts; 
John  is  the  next  younger;  Mrs.  Susanna  Mathlan 
is  deceased;  Sylvester  resides  in  Tennessee;  Wil- 


son is  a  resident  of  Colorado;  Josiah  makes  his 
home  in  Oregon,  and  is  a  fruit-grower  at  Shedd's, 
Linn  County;  and  Samuel  is  living  in  Macon 
County,  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  family. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  in  Cumber- 
land County  until  about  eighteen  years  of  age. 
His  educational  privileges  were  quite  limited,  but 
by  reading,  experience  and  observation  in  later 
years  he  has  made  himself  a  well-informed  man. 
Believing  that  better  opportunities  were  afforded 
young  men  in  the  West  than  in  the  older  and 
more  thickly  settled  States  of  the  East,  he  deter- 
mined to  try  his  fortune  in  Illinois,  and  the  year 
1856  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Macon  County. 
Here  he  began  working  on  a  farm  by  the  month, 
and  was  thus  employed  for  seven  years,  or  until 
1863,  when  he  purchased  a  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land.  It  is  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides,  but  the  well-tilled  place, 
with  its  fields  of  golden  grain,  bears  little  resem- 
blance to  the  unbroken  prairie  of  that  time.  The 
farm  is  now  enclosed  by  a  fine  osage  hedge  fence, 
and  in  the  midst  stands  a  substantial  residence, 
good  barns  and  the  other  outbuildings  found  upon 
a  model  farm.  An  orchard  yields  its  fruit  in  sea- 
son, and  as  the  result  of  the  plowing  and  planting 
abundant  harvests  are  garnered.  Mr.  Lehn  also 
owns  eighty  acres  in  Hickory  Point  Township, 
and  an  eighty-acre  tract  in  Illini  Township,  be- 
sides his  home  farm. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  1873,  our  subject 
wedded  Miss  Tabitha  Jones,  who  was  born  in 
Perry  County,  Pa.,  but  was  reared  in  Cumberland 
County.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Robert  Jones,  of 
the  Keystone  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lehn  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  five  children:  George  Wagner, 
Calvin,  Frank,  Ellis  and  Howard.  The  parents 
are  highly  respected  citizens  of  this  community 
and  their  home  is  noted  for  its  far-reaching  hospi- 
tality. In  politics.  Mr.  Lehn  has  always  sup- 
ported the  Democratic  party,  but  has  never  sought 
or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public  of- 
fice, although  he  served  as  Road  Commissioner. 
He  is  a  stanch  friend  to  the  public  schools,  and 
while  acting  on  the  School  Board  did  effective 
service  for  the  cause  of  education  in  this  locality. 
He  is  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


521 


manifests  an  active  interest  in  all  that  pertains 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  He  began  life 
for  himself  empty-handed,  but  1ms  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward,  and  now  besides  his  old  home 
and  his  other  farming  land  in  this  county  he 
owns  a  residence  in  Warrensburg. 


ARVEL  E.  BROOKS,  who  owns  and  oper- 
ates four  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  of 
land  on  section  22,  Whitmore  Township, 
and  is  ranked  among  the  extensive  land- 
owners of  the  county,  is  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
born  February  22,  1842.  His  father,  John  Brooks, 
was  born  in  the  same  State,  and  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  descent.  His  mother  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Susan  Clingen.  Upon  the  home  farm,  Darvel 
Brooks  spent  the  days  of  his  early  boyhood,  and 
in  the  winter  season  attended  the  district  schools, 
where  he  acquired  a  good  English  education.  At 
the  age  of  fifteen,  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself 
and  has  since  made  his  own  way  in  the  world,  so 
whatever  success  he  has  achieved  has  been  due 
entirely  to  his  own  efforts. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Brooks  carried 
mail  from  Millersburg,  Ky.,  to  headquarters  on 
horseback,  receiving  $1  per  week  for  his  services. 
He  was  thus  employed  for  a  year.  When  his  time 
was  not  occupied  with  this  duty  he  worked  on  a 
farm  by  the  month,  and  for  his  first  half-day's  ser- 
vices, which  consisted  in  covering  corn  with  a  hoe  in 
sod  ground,  he  received  the  munificent  sum  of 
five  cents.  After  working  as  a  farm  hand  for 
about  two  years,  he  purchased  a  team  and  engaged 
in  the  operation  of  rented  land  for  two  or  three 
years,  when,  in  connection  witli  agricultural  pur- 
suits, he  began  dealing  in  stock. 

Mr.  Brooks  continued  to  make  his  home  in  the 
State  of  his  nativity  until  1866,  when  he  emi- 
grated to  Illinois,  locating  near  Mt.  Auburn,  Chris- 
tian County,  where  for  three  years  he  again  carried 
on  a  rented  farm.  Having  through  his  industry, 
economy  and  perseverance  acquired  some  capital, 


lie  then  purchased  land,  and  to  its  improvement 
devoted  his  energies  until  1875.  That  37ear  wit- 
nessed his  arrival  in  Macon  County.  Here  he 
purchased  a  ninety-acre  farm  near  Harristown, 
and  also  bought  land  in  Blue  Mound  Township, 
where  he  lived  until  coming  to  his  present  home. 
In  March,  1868,  Mr.  Brooks  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Julia  S.  Toothaker,  and  by  their 
union  were  born  seven  children,  but  four  died  in 
infancy,  and  Jesse  died  in  1882.  The  only  two 
now  living  are  Stella  and  Maud,  both  of  whom 
are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  The  famity  took 
up  their  residence  upon  their  present  farm  in 
1881,  at  which  time  he  purchased  four  hundred 
and  sixty-six  acres  of  land.  He  has  since  added 
to  that  amount,  until  the  home  farm  now  com- 
prises five  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  In  the  midst 
of  the  rich  and  fertile  fields  stand  a  substantial 
residence,  good  barns  and  all  the  other  buildings 
and  improvements  found  upon  a  model  farm  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  His  landed  possessions 
altogether  aggregate  .ten  hundred  and  forty-five 
acres,  all  of  which  lias  been  acquired  through  his 
own  efforts.  He  began  life  a  poor  boy,  but  has 
worked  his  way  steadily  upward  to  a  position  of 
wealth  and  affluence.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter 
of  the  Democratic  party.  In  1885,  he  was  called 
upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on 
the  14th  of  December,  1881. 


JONATHAN  B.  NOW  LIN,  a  well-known 

farmer  residing  on  section  20,  Austin  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  the  neighboring  State  of 
tj  Indiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Dear- 
born County  April  2.  1841.  His  father,  Silas  Now- 
lin.  was  born  in  Kentuck3',  and  there  remained 
until  nine  years  of  age,  when  he  determined  to  try 
his  fortune  in  Dearborn  County.  He  there  be- 
came acquainted  with  Miss  Eleanor  Blasdel,  a  na- 
tive of  the  Hoosier  State,  and  in  1835  they  were 
married.  Four  children  were  born  of  this  union: 


522 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Elijah  B,,  who  is  now  living  in  Nebraska;  Nancy, 
wife  of  Walter  Shinkle,  a  resident  of  Ohio;  Mary, 
wife  of  John  Shinkle,  also  of  Ohio;  and  Jonathan  B., 
of  this  sketch.  In  1846  Mrs.  Nowlin  died,  and  in 
1850  her  husband  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Martha  J.  Hargitt,  by  whom 
he  had  nine  children:  Emma,  Richard,  Jerry, 
Whitfield,  Willie,  Annie,  Cora,  Sherman  and 
Robert.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  called  to  his 
final  rest  in  March,  1891,  on  his  old  farm  in  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.,  on  which  he  had  lived  since 
before  his  marriage;  his  wife  died  in  the  follow- 
ing May. 

Jonathan  Nowlin,  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord, started  out  in  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  and  has  since  been  dependent  upon 
his  own  resources.  Feeling  that  the  country  needed 
his  services,  he  laid  aside  his  business  cares  in  the 
fall  of  1862  to  enter  the  Union  army,  enlisting  at 
Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  in  Company  H,  Eighty-third 
Indiana  Infantry.  He  remained  in  the  South  until 
the  war  closed  and  saw  much  hard  service,  par- 
ticipating in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  bat- 
tles of  Missionary  Ridge,  Resaca  and  Dallas.  He 
also  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  and  went 
with  Sherman  on  the  memorable  march  from  At- 
lanta to  the  sea,  and  on  to  Washington  City. 
After  the  cessation  of  hostilities  he  participated  in 
the  Grand  Review  and  received  an  honorable 
discharge,  being  mustered  out  in  Washington  in 
June,  1865. 

When  Mr.  Nowlin  laid  aside  the  old  blue  coat 
and  once  more  donned  the  garb  of  a  civilian,  he 
returned  to  his  old  home  in  Indiana,  where  he 
remained  for  about  eighteen  months,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Morgan  County,  111.,  and  spent  the  suc- 
ceeding six  years  of  his  life.  The  next  year  was 
spent  in  Ricliland  County,  after  which  he  came  to 
Macon  County,  in  1874,  and  settled  on  his  pres- 
ent place,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He 
is  now  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  twent3' 
acres  of  valuable  laud,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  8,  eight3*  acres  on  section  17 
(which  he  had  purchased  in  1868),  and  his  home 
farm  of  eighty  acres  on  section  20. 

In  the  same  year  in  which  he  went  to  the  front 
Mr.  Nowlin  was  united  in  marriage,  August  30, 


1862,  with  Miss  Jane  Sykes,  who  was  born  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio.  Nine  children  graced  this  union: 
Ellen,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  F.  Emery,  a  resi- 
dent of  Macon  County;  Martha  L.,  wife  of  A.  G. 
Curry,  of  Phelps  County,  Neb.;  Emma,  wife  of 
G.  D.  Applegate,  who  is  also  living  in  Phelps 
County,  Neb.;  Cortez  D.,  who  married  Miss  Min- 
nie B.  Tump  and  resides  in  Austin  Township; 
Silas  R.  and  J.  A.,  who  are  still  at  home;  and 
Mary  J.  and  two  others  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Nowlin  proudly  cast  his  first  vote  in  sup- 
port of  the  Republican  party  in  1868,  and  has 
since  been  a  warm  advocate  of  its  men  and  meas- 
ures. He  has  been  honored  with  several  positions 
of  public  trust  in  his  township,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing as  Supervisor.  Socially,  he  is  connected  with 
the  Grand  Army  Post  of  Maroa.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  They 
have  a  pleasant  and  attractive  home,  and  enjoy 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  entire  commu- 
nity in  which  they  live. 


i  ARON  KNIGHT,  who  is  numbered  among 
the  settlers  of  Macon  County  of  1850,  is 
a  representative  farmer  of  Illini  Township, 
residing  on  section  35.  The  history  of 
his  life  work  is  as  follows:  He  was  born  in  what 
is  now  Hocking  County,  Ohio,  August  23,  1822, 
his  father  being  William  Knight,  who  was  a  native 
of  England.  When  a  young  man  he  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  America  and  took  up  his  residence  in 
Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  whence  lie  removed  to 
Fairfield,  that  State,  and  spent  the  last  years  of 
his  life,  dying  in  1848.  In  Ohio,  he  wedded  Miss 
Mary  Slinger,  a  lady  of  German  birth,  who  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  in  1852.  Mi.  Knight  was  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War. 

Aaron  Knight,  our  subject,  is  the  only  survivor 
in  a  family  of  two  sons  and  seven  daughters,  of 
whom  eight  reached  adult  age  and  became  heads 
of  families.  He  was  reared  in  his  native  county 
and  remained  with  his  father  until  he  had  attained 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


523 


his  majority.  He  then  learned  the  cabinet-maker's 
trade,  which  he  followed  for  a  few  years,  after 
which  he  resumed  farming,  carrying  it  on  in 
connection  with  the  other  business.  As  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey  he  chose 
Miss  Mary  Ann  Painter,  a  native  of  Ohio.  The 
wedding  ceremony  was  performed  April  29,  1846, 
and  in  1850  the  young  couple  started  Westward  to 
Illinois.  They  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  early 
settlers  of  Macon  County,  and  Mr.  Knight  pur- 
chased land  in  Deeatnr  Township,  but  after  a  few 
years  he  sold  out  and  bought  a  tract  south  of  the 
Sangamon  River,  which  he  operated  for  two  years. 
He  then  again  sold,  and  purchased  raw  prairie  land, 
which  he  developed  and  improved,  making  his 
home  thereon  for  three  years.  Once  more  dispos- 
ing of  his  farm,  he  removed  to  Decatur  and  bought 
eleven  acres  of  land,  but  after  three  years  traded 
it  for  a  farm  in  Illini  Township.  To  its  operation 
he  devoted  his  energies  for  eight  years,  after  which 
he  purchased  his  present  home.  It  is  a  good  farm, 
well  improved,  and  the  land  is  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation.  The  entire  place  is  enclosed  with 
a  well-timmed  hedge  fence  and  divided  by  hedges 
into  forty,  twenty,  ten  and  five  acre  fields.  There 
is  a  good  orchard  of  select  fruits,  and  other  im- 
provements, which  add  to  the  value  and  attractive 
appearance  of  the  place. 

On  the  1st  of  February  in  the  year  1853,  Mr. 
Knight  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his 
wife,  who  died  in  January,  leaving  one  son,  Aaron, 
a  farmer  residing  near  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter,  Elizabeth,  who  married  Edward  Meyers, 
and  removed  to  Missouri,  where  she  died  about 
twelve  years  ago.  Mr.  Knight  afterwards  married, 
August  23,  1854,  Miss  Tryphosa  J.  Jamison,  a 
native  of  Maryland,  who  died  June  24,  1856. 
They  had  one  child,  who  died  in  infancy.  May  12, 
1864,  he  wedded  Miss  Susan  Will,  who  was  born  in 
Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  and  when  a  young  lady 
of  sixteen  came  to  this  State  with  her  mother,  her 
father  having  died  in  the  Buckeye  State,  when  she 
was  three  years  old.  Unto  them  have  been  born 
seven  children:  William  H.,  who  aids  in  carrying 
on  the  home  farm;  LydiaC.,  wifeof  John  Gepford, 
a  farmer  of  this  county;  Charles  B.,  John,  Hattie, 
Myrtle  Belle  and  Martha. 


In  1888,  Mr.  Knight  rented  his  farm  and  re- 
moved to  Kingman  Countj',  Kan.,  but  a  year's 
residence  in  that  State  convinced  him  of  his  pref- 
erence for  Illinois,  and  he  returned  to  his  old 
home.  In  politics,  he  was  formerly  a  Democrat 
and  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  James  K. 
Polk  in  1844.  In  1864,  he  supported  Lincoln, 
and  continued  to  affiliate  with  the  Republican 
party  for  some  time,  but  is  now  independent  in 
politics.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Harristown  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Our  sub- 
ject is  well  known  throughout  this  community 
as  a  man  of  upright  character  and  sterling  worth, 
and  he  and  his  estimable  wife  well  deserve  repre- 
sentation in  this  volume. 


JAMES  H.  PARKER  is  President  of  the  Bank 
of  Maroa,  and  in  this  thriving  place  is  ree- 
i  ognized  as  one  of  the  piogressive  and 
public-spirited  citizens,  a  fact  which  makes 
him  well  worthy  of  representation  in  the  history 
of  his  adopted  county.  He  was  born  on  the  10th 
of  November,  1846,  in  Warren  County,  Ohio,  and 
comes  of  an  old  family  of  New  Jerse3f.  His  father, 
James  S.  Parker,  was  born  in  that  State,  and  in  an 
early  day  emigrated  to  Ohio,  where  he  carried  on 
farming.  He  there  married  Miss  Rachel  Hankin- 
son,  and  unto  them  were  born  five  children, 
namely:  William  H.;  Sarah  J.,  wife  of  Anthony 
Stontenborough,  of  Maroa;  James  II.;  John  P.,  and 
Lydia  E.,  wife  of  Abraham  H.  Bates,  a  Presbyterian 
minister  of  Springfield.  With  his  famity,  the 
father  came  to  Illinois  in  1852,  and  located  seven 
miles  northwest  of  Maroa,  where  he  lived  one 
year.  He  then  removed  to  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  four  miles  west  of  Maroa,  where  he 
made  his  home  until  1877,  when  he  removed  to 
the  town  and  retired  from  farming.  His  death 
occurred  in  1880,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years. 
His  wife  still  survives  him  and  is  now  seventy- 
three  years  of  age.  Eor  many  years  Mr.  Parker 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  but  after 


524 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  removal  to  Maroa  attended  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  to  which  his  wife  belongs.  He  held 
various  official  positions,  being  the  first  Supervisor 
elected  in  Austin  Township,  and  was  recognized 
as  an  influential  citizen  of  the  community  where 
lie  made  his  home.  He  had  accumulated  before 
his  death  two  thousand  and  seventy  acres,  which 
he  divided  among  his  children. 

James  H.  Parker  spent  the  first  six  years  of  his 
life  in  Ohio,  and  then  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Illinois,  from  which  time  he  was  reared  on  a  farm 
in  Macon  County.  He  received  a  good  common- 
school  education, and  continued  under  the  parental 
roof  until  he  hud  attained  his  majority,  when  he 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  began  farming 
on  his  own  account  six  and  a-half  miles  west  of 
town,  his  father  having  given  him  and  his  brother 
William  the  use  of  four  hundred  acres  of  his 
land. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1871,  Mr.  Parker 
married  Miss  Emma  A.,  daughter  of  William  and 
Elizabeth  (\7"andervort)  Shaw,  of  Ohio.  They  be- 
gan their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm,  and  there  re- 
sided until  1887,  when  they  removed  to  Maroa. 
Our  subject  had  purchased  two  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  of  land  belonging  to  the  estate,  two  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  Kansas,  and  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  southwest  of  Maroa.  He  also  owns 
the  old  homestead  of  five  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
together  with  a  one  hundred  and  thirty  acre  tract 
north  of  this  place.  His  health  being  impaired 
when  he  left  the  farm,  he  lived  retired  for  about 
two  years,  and  then,  in  1889,  embarked  in  business. 
Opening  the  Bank  of  Maroa,  he  has  since  been  its 
President.  Anthony  Stontenborough  is  the  Vice- 
President,  and  Samuel  A.  Friedman  is  the  Cashier. 
This  is  a  solid  financial  institution  and  is  receiving 
a  liberal  patronage. 

Mr.  Parker  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Republican  party  and  is  now  serv- 
ing his  third  term  as  Supervisor.  He  has  also 
served  for  several  years  as  School  Director.  Soci- 
ally, he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Parker  is  a 
careful  and  conservative  business  man,  yet  pro- 
gressive, and  by  his  excellent  business  and  execu- 


tive ability  has  gained  a  fortune,  which  now  places 
him  among  the  wealthy  citizens  of  the  county. 
The  best  interests  of  Maroa  always  find  in  him  a 
friend,  and  he  takes  an  active  interest  in  its 
advancement. 


OHN  F.  KEISTER,  who  is  numbered  among 
the  most  prominent  and  influential  farmers 
of  Macon  County,  resides  on  section  32, 
Maroa  Township.  As  he  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance throughout  the  community,  we  feel 
assured  that  this  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of 
interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  A  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  he  was  born  in  York  County  on  the 
15th  of  May,  1843,  but  he  did  not  long  remain  in 
the  Keystone  State,  being  brought  by  his  parents 
to  Illinois  at  an  early  age.  His  father,  Peter 
Keister,  was  also  born  and  reared  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  was  of  German  descent.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Susan  Fetrow,  whose  birth 
also  occurred  in  York  County.  When  a  young 
man,  Peter  Keister  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  but 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming.  In  1850,  he  determined  to 
seek  a  home  in  the  West,  and  with  his  family  emi- 
grated to  Illinois,  locating  first  in  Hickory  Point 
Township,  Macon  County,  where  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land.  The  country  was  new  and 
times  were  hard,  and  the  family  had  many  diffi- 
culties to  meet.  There  were  three  children,  but 
Mary  died  in  childhood,  before  the  family  came  to 
the  West;  John  F.  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth; 
and  Julius  married  Miss  Tillie  Good,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  is  now  a  resident  of  Chicago. 

Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  only  seven  summers 
when  he  came  to  Macon  County.  Educational 
privileges  in  this  locality  were  then  quite  limited, 
and  as  the  family  was  in  poor  circumstances,  in- 
stead of  going  away  to  school  he  worked  upon  his 
father's  farm  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and 
then  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  In  1866,  he 
married  Miss  Nancy  Weaver,  daughter  of  Samuel 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


525 


Weaver,  whose  sketch  appears  on  another  page  of 
this  work,  and  six  children  were  born  of  their 
union,  as  follows:  Charles,  who  died  in  1890,  and 
was  buried  in  Boiling  Springs  Cemetery;  Mary, 
wife  of  Arthur  Hanes,  a  resident  of  Maroa  Town- 
ship; Samuel,  who  died  in  infancy,  and  was  in- 
terred in  Boiling  Springs  Cemetery ;  Hattie,  Frank 
and  Mabel,  who  are  still  at  home. 

Mr.  Keister  has  always  been  identified  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  although  he  has  never  been 
an  office-seeker,  he  is  a  warm  advocate  of  its 
principles.  Throughout  life  he  has  devoted  his 
time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  is 
now  one  of  the  extensive  land-owners  of  the 
county,  his  possessions  aggregating  eight  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be  found  in 
the  State  of  Illinois.  The  entire  amount  is  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  is  well  fenced  and  sup- 
plied with  good  buildings.  Mr.  Keister  is  now 
one  of  the  wealthy  farmers  of  the  State,  and 
deserves  all  the  more  credit  for  his  success  as  it  is 
due  to  his  own  efforts.  He  has  a  pleasant  and  at- 
tractive home,  and  is  an  honored  member  of  the 
community  in  which  lie  lives. 


VAVID  C.  DAVIDSON,  who  is  engaged  in 
farming  on  section  16,  Mt.  Zion  Township, 
was  born  in  the  township  which  is  still 
his  home,  on  the  9th  of  April,  1844,  and 
has  spent  nearly  his  entire  life  in  Macon  County. 
He  was,  however,  in  the  service  of  his  country 
during  the  late  Civil  War,  and  proved  himself  one 
of  the  valiant  defenders  of  the  Union.  He  is  a 
leading  and  influential  citizen,  who  has  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance throughout  the  community,  and  we 
therefore  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his  life 
will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers. 

Our  subject's  father,  William  Davidson,  was  a 
native  of  South  Carolina,  and  there  was  reared  to 
manhood.  In  1838  he  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Melvina  Campbell,  of  Kentucky,  and  in 


an  early  day  they  came  to  Illinois,  casting  in  their 
lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Macon  County. 
The  following  children  were  born  unto  this  worthy 
couple:  John  B.,  who  died  in  the  army,  and  was 
buried  near  Vicksburg;  Mary  A.,  who  died  and 
was  laid  to  rest  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery;  David  C., 
of  this  sketch;  Margaret,  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
E.  B.  Scott,  of  Mt.  Zion  Township;  Louisa  E.,  who 
is  living  in  Mt.  Zion;  Nancy  A.,  wife  of  C.  P. 
Scott,  a  resident  of  Mt.  Zion;  and  William,  who 
died  in  infancy. 

Midst  play  and  work  upon  his  father's  farm  the 
boyhood  days  of  our  subject  were  passed.  He  was 
early  inured  to  the  arduous  labors  of  field  work, 
and  to  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his  services 
until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  responded 
to  the  country's  call  for  troops.  It  was  in  1861 
that  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  and  became  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  II,  Fifth  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  re- 
mained at  the  front  until  the  close -of  the  war, 
when,  his  services  being  no  longer  needed,  he  re- 
ceived an  honorable  discharge,  and  was  mustered 
out  in  Springfield,  111.,  in  1865.  His  military  record 
is  one  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud,  for  he  was 
always  found  faithful  to  his  post.  He  participated 
in  the  entire  siege  of  Vicksburg,  the  battles  of  Ft. 
Jackson,  Arkansas  Post,  and  others  of  importance, 
besides  numerous  skirmishes. 

When  the  preservation  of  the  Union  was  an  as- 
sured fact,  Mr.  Davidson  returned  home  and  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  1870,  when 
was  celebrated  his  marriage  with  Mrs.  Melissa 
Gum,  nee  Goff,  who  died  in  1878,  and  was  buried 
in  Marshall,  Mo.  He  had  started  from  Kansas 
with  her,  and  she  died  en  route,  aged  twenty-one 
years.  She  left  a  son  to  mourn  her  loss,  William 
I.,  who  is  still  at  home.  November  8,  1882,  Mr. 
Davidson  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Minnie  A.  Elder,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  Caldwell  County,  Ky.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Davidson  have  no  children  of  their  own,  but  a 
niece,  Miss  Maggie  A.  Travis,  daughter  of  George 
D.  and  Mary  E.  (Elder)  Travis,  has  made  her  home 
with  them  for  several  years.  They  now  reside  on 
section  16,  Mt.  Zion  Township,  where  Mr.  David- 
son owns  and  operates  a  good  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres.  The  place  is  under  a  high  state  of 


526 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


cultivation,  and   its  neat  and   thrifty  appearance 
well  indicates  his  careful  supervision. 

Mr.  Davidson  votes  with  the  Republican  party 
and  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  its  principles.  He  is 
the  Supervisor  of  his  township,  having  twice  been 
elected  to  that  position,  for  his  faithful  service 
during  his  first  term  won  for  him  re-election.  So- 
cially, he  is  connected  with  Tom  White  Post  No. 
529,  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows'  and  Modern  Woodmen  societies.  Him- 
self and  wife  hold  membership  with  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church  of  Mt.  Zion,  and  are 
highly  respected  citizens  of  the  community  in 
which  they  reside. 


AMUEL  GERBER,  one  of  the  successful 
and  enterprising  business  men  of  Macon 
County,  is  now  engaged  in  banking  in 
Argenta,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  S. 
Gerber  &  Sons.  He  also  carries  on  the  furniture 
business  and  is  enjoying  a  good  trade  in  that  line. 
Energetic  and  persevering,  he  carries  forward  to 
successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes,  and 
the  community  therefore  finds  in  him  a  valued 
citizen. 

Mr.  Gerber  was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  Septem- 
ber 27,  1835.  His  father,  Peter  Gerber,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Switzerland,  and  in  1852  he  crossed  the  At- 
lantic to  America  in  a  sailing-vessel,  which  after  a 
voyage  of  fifty-five  days  landed  him  in  Baltimore. 
He  located  near  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  he  began 
working  at  his  trade  of  carpentering.  He  married 
Sarah  Weit,  who  wasa  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
was  of  German  descent.  They  became  the  parents 
of  three  children:  Samuel;  John  C.,  who  is  living 
in  Shelby  County,  Ohio,  on  a  farm;  and  Lucinda, 
wife  of  Peter  Knull,who  resides  near  Columbia  City, 
Ind.  Mr.  Gerber  removed  to  Shelby  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  secured  two  hundred  acres  of  land  from 
the  Government,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  forest 
hewed  out  a  farm.  In  the  wilderness  he  erected  a 


log  cabin,  which  was  three  miles  from  the  nearest 
neighbor.  To  the  improvement  of  his  land  he 
devoted  Ins  energies  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  October,  1876.  His  wife  passed  away  in 
1885.  Both  were  members  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church. 

Mr.  Gerber  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  was 
born  in  a  small  village  near  Dayton,  Ohio,  but 
when  he  was  about  fifteen  months  old  his  parents 
removed  to  the  farm  which  the  father  secured 
from  the  Government,  and  thereon  he  was  reared 
to  manhood.  There  were  no  schools  in  the  neigh- 
borhood until  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  after 
which  he  attended  about  three  months  in  the  win- 
ter season,  school  being  held  in  a  small  log  house 
on  his  father's  farm.  He  remained  under  the  pa- 
rental roof  until  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
and  then  began  farming  the  old  homestead  on 
shares.  This  was  continued  until  1859,  when  he 
concluded  to  follow  Horace  Greeley's  advice  and 
go  west. 

Previous  to  his  removal,  however,  Mr.  Gerber 
was  married  to  Miss  Susanna  Hillbraut.  Their 
union  was  celebrated  December  12,  1856,  and  was 
blessed  with  six  children,  namely:  Lucinda;  An- 
nie, who  died  in  1860;  Blanche,  who  died  in  Sep- 
tember, 1862;  Peter  E.,  who  carries  on  a  stock 
farm;  Samuel  N.;  and  Mary,  wife  of  Charlie 
Hankins,  of  Decatur. 

On  the  10th  of  September,  1859,  Mr.  Gerber  ar- 
rived in  Macon  County,  having  made  the  trip 
Westward  by  team.  He  rented  a  farm  in  Whit- 
more  Township  for  a  year, and  then  purchased  forty 
acres  of  raw  prairie  land  on  section  2,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  until  January,  1883,  when  he 
came  to  Argenta.  Here  he  established  a  hardware 
store  and  also  engaged  in  buy  ing  and  shipping  grain 
in  connection  with  William  Boyer.  That  partner- 
ship continued  for  two  years.  In  the  mean  time, 
Mr.  Gerber  became  associated  with  D.  H.  Carver, 
and  established  a  general  store,  but  in  the  spring 
of  1886  he  traded  his  interest  in  the  business  and 
embarked  in  banking  in  connection  with  J.  W. 
Brown,  under  the  firm  name  of  Brown  <fe  Gerber. 
His  partner  died  in  1892,  and  the  bank  of  S.  Ger- 
ber ife  Sons  was  then  organized.  This  is  one  of 
the  solid  financial  institutions  of  the  county,  rest- 


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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


527 


ing  upon  a  firm  landed  basis,  and  the  concern  does 
a  good  business.  In  1890,  Mr.  Gorber  also  opened  a 
furniture  store,  whicb  he  still  carries  on,  and  in  ad- 
dition owns  seven  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land, 
all  well  improved.  They  carry  on  quite  a  large 
stock  farm  and  import  and  breed  fine  horses.  The 
successful  business  career  of  Mr.  Gerber  is  not  due 
to  outside  aid,  but  has  been  brought  about  entirely 
through  his  own  perseverance,  industry  and  enter- 
prise. Making  judicious  investments  of  his  money, 
he  has  thus  multiplied  his  property  and  is  now  the 
possessor  of  a  handsome  competence.  Upright 
and  honorable  in  all  transactions,  his  word  is  as 
good  as  his  bond.  In  politics  he  has  always  been 
a  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Assessor  of  Whitmore  Township.  He 
was  Supervisor  of  Friends'  Creek  Township  for  two 
years,  and  has  been  School  Director  for  a  number 
of  years. 


'  OHN  W.  TYLER  ( 1808—1888)   was  the  eld- 
est son  of  Benjamin  Tyler  (1782-  -  1870),who 
was  the  third  son  of  William  Tyler  (1747— 
1843),  a  native    of    Virginia,  and  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  Fayette  County,  Ky. 

The  first  American  ancestor  of  the  Virginia  Ty- 
lers was  Henry  Tyler,  a  reputed  native  of  Shrop- 
shire, England.  In  the  third  volume  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Land  Register  is  the  record  of  a  patent  in 
Henry  Tyler's  name,  bearing  date  January  7, 1652, 
and  locating  two  hundred  and  fifty-four  acres  of 
land  in  what  was  known  as  the  Middle  Plantation, 
"due  to  him  by  and  for  transporting  to  this  Col- 
ony six  persons,  to-wit:  the  said  Henry  Tyler  him- 
self, and  Mary,  his  wife,  and  Anne  Sherman, 
Thomas  Day,  David  Legume  and  James  Musska- 
tina — forty-six  acres  remaining  due  on  the  last 
name."  The  laws  of  the  Colony  at  that  time  en- 
couraged immigration  by  allowing  to  the  importer 
fifty  acres  for  each  and  every  person  brought  over 
at  his  expense.  This  Henry  Tyler  lived  on  the 


outskirts  of  what  is  now  the  city  of  Williamsburg, 
and  his  residence,  though  remodeled,  retains  many 
quaint  and  beautiful  features  of  "ye  olden  time." 
His  name  repeatedly  occurs  in  the  records  in  con- 
nection with  some  of  the  most  respectable  names 
of  the  Colon}-.  His  eldest  son,  Henry,  married 
into  the  Page  family  of  Virginia,  and  played  a 
useful  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  Colony.  He  held 
many  oth'ces  of  trust  and  authority  in  York  County 
through  a  long  series  of  years  with  credit  and 
character.  He  died  in  1729,  leaving  three  sons: 
John,  Francis  and  Henry.  This  Henry,  the  third 
of  the  name,  heired  the  ancestral  homestead,  but  in 
1752  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Sussex  County, 
and  there  died  in  1774.  Leaving  no  surviving 
issue,  he  divided  his  property  between  his  grand- 
nephew,  John  Tyler,  "attorney-at-law  in  Charles 
City  County,"  arid  his  grand-nephew,  William  Ty- 
ler, grandson  of  Francis  Tyler,  of  Prince  William. 
This  will  is  recorded  in  Sussex  County  Court.  The 
young  attorney  mentioned  therein  became  the  fa- 
ther of  John  Tyler,  the  tenth  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  other  legatee  was  the  Will- 
iam Tyler  who  located  a  few  years  later  in  Fayette 
County,  Ky.,  and  became  the  grandfather  of  John 
W.  Tyler,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

William  Tyler,  the  grandfather  of  John  W.,  was 
born  December  27,  1747;  was  married  to  Letty 
George  August  15,  1774,  and  died  March  1,  1843. 
The  exact  date  of  his  settlement  in  Kentucky  is 
not  known.  Ranck,  in  his  history  of  Lexington, 
says:  "The  summer  of  1776  found  no  white  man 
in  all  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  present  Fay- 
ette County."  In  March,  1779.  Col.  Robert  Pat- 
terson was  sent  from  the  fort  at  Harrodbburg,  and 
was  successful  in  building  a  block-house  fort  on 
the  very  site  where  Lexington  now  stands.  James 
Masterson,  after  whom  the  fort  five  miles  north- 
west of  Lexington  was  named,  was  a  member  of 
the  company  commanded  by  CoL  Patterson.  Will- 
iam Tyler  made  his  home  with  his  small  family  in 
the  Masterson  fort  for  a  time  after  reaching  Ken- 
tucky. A  deed,  without  date,  now  in  possession 
of  a  great-grandson  of  William  Tyler,  was  placed 
on  record  at  the  July  term  of  the  Fayette  County 
Court  in  1789.  By  this  deed  Richard  Masterson 
and  Sarah,  his  wife,  transferred  to  William  Tyler 


528 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


"one  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  being  a  part  of  the 
McConnel's  settlement."  His  coming  to  Kentucky 
must,  therefore,  have  been  somewhere  between 
1779  and  1789.  It  was  probably  late  in  1782. 

To  William  '1'3'lcr  and  his  wife  nine  children 
were  born.  Charles  was  born  May  27,  1775;  Sally, 
September  20,  1777;  William,  July  24,  1780;  Ben- 
jamin, October  20,  1782;  Ann,  August  13,  1785; 
Susanah,  December  1,  1789;  Jesse,  April  1,  1793; 
Mary,  March  19,  1795;  and  George,  April  28, 
1797.  There  is  a  trustworthy  tradition  that  Ben- 
jamin was  born  in  an  Indian  fort  as  they  were 
emigrating  to  Kentucky. 

Dr.  Richard  Spurr,  in  writing  of  those  early 
times,  says:  "William  Tyler  was  a  pious,  God-fear- 
ing man.  He  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 

o 

Methodist  Church.  A  meeting-house  was  built 
near  the  fort,  and  here  they  held  their  member- 
ship. When  this  house  was  no  longer  tenantable, 
stated  meetings  were  held  at  the  house  of  old 
Father  Tyler,  this  being  a  point  in  the  circuit." 
Ranck  in  his  history  says:  "In  1787  the  first  Meth- 
odist Church  built  in  Kentucky  (a  log  one)  was 
erected  at  Masterson's  Station,  five  miles  north- 
west of  Lexington,  and  in  1790  the  first  annual 
conference  of  the  church  in  Kentucky  was  held 
there  and  had  the  great  and  good  Bishop  Francis 
Asbury  as  its  presiding  officer." 

Benjamin  Tyler,  third  son  of  William,  was  mar- 
ried to  Susanah  Shores,  and  to  them  five  children 
were  born:  John  William,  September  27,  1808; 
June,  April  6,  1810;  Charles,  November  17,  1812; 
Susanah,  May  4,  1815;  and  Benjamin  George,  No- 
vember 1,  1821.  The  daughters  married  brothers: 
Jane  married  Harvey  Iliggins,  after  whom  Hig- 
ginsville,  Mo.,  was  named;  and  Susanah  married  Dr. 
Worden  Iliggins.  Jane  died  March  27,  1846;  and 
Susanah  died  July  3,  1854.  John  W.  was  married 
first  to  Elvira  Oxley,  June  18,  1831,  and  after  her 
death  was  married  to  Sarah  Honey,  February  28, 
1839.  Charles  was  married  to  Eliza  Ellen  Neel 
August  22,  1839,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Bloom- 
field,  Ky.,  October  14,  1887.  Benjamin  G.  was 
married  first  to  Mrs.  Rebecca  Smith,  nee  Cromwell, 
and  after  her  death  to  Mrs.  Sally  Steadman.  He 
died  at  his  home  near  Lexington,  Ky.,  April  1, 
1891. 


Dr.  Spurr,  in  writing  of  Benjamin  Tyler,  son 
of  William,  says:  "He  was  a  model  of  indus- 
try and  integrity,  his  word  being  considered  the 
equal  of  his  bond.  He  was  one  of  the  best  citi- 
zens of  Fayette  County.  He  was  never  known  to 
take  any  intoxicating  drinks;  this  was  remarkable 
when  we  remember  that  at  that  time  whisky  or 
brandy  was  kept  in  every  house  and  their  use  was 
quite  common.  He  was  a  strictly  moral  man,  never 
known  to  use  profane  language,  was  a  man  of 
peace— in  short,  a  model  irreligious  man  until  late 
in  life  (a  period  at  which  few  persons  ever  make  a 
change  in  habits)  he  became  a  devout  member  of 
the  Cane  Run  Baptist  Church.  He  was  a  man  of 
a  wonderful  amount  of  common  sense.  He  never 
ceased  during  his  long  life  to  give  his  personal  at- 
tention to  his  business,  and  at  his  death  he  left  a 
large  estate."  His  death  occurred  May  2,  1870, 
his  wife  having  died  four  years  prior  to  that,  May 
19,  1866. 

John  W.  Tyler,  eldest  son  of  Benjamin  Tyler, 
was  born  September  27,  1808.  The  first  settlers  of 
Fayette  County  had  made  rapid  and  substantial 
progress.  On  the  26th  of  December,  1781,  the 
trustees  of  Lexington  station  had  adopted  a  plan 
for  the  town.  The  first  newspaper  ever  published 
west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains  made  its  appear- 
ance in  that  town  August  18,  1787.  I^exington 
reached  the  zenith  of  her  first  period  of  prosperity 
in  1810.  Log  cabins  were  giving  place  to  more 
commodious  and  comfortable  dwellings.  Schools 
were  established  in  which  rudimentary  education 
might  be  had.  The  standard  was  not  high.  When 
one  had  learned  to  spell,  to  read  and  to  write  leg- 
ibly, had  studied  Pike's  Arithmetic  to  fractions, 
and  had  acquired  a  smattering  of  Murray 's  Eng- 
lish Grammar,  he  was  thought  to  be  fairly  and  suf- 
ficiently educated.  Algebra,  geography,  etc.,  were 
not  taught  and  were  thought  to  be  useless.  This 
represents  about  the  opportunity  John  Tyler  had 
to  receive  an  education.  Rev.  D.  P.  Henderson, 
his  classmate  in  boyhood,  says:  "We  were  taught 
by  very  exacting  teachers,  who  practically  en- 
forced discipline  even  by  the  rod,  under  which 
most  of  us  had  often  to  pass.  I  have  a  vivid  rec- 
ollection of  John  Tyler.  He  was  a  quiet,  studious, 
grave,  industrious  pupil.  He  made  rapid  progress 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


529 


in  his  studies.  He  was  not  so  fond  of  youthful 
sports  as  many  others,  consequently  his  recitations 
were  better,  much  better,  than  his  classmates.  He 
enjo3'ed  the  confidence  and  love  of  the  pupils." 
Another  who  attended  school  in  boyhood  with 
him  lias  left  this  record:  ''  He  was  an  apt  scholar, 
learned  fast,  stood  about  the  head  of  his  class,  was 
a  favorite  with  the  scholars,  engaged  in  all  their 
games  at  play-time,  was  very  active,  fleet  of  foot, 
peaceable,  kind  to  all.  Sometimes  for  six  months 
at  a  time  he  was  not  in  school,  and  could  not  have 
been  over  fourteen  years  old  when  his  school  days 
ended  and  he  went  to  work  as  a  regular  hand 
with  his  father  on  the  farm.  Then  it  took  six 
days  o(  work  to  fill  up  the  week.  Raising  horses 
was  quite  a  business  with  John's  father,  and  on 
Sunday  he  always  had  a  good  horse  that  he  was 
breaking  by  riding  to  church.  He  had  great  pleas- 
ure in  hearing  gifted  speakers  both  in  the  pulpit 
and  on  the  slump,  and  had  frequent  opportunity  of 
hearing  such  men  as  Henry  Clay,  John  J.  Critten- 
den,  Tom  Cor  win,  Tom  Ewing,  Robert  Wickliffe 
and  Robert  J.  Breckenridge.  He  was  always  fond 
of  company,  and  enjoyed  himself  with  old  people 
as  much  as  with  those  of  his  own  age.  lie  never 
took  much  interest  in  his  dog  or  gun  or  fishing-rod, 
but  was  always  in  the  highest  degree  interested  in 
either  political  or  religious  discussions  and  would 
go  whenever  practicable  to  hear  speakers  of  note." 
The  boy  was  father  to  the  man. 

The  visit  of  Gen.  LaFayette  to  Lexington 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  him.  That  was  in 
May,  1825,  when  John  was  in  his  seventeenth  year. 
His  own  uncle,  Charles,  had  been  a  soldier  in  the 
AVar  of  the  Revolution  and  was  present.  It  was 
probably  the  grandest  gathering  ever  seen  in  Lex- 
ington. An  immense  concourse  of  people  from 
all  parts  of  Kentucky  and  from  several  other 
States,  companies  of  infantry,  artillery  and  cavalry, 
Revolutionary  soldiers,  distinguished  strangers, 
members  of  all  professions,  went  out  to  meet  him. 
The  announcement  that  the  Marquis  and  suite 
were  in  sight  was  the  signal  for  round  after  round 
of  deafening  cheers,  volleys  of  musketry  and 
thunders  of  artillery.  All  this  so  thrilled  the 
youthful  John  with  military  ambition  that  for  a 
time  his  dreams  were  all  of  Military  glory.  But 


he  was  destined  for   more  peaceful,   although  not 
less  honorable,  pursuits. 

The  terrible  ravages  of  cholera  in  1833  will  ever 
keep  that  fatal  year  memorable  in  the  annals  of 
Lexington.  It  made  its  appearance  the  first  of 
June,  and  in  less  than  ten  days  fifteen  hundred 
persons  were  prostrated  and  dying  at  the  rate  of 
fifty  a  day.  An  indescribable  panic  seized  the  citi- 
zens, half  of  whom  fled  from  the  city,  and  those 
who  remained  were  almost  paralyzed  with  fear. 
It  was  an  awful  scourge,  but  not  without  its  ben- 
eficial effects.  Saddened  and  chastened,  the  city 
turned  to  religion  for  consolation,  and  in  1834 
there  was  a  great  and  wide-spread  revival.  It  was 
shortly  before  this  that  the  Cane  Run  Baptist 
Church  had  been  constituted  by  persons  from  the 
Townfork,  North  Elkhorn,  Great  Crossings,  and 
possibly  other  Baptist  Churches  in  the  surrounding 
neighborhoods.  Meetings  were  held  statedly  at  a 
stand  in  the  woods  or  at  the  home  of  some  of  the 
members.  Prayer-meetings  were  held  from  house 
to  house  on  Sunday  evenings.  These  services 
were  all  attended  with  marked  regularity  by  John 
Tyler.  A  meeting-house  was  built,  and  upon  its 
completion  the  Rev.  Jeremiah  D.  Black  held  a 
series  of  meetings  which  resulted  in  a  large  ingath- 
ering into  the  church.  Among  the  number  was 
John  Tyler.  That  was  in  the  summer  of  1834.' 
He  began  at  once  to  speak  iu  the  neighborhood 
meetings  and  soon  entered  upon  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  in  which  he  continued  for  fifty-four 
years. 

June  18,  1831,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Elvira  Oxley,  a  union  broken  seven  years  later  by 
the  hand  of  death.  There  were  born  of  this  union 
two  sons  and  a  daughter:  Theodore  M.,  Nancy  J. 
and  John  W.,  Jr.  Theodore  died  July  14,1868. 
On  February  28,  1839,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Sarah  Roney,  a  union  which  continued  through 
almost  fifty  years,  and  there  were  born  of  this 
union  seven  sons  and  four  daughters:  Benjamin 
Bushrod,  April  9,  1840;  Susan  Frances,  March  15, 
1842;  James  Alexander,  September  14,  1843; 
Barton  Stone,  August  19,  1845;  Charles  Willis, 
in  November,  1846;  Joseph  /achaiy,  October  10, 
1848;  Henry  Clay,  August  16,  1850;  Mary  Edna, 
August  18,  1852;  Bettie  Ann,  October  W,  1854; 


530 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Charles  Henry,  August  19,  1856;  and  Sarah  Alice, 
April  27,  1859.  Two  died  in  early  childhood: 
Charles  Willis  in  January,  1851;  and  Henry  Clay, 
August  19,  1851.  James  A.  died  February  26, 
1876. 

Sarah  Roney,  the  wife  of  John  W.  Tyler,  was 
born  in  Shelby  County  (now  a  part  of  Oklham 
Count}'),  Ky.,  November  16,  1816.  She  was  the 
fourth  daughter  of  James  Roney  and  his  wife, 
Mary  Aiken,  both  natives  of  Virginia.  James 
Roney  was  the  eldest  son  of  his  widowed  mother, 
and  the  care  of  the  family  rested  upon  him. 
When  quite  a  young  man  he  came  to  Kentucky, 
secured  land  in  Shelby  County,  cleared  a  small 
patch  of  ground,  built  a  cabin,  and,  returning  to 
Virgina,  brought  his  mother  and  family  to  the  new 
home.  He  and  his  brother  Joseph  became  men  of 
position  and  influence  in  the  new  settlement  and 
were  prosperous.  He  wns  married  to  Mary  Aiken 
February  19,  1806,  and  to  them  were  born  six  sons 
and  eight  daughters:  John,  December  25,  "1-806; 
Joseph,  March  3, 1808;  James,  October  30,  1809; 
Matilda,  July  1 1, 181 1 ;  Malinda,  January  12, 1813; 
Maria,  December  15.  1814;  Sarah,  November  16, 
1816;  Joshua,  November  11,  1818;  Robert,  Septem- 
ber 5,  1820;  Polly,  August  5, 1822;  Nancy,  June  11, 
1824;  Louisa,  November  6,  1826;  Samuel,  August 
1,  1829;  and  Kmaline,  September  3,  1830.  These 
were  all  born  in  Kentucky. 

The  family  removed  to  Shelby  County,  111., 
in  1831,  but  the  county  was  subsequently  divided, 
thus  placing  their  home  in  Moultrie  County.  At 
the  time  of  their  leaving  Kentucky,  Sarah  was  in 
the  fifteenth  year  of  her  age.  In  her  childhood 
she  had  been  lamed,  and  for  some  time  went  upon 
crutches.  Of  bright  mind  and  happy  disposition, 
her  affliction  naturally  made  her  the  pet  of  the 
family.  She  grew  to  young  womanhood  under 
the  conditions  and  limitations  of  those  primitive 
times,  and  her  opportunities  to  attend  school  were 
very  meagre,  but  her  natural  thirst  for  knowledge 
led  her  to  drink  of  the  fountains  that  spring  by 
the  wayside,  until  she  became  a  woman  of  informa- 
tion, and  possessed  a  wisdom  which  schools  cannot 
confer.  Her  early  religious  training  was  among 
the  Presbyterians.  Her  religion  was  not  of  the 
demonstrative  kind.  Her  devotions  flourished 


most  in  the  sacred  privacy  of  the  closet.  She  was 
characterized  by  an  enlightened  faith,  a  rational 
reverence,  strong  convictions,  genuine  benevo- 
lence, charitable  judgment,  uncompromising  con- 
scientiousness, and  an  unswerving  devotion  to 
duty  in  every  relation  in  life.  Her  love  of  the 
beautiful  did  much  to  make  her  own  life  Jbeautiful 
from  its  early  dawn  to  its  cloudless  close.  She 
was  admirably  fitted  to  be  the  wife  of  a  pioneer 
and  preacher. 

Upon  his  removal  from  Kentucky  in  the  fall 
of  1834,  John  W.  Tyler  located  for  a  short  time 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  Montgomery  County, 
Ind.,  and  gave  himself  zealously  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry.  lie  soon  organized  a  church  in  that 
neighborhood  with  the  very  suggestive  title  of 
the  "Union  -Baptist  Church  of  Christ."  A  letter 
granted  him  by  that  church  in  August,  1835,  cer- 
tifies to  his  being  "a  member  and  a  regularly  or- 
dained minister  of  the  Gospel  with  us,  in  good 
standing  and  full  fellowship,  and  since  he  joined 
us  he  has  been  constant,  exercising  a  gift  of  ex- 
hortation, and  preaching  with  entire  satisfaction 
to  the  church."  Leaving  Indiana,  he  spent  a  few 
months  in  Morgan  County,  111.,  to  which  a  large 
number  of  persons  from  his  section  of  Kentucky 
had  gone  a  year  or  two  before,  prominent  among 
whom  was  that  great  revivalist  and  reformer, 
Barton  W.  Stone.  The  next  year  finds  him  in 
Macon  County,  and  this  continued  to  be  his  home 
until  his  tragic  deach,  June  16,  1888.  He  was 
farmer,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  schoolmaster  and 
minister.  His  ministry  was  chiefly  in  the  coun- 
ties of  Macon,  Moultrie,  Shelby,  Piatt,  Sangamon 
and  Christian.  Most  of  the  Christian  churches  in 
these  counties  were  either  planted  by  his  per- 
sonal ministry  or  watered  in  their  early  years  by 
his  personal  care  and  instruction.  With  apostolic 
zeal  he  labored  with  his  own  hands  that  he  might 
support  himself  while  laying  the  foundations 
upon  which  others  were  to  build,  and  in  his  de- 
clining days  he  found  his  dearest  joy  in  the  in- 
creasing prosperity  of  those  who  continued  the 
work  he  had  so  well  begun. 

On  Friday  afternoon,  June  15,  1888,  in  the  pub- 
lic highway,  on  the  old  homestead  and  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  of  *Antioch  Church,  he  was  fa- 


tv.  ~~\£>~r- v-~CsrG>r- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


535 


tally  hurt  by  a  kick  from  the  horse  he  was  driving. 
He  lingered  unconscious  until  three  o'clock  the 
next  morning,  and  then  breathed  his  last.  His 
faithful  and  beloved  wife  survived  him  four 
years,  peacefully  closing  her  earthly  career  Tues- 
day morning  July  26,  1892.  A  few  extracts  from 
the  local  press  of  the  day  will  best  indicate  the 
esteem  in  which  they  were  held  by  the  commu- 
nity in  which  they  had  lived  Tor  half  a  century. 
In  speaking  of  Father  Tyler,  the  Herald  said:  "He 
was  frequently  called  to  serve  the  people  in  of- 
ficial positions,  and  he  discharged  his  duties  with 
a  fidelity  which  won  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  all.  Few  men  ever  live  to  so  great  an  age,  and 
of  few,  indeed,  can  it  be  said  that  they  leave  a 
record  so  clear  and  so  full  of  good  works.  He  had 
unselfishly  devoted  much  of  his  life  to  the  Chris- 
tian ministry,  oftentimes  receiving  no  remunera- 
tion for  his  work.  He  was  a  preacher,  but  in  his 
own  life  his  faith  was  manifested  by  good  deeds." 
The  Republican  said:  "lie  was  one  of  the  best- 
known  residents  of  the  county  and  was  greatly 
admired  for  his  genial  disposition  and  hospitable 
and  sympathetic  nature.  He  loved  the  truth,  he 
loved  his  church  and  his  family,  and  all  his  long 
life  he  has  ever  been  found  a  true  friend  and  a 
man  of  the  strictest  integrity.  The  whole  com- 
munity mourns  his  death."  The  Bulletin  said: 
He  was  a  social  favorite  in  his  neighborhood  and 
was  often  honored  with  marks  of  personal  confi- 
dence by  repeated  election  to  local  otlice.  lie  was 
not  a  politician,  but  lie  was  interested  in  all  ques- 
tions that  involved  the  protection  of  public  morals. 
The  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  and  temperance  re- 
form were  to  him  matters  of  political  as  well  as 
moral  faith,  and  were  maintained  always  without 
regard  to  the  effect  upon  his  partisan  friends." 
In  speaking  of  Mrs.  Tyler  at  the  time  of  her 
doalh,  the  Revieiv  said:  ''The  death  of  Mrs.  Tyler 
marks  the  close  of  a  rarely  useful  life.  Grandly 
and  cheerfully  did  she  perform  the  work  that  fell 
along  her  pathway.  No  one  was  ever  known  to 
speak  ill  of  her,  and  no  woman  had  as  many 
friends  in  the  city.  The  same  thoughtful  regard 
for  others  that  has  marked  her  whole  life  char- 
acterized her  last  days.  She  was  one  woman  among 
a  thousand."  The  Bulletin  said:  "To  know  this 

25 


dear  woman  was  to  love  and  adore  one  of  the 
purest  and  sweetest  of  Christian  characters.  Her 
calm  quietude  mingled  ever  in  social  and  business 
relations,  her  pleasing  and  gracious  nature  won 
every  heart,  and  her  loving  tenderness  in  minis- 
tering to  others  lifted  them  to  a  higher  plane. 
Such  grace  is  not  the  product  of  a  day,  but  is 
the  natural  fruition  of  patient  living  through  the 
mingled  joys  and  sorrows  of  life."  The  Herald- 
Dispatch  said:  "The  life  of  this  truly  good  woman 
is  like  an  open  page  upon  which  there  appears  no 
blot.  From  the  beginning  to  the  end  it  is  a  rec- 
ord of  Christian  virtue  and  Christian  faith,  ivhich 
have  never  wavered  during  a  long  and  useful 
life.  It  was  a  life  that  made  the  world  better  for 
having  been,  and  will  leave  a  mark  in  years  to 
come." 

The  mortal  remains  of  these  long  and  honored 
residents  of  this  county  rest  in  the  beautiful 
Greenwood  Cemetery  adjoining  the  city  of  Deca- 
tur,  and  the  spot  is  fitly  marked  by  a  solid  block 
of  granite  with  a  simple  epitaph. 


OHN  II.  CROCKER  was  for  many  years  a 
well-known  and  prominent  citizen  of  Ma- 
con  County,  lie  was  born  in  Deiry,  N.  H., 
on  the  9th  of  Julj-,  1829,  and  in  his  youth 
received  excellent  educational  privileges.  Later 
he  pursued  a  course  of  study  in  the  Illinois  Col- 
lege, of  Jacksonville,  111.,  and  for  several  years  af- 
ter leaving  school  engaged  in  civil  engineering, 
having  fitted  himself  for  that  profession  by  special 
study.  During  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  War  he 
was  a  member  of  Gen.  Grant's  staff  of  engineers, 
and  was  cotton  inspector  on  the  staff  of  Gen. 
Bray  man. 

Mr.  Crocker  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Louise  Philbrook,  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Lick- 
ing County.  Her  father,  Seth  Philbrook,  was  born 
in  Maine,  and  in  Ohio  married  Miss  Margaret 
Ward,  a  native  of  Virginia.  In  1853  he  came  to 
Illinois,  settling  near  Vandalia,  where  lie  spent  his 
remaining  days,  dying  at  the  age  of  sixty-six 


536 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


years.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crocker  was  born  a 
family  of  eight  children:  George  L.,  a  veterinary 
surgeon  of  Springfield;  John,  who  is  represented 
in  this  volume;  Margaret  P.,  wife  of  Dr.  W.  T. 
McLean;  Anna  Louise  and  Elsie  May,  at  home; 
and  three  who  died  in  infancy,  Mary  Neal,  Paul 
Bernard  and  Seth. 

After  the  war  was  over,  Mr.  Crocker  came  to 
Maroa,  in  1865,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  and 
coal  business  until  1870,  when  he  became  a  part- 
ner with  his  father  in  the  banking  business,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Crocker  &  Co.  Operations  were 
carried  on  under  that  style  until  1888,  when  the 
bank  of  C.  F.  Emery  was  consolidated  with  Mr. 
Crocker's  institution,  under  the  name  of  Crocker, 
Emery  &  Co.  Business  was  carried  on  under  that 
name  for  two  years,  and  since  then  has  been  con- 
ducted under  the  name  of  Crocker  &  Co.'s  Bank. 
Our  subject  became  a  very  prominent  and  influen- 
tial citizen  of  Maroa,  where  he  lived  from  1865 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  February  10,  1890, 
when  in  his  sixty-first  year.  At  the  age  of  thir- 
teen he  became  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  for  sometime  served  his  congrega- 
tion as  Trustee.  He  belonged  to  Maroa  Lodge 
No.  454,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.;  Maroa  Chapter  No.  52, 
R.  A.  M.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9,K. 
T.,  of  Decatur.  He  was  Master  of  the  Blue  Lodge 
for  several  years,  and  served  for  three  years  as 
High  Priest  in  the  Chapter.  He  was  also  a  promi- 
nent Odd  Fellow  and  belonged  to  the  Royal  Tem- 
plars of  Temperance,  serving  as  Supreme  Coun- 
selor two  terms.  In  politics,  he  was  an  inflexible 
adherent  of  the  Republican  party,  and  served  one 
term  in  the  winter  of  1882-83  in  the  Illinois 
Legislature.  He  held  a  number  of  local  offices, 
and  when  Maroa  was  made  a  city  was  elected 
its  first  Mayor,  serving  as  such  at  the  time  of  his 
death. 

Mr.  Crocker  was  always  found  in  the  front 
ranks  of  every  good  work,  and  was  a  public-spiri- 
ted citizen,  whose  aid  was  never  withheld  from 
an3r  worthy  enterprise.  In  1873  he  bought  the 
Illinois  Central  Elevator  in  company  with  D.  G. 
.  Kent,  who  after  a  year  retired  when,  in  connection 
with  his  father,  Mr.  Crocker  carried  on  business  un- 
til the  latter's  death,  in  1879.  Mr.  Crocker  then 


formed  a  partnership  with  his  two  sons,  George 
and  John,  and  they  continued  alone  until  the  con- 
solidation of  the  banks  in  1888,  the  firm  being 
then  composed  of  John  H.  Crocker,  John  Crocker, 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Emery  and  George  Conover.  The  es- 
tate is  now  interested  in  the  banking  business,  to- 
gether with  John  Crocker  and  George  Conover, 
under  the  name  of  Crocker  &  Co.  In  the  death 
of  our  subject  the  community  lost  one  of  its  most 
valued  citizens,  a  man  who  had  done  much  for  the 
growth  and  upbuilding  of  Maroa,  and  whose  name 
is  inseparably  connected  witli  its  progress,  and  has 
become  a  synonym  for  integrity.  Mrs.  Crocker, 
who  survives  her  husband,  belongs  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  is  one  of  its  faithful  members. 


LARENCE  II.  DAWSON,  who  is  proprie- 
tor  of  one  of  Macon  County's  finest  drug 
stores,  was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ind., 
on  the  8th  of  June,  1861,  and  is  the  eldest  of  a 
family  of  five  children.  The  parents,  James  E. 
and  Mary  J.  (Borders)  Dawson,  were  both  natives 
of  Ohio.  They  removed  to  Indiana,  and  after 
some  years'  residence  in  Warren  County  removed 
to  Iroquois  County,  111.  Their  two  sons  and  three 
daughters  are  Clarence  H.,  Alva  M.,  Nora  B.,  Flor- 
ence M.  and  Cora  E. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  lad  of  nine 
summers  when  his  parents  came  to  this  State,  and 
from  that  time  until  1893  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  Iroquois  County.  His  education  was  acquired 
in  the  public  schools.  After  attaining  to  years  of 
maturity  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Frances  Wilson,  daughter  of  John  B.  and  Eliza 
(Hickman)  Wilson,  residents  of  Iroquois  County. 
Their  union  was  celebrated  on  the  14th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1883.  They  have  a  daughter,  Helen  Wilson 
Dawson,  born  April  6,  1893.  In  his  political  allil- 
iations,  Mr.  Dawson  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never 
been  an  ollice-seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  time 
and  attention  to  his  business  and  other  interests, 
rather  than  to  enter  the  political  arena.  He  holds 


,     PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


537 


membership  with  Milford  Lodge  No.  168,  A.  F.  & 
A.M.;  Watseka  Chapter  No.  114,  R.  A.M.;  and 
Beaunianoir  Commandery,  K.  T.,  of  Decatur. 

After  a  residence  of  some  five  years  in  Welling- 
ton, 111.,  Mr.  Dawson  went  to  Milford,  111.,  and  in 
March,  1881,  embarked  in  the  drug  business, 
carrying  a  full  stock  of  drugs,  medicines,  books, 
stationery,  paints,  oils,  etc.  In  1893  he  came  to 
Decatur,  where  he  purchased  a  similar  store,  suc- 
ceeding Swearingen  <fe  Tyler,  druggists,  and  John 
B.  Robinson,  dealer  in  books  and  stationery.  It  is 
said  that  he  has  one  of  the  finest,  most  beautiful 
and  best-equipped  stores  in  the  city.  His  patron- 
age is  well  deserved  and  is  constantly  increasing. 
Those  who  have  known  Mr.  Dawson  from  boy- 
hood, and  have  witnessed  the  honorable  and  up- 
right life  which  he  has  always  led,  hold  him  in 
high  regard  and  are  numbered  among  his  stanchest 
friends.  He  also  ranks  high  in  business  circles 
and  is  classed  among  the  prominent  and  progress- 
ive citizens  of  the  community.  He  is  public 
spirited  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  that 
pertains  to  the  welfare  of  the  town  and  county, 
and  is  ever  ready  to  aid  in  the  promotion  of  those 
enterprises  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 


ALEXANDER  C.  TRAUGHBER,  a  well- 
known  farmer,  was  born  April  3,  1834,  on 
section  9,  Mt.  Zion  Township,  on  the  farm 
on  which  he  still  makes  his  home.  His 
father,  Henry  Traughber,  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, born  January  9,  1803.  He  came  to  Illinois 
in  1827,  and  located  the  following  yearon  the  land 
where  A.  C.  now  lives.  He  was  one  of  Macon 
County's  earliest  pioneers,  and  here  he  made  his 
home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  October  5, 
1892.  His  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  Mt.  Zion 
Cemetery.  In  1829  he  was  united  in  marriage 
in  Macon  County  with  Miss  Nancy  Smith,  who 
was  born  in  Tennessee,  and  came  with  her  father, 
Robert  Smith,  to  Illinois  at  a  very  early  day.  She 
was  called  to  the  home  beyond  in  August,  1863, 


and  was  also  laid  to  rest  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery. 
Theirs  was  the  second  marriage  of  white  people 
celebrated  in  Macon  County,  and  they  were  num- 
bered and  honored  among  its  highly-respected  pio- 
neers. Mr.  Traughber  was  a  brick-mason,  and 
worked  at  his  trade  a  portion  of  the  time  for  many 
years.  He  helped  to  build  the  first  court  house 
in  Shelby  County,  and  many  other  buildings  have 
stood  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise. 

Alexander  Traughber  is  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  eight  children,  of  whom  Robert, 
the  eldest,  a  soldier  of  the  late  war,  died  and  was 
buried  during  the  siege  of  Vicksburg;  Daniel, 
also  deceased,  died  in  infancy;  A.  C.  is  the  next 
younger;  John  R.  died  in  early  childhood;  Eliza- 
beth M.  E.  (Mrs.  James  Hunt,  of  Decatur,)  is  also 
deceased;  Mary  Jane  is  the  wife  of  Porter  Denning; 
Rebecca,  a  young  lady  of  seventeen,  died,  and  like 
the  other  members  of  the  family  was  laid  to  rest 
in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery,  with  the  exception  of  Caro- 
line, who  was  buried  in  Humboldt,  Kan. 

Mr.  Traughber  whose  .name  heads  this  record 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  working  in  the  fields 
during  the  summer  months  and  attending  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  the  neighborhood  during  the  win- 
ter season.  It  was  thus  his  education  was  acquired. 
To  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of  his  services 
until  twenty -one  years  of  age,  and  then  started 
out  in  life  for  himself.  The  following  year,  De- 
cember 11,  1856,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Virginia  C.  Whitehouse,  who  was  born  in 
Indiana,  and  has  now  been  a  faithful  companion 
and  helpmate  to  her  husband  for  thirty-seven 
years.  Four  children  have  graced  the  union  of 
this  worthy  couple,  the  eldest  of  whom,  George, 
married  Miss  Dora  Black,  and  resides  in  Macon 
Township.  Judson,  William  B.  and  Flaudie  May 
are  all  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Traughber  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics 
and  warmly  advocates  the  principles  of  the  party 
of  reform.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian  Church.  Our  subject  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  east- 
ern Illinois,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  eight  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  arable  and  valuable  land.  There 
are  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  the  home 


538 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


farm,  and  five  hundred  and  sixty  in  a  farm  in  Ma- 
con  Township.  It  is  all  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation and  yields  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  re- 
turn for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  it. 
The  well-tilled  fields,  good  barns  and  neat  appear- 
ance of  the  place  indicate  the  thrift  and  enterprise 
of  the  owner.  His  home  is  a  beautiful  and  at- 
tractive residence,  and  a  free-hearted  and  open- 
handed  hospitality  is  there  dispensed  to  the  many 
friends  and  acquaintances  of  the  family. 


lOBERT  MORRIS,  who  is  the  owner  of  a 
valuable  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  situated  on  section  24,  Austin 
Township,  claims  New  Jersey  as  the  State 
of  Ins  nativity,  his  birth  have  occurred  at  Seaville 
Cape,  August  1,  1838.  He  spent  the  first  fourteen 
years  of  his  life  in  that  locality  and  then  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  in  1852.  His  father, 
William  Morris,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in  1806, 
and  the  mother,  who  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss 
Eliza  Hughes,  was  bom  in  the  same  State  in  1809_ 
Their  family  numbered  six  children:  Robert,  of 
this  sketch;  Albert,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years;  Pauline;  Lydia;  Albert,  the  second  of  that 
name,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  and  was 
buried  in  Farmingdale  Cemetery,  near  Springfield, 
111.;  and  William  R.,  who  married  Miss  Julia  Ernst, 
and  lives  on  the  old  homestead. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  left  New  Jersey  in  1852, 
and.  emigrating  Westward,  located  in  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  where  the  father  spent  his  remaining 
days.  His  death  occurred  in  March,  1892,  and  he 
was  laid  to  rest  in  Farmingdale  Cemetery.  His 
widow  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  in  San- 
gamon County  with  her  daughters. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  which  were 
quietly  passed  under  the  parental  roof  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  lads.  Having  arrived  at  ma- 
ture years,  he  chose  as  a  companion  and  helpmate 
on  life's  journey  Miss  Mary  E.  Lyman.  Their 


union  was  celebrated  November  15,  18C7,  and 
they  came  at  once  to  Macon  County,  locating  on 
the  farm  where  they  now  reside,  on  section  24, 
Austin  Township.  Four  children  came  to  bless 
their  home,  and  Etta  Caroline  (who  is  a  graduate 
of  Wilson's  College  of  Art  at  Hloomington,  a  de- 
partment of  Wesleyan  University),  Robert  Lyman 
and  Frank  Hayes  arc  still  with  their  parents. 
AVilliam  Ezra,  the  second  child,  died  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  March  28,  1890,  after  an  illness 
of  over  two  years,  and  his  remains  were  interred 
in  Ridge  Cemetery.  He  had  been  filled  with  am- 
bitious ideas  and  had  entered  the  Decatur  High 
School,  but  an  attack  of  inflammatory  rheumatism 
compelled  his  withdrawal,  and  his  health  continued 
delicate  for  several  months,  but  he  resumed  his 
studies  with  a  view  to  entering  the  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity at  Bloom ington,  and  was  making  rapid 
progress  when  la  grippe  attacked  a  constitution 
already  enfeebled,  and  after  only  one  week's  severe 
illness  he  succumbed  to  this  dead  disease.  His 
death  left  a  vacancy  in  the  family  and  among  a 
wide  circle  of  intimate  friends  that  time  cannot 
heal.  He  is  especially  missed  in  the  church  of 
which  was  a  bright  and  lovely  member.  He  took 
a  great  interest  in  all  that  pertained  to  the  church, 
and  for  one  so  .young  no  one  gave  a  better  ex- 
ample of  a  noble  Christian  character. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  are  consistent  members  of 
the  Pleasant  View  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  the  former  was  one  of  the  founders  and  has 
been  a  Steward  and  Class-leader  constantly  since 
its  organization,  always  taking  an  active  part  in  its 
upbuilding  and  aiding  in  all  of  its  benevolences. 
He  is  identified  with  the  Prohibition  part}-,  which 
embodies  his  views  on  the  temperance  question. 
Mr.  Morris  has  never  sought  or  desired  the  honors 
or  emoluments  of  public  office,  but  has  served 
his  township  in  several  official  positions,  filling 
the  office  of  Supervisor  for  three  years.  He  is  a 
progressive  and  public-spirited  man,  and  the  best 
interests  of  the  community  find  in  him  a  friend. 

Our  subject  devotes  his  energies  to  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  in  his  business  career  has  met 
with  a  marked  degree  of  success,  being  now  the 
owner  of  a  valuable  and  desirable  farm  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres.  TUe  land  is  gently 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


539 


rolling  and  is  well  watered,  every  forty-acre  lot 
having  running  wator  on  it.  For  this  valuable 
place  our  subject  hns  been  offered  $85  per  acre, 
which  sum  is  not  considered  a  high  price  when  the 
splendid  improvements  upon  the  place,  its  com- 
fortable home,  good  outbuildings  and  highly  cul- 
tivated fields  are  taken  into  consideration.  Mr. 
Morris  may  feel  justly  proud  of  success  in  life, 
which  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts  and  the 
assistance  of  his  estimable  wife.  Together  they  have 
secured  a  home  in  which  to  spend  their  declining 
days,  and  in  which  they  are  now  surrounded  by 
all  the  comforts  that  go  to  make  life  worth  the 
living. 


J]  OHN  H.  EBKRT,  who  is   now    living  a  re- 
j    tired  life  at  No.  842  West  Marietta  Street, 
Decatur,  is  a  native  of   Maryland,  having 
been  born  in  Middletown  Valley  on  the  23d 

of  October,  1835.  He  spent  the  first  seven  years 
of  his  life  in  the  State  of  his  nativity,  and  in 
1842  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to 
Ohio.  The  father,  Frederick  Ebert,  was  a  native 
of  Virginia,  and  was  a  carpenter  by  trade.  The 
family  located  in  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  and 
under  the  parental  roof  our  subject  was  reared  to 
manhood.  In  1852,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years, 
lie  began  learning  the  tinner's  trade,  serving  a 
three-years  apprenticeship  in  Columbus,  Ohio. 
He  received  as  compensation  for  hie  services  for 
the  first  year  $30  besides  his  board,  the  second 
year  he  was  given  $40, and  the  third  year  $50.  He 
remained  with  that  firm  for  six  years  in  all,  and 
after  his  term  of  apprenticeship  had  expired  he 
was  paid  from  $1.50  to  $2  per  day.  He  later  went 
to  Shelbyville,  Ky.,  where  he  worked  for  six 
months,  or  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war. 
An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Ebert  oc- 
curred on  the  6th  of  April,  1865,  when  was  cele- 
brated his  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  J.  Fleming, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years  came  to  Decatur,  where  she  has  since 
made  her  home.  Four  children  were  born  of 


their  union,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom 
three  are  yet  living,  viz.:  Laura  Belle,  Elizabeth, 
and  Joseph,  a  sign  writer  of  Chicago.  J.  Fred- 
erick died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months. 

During  the  period  of  the  war  Mr.  Ebert  made 
his  home  in  Chicago  and  Minnesota,  and  in  1865 
lie  came  to  Decatnr.  For  nine  years  after  his  ar- 
rival lie  worked  as  a  journeyman  for  Frank  Tay- 
lor, and  later  served  in  the  same  capacity  for  R. 
C.  Crocker.  In  1874  he  began  business  for  him- 
self. Purchasing  a  stock  of  hardware,  he  opened 
a  store,  which  he  carried  on  successfully  for  thir- 
teen years,  or  until  1887,  when  he  retired.  The 
firm  was  Ebert  &  Bros.,  the  other  partners  being 
Jacob  and  Frank  Ebert  until  1884,  when  the  part- 
nership of  Ebert  &  Stewart  was  formed.  In  addi- 
tion to  dealing  in  hardware,  they  did  an  immense 
trade  in  job  work,  and  their  large  business  yielded 
them  an  extensive  income. 

Mr.  Ebert  has  made  judicious  investments  in 
real  estate.  He  erected,  and  still  owns,  a  good 
business  block  at  the  corner  of  Water  and  East 
Green  Streets,  and  also  owns  a  five-acre  tract  of 
land,  which  has  greatly  increased  in  value,  owing 
to  the  rapid  upbuilding  of  the  city  beyond  him. 
In  1887  he  erected  a  pleasant  and  comfortable 
home  thereon,  where  he  is  now  living  retired, 
resting  in  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  In  politics 
Mr.  Ebert  is  a  Republican  on  questions  of  national 
importance,  but  at  local  elections  he  votes  for  the 
candidate  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  the 
position,  regardless  of  party  affiliations. 


^ETER  W.  WIKOFF,  a  highly-respected  citi- 
zen and  retired  farmer  of  Maroa,  was  born 
p-  on  the  24th  of  May,  1825,  in  Butler  County, 
Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Ann  (Hen- 
derson) Wikoff.  The  father  was  born  in  Monrnouth 
County,  N.  J.,  and  was  ti  son  of  Samuel  Wikoff,  who 
in  early  life  was  a  tanner  and  shoemaker.  He  was 
also  an  agriculturist,  and  reared  his  children  upon 
a  farm.  His  death  occurred  at  the  age  of  eighty 


540 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


years,  in  his  native  State,  New  Jersey.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  Samuel  Henderson,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Ireland,  who,  having  crossed  the  broad  At- 
lantic, spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  New  Jer- 
sey, where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
his  native  land  he  had  followed  school  teaching. 
Samuel  Wikoff  removed  to  Ohio  in  1820,  and  there 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days,  being  called  to 
the  home  beyond  in  1846,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
nine.  His  wife  died  in  the  month  of  January  of 
the  same  year,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  she  be- 
longed to  the  Baptist  Church.  Of  them  mention 
is  made  elsewhere  in  this  volume  in  connection 
with  the  sketch  of  Lemuel  Wikoff. 

In  the  State  of  his  nativity  Peter  W.  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and  the  public 
schools  afforded  him  a  good  English  education. 
He  remained  in  Ohio  until  1855,  when  he  emi- 
grated Westward  to  Illinois,  and  spent  the  suc- 
ceeding five  years  of  his  life  in  Marshall  County. 
He  then  went  to  Atlanta,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  until  1862,  which  year  witnessed  his  re- 
moval to  De  Witt  County.  In  1863  he  came  to 
Macon  Count}7  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land 
five  miles  southwest  of  Maroa,  which  he  improved 
and  cultivated,  making  his  home  thereon  until 
October,  1884,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  a  re- 
tired life.  As  his  financial  resources  increased  he 
extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm,  until  it  now 
comprises  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  valua- 
ble land,  that  yields  to  him  a  good  income,  being 
now  rented. 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1848,  Mr.  Wikoff  was 
united  in  marriage  witli  Miss  Phoebe  Ann  Condon, 
daughter  of  George  and  Sarah  Condon.  One  child 
was  born  of  their  union,  a  daughter,  Laura  Belle, 
but  she  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  months.  The 
mother  died  in  1850.  On  the  19th  of  February, 
1854,  Mr.  Wikoff  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Charlotte  M.  Crowell,  daugh- 
ter of  Moses  and  Salina  (Stover)  Crowell,  the 
former  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  the  latter  of 
Ohio.  Three  children  were  born  of  this  union,  a 
son  and  two  daughters,  Clara,  Ed  ward  C.  and  Kate, 
but  all  are  now  deceased,  aged  six  years  and  nine 
months,  three  years  and  eight  months,  and  three 


years  and  six  months,  respectively.  Losing  all  of 
their  own  children,  our  subject  and  his  wife  took  a 
young  boy,  Henry  W.  Waggoner,  to  bring  up,  and 
kept  him  for  eleven  years,  or  until  he  was  twent}-- 
one.  He  is  now  farming  in  Maroa  Township. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wikoff  are  faithful  and  consistent 
members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  have  been 
for  upward  of  forty  years,  and  they  have  done 
much  to  promote  its  growth  and  upbuilding.  Mr. 
Wikoff  has  served  as  one  of  its  Elders  since  1866. 
In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  having  been 
identified  with  that  part}'  since  the  dissolution  of 
the  Whig  party,  with  which  he  formerly  voted. 
He  is  a  man  of  generous  and  kindly  impulses,  true 
to  his  professions,  and  his  life  has  been  an  honor- 
able and  upright  one,  well  worthy  of  emulation. 
During  his  long  residence  in  this  county  he  has 
made  many  friends  and  gained  the  high  regard  of 
all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


CkxEAL  J.  BLACK,  who  is  successfully  engaged 
f)  in  farming  on  section  5,  Mt.  Zion  Town- 
s>  ship,  is  a  self-made  man,  and  one  of  the 
honored  veterans  of  the  late  war,  who  valiantly 
wore  the  blue  in  the  struggle  and  aided  in  the 
preservation  of  the  Union.  We  feel  assured  that 
his  life  record  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of 
our  readers,  for  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  this,  his  native  county.  He  was  born 
on  the  7th  of  September,  1836,  in  Long  Creek 
Township,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Eleanor 
(Flora)  Black,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. The  father  was  born  May  13,  1802,  and  their 
marriage  was  celebrated  in  Long  Creek  Township, 
in  1835.  The  father  first  came  to  Illinois  in  1814, 
with  his  parents,  Abraham  and  Barbara  Ann  Black. 
They  located  in  Sangamon  County,  where  our  sub- 
ject remained  until  1825,  when  he  removed  to 
Macon  County,  where  both  his  parents  died.  Mr. 
Black  was  three  times  married.  He  first  wedded 
Miss  Eleanor  Wallace,  who  was  born  in  1804,  and 
died  April  18,  1835.  Seven  children  were  born  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


541 


that  union:  John,  who  died  of  measles  in  Mexico 
during-  the  war;  Joseph,  who  died  in  Moultrie 
County;  Williamson,  who  was  killed  in  February, 
1862,  in  the  service  of  his  country  at  the  battle  of 
Ft.  Donelson;  Martha,  wife  of  John  Williams,  a 
resident  of  Decatur;  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Andrew 
J.  Thomasson,  a  resident  of  Moultrie  County; 
Amanda,  who  married  Robert  McClellan,  and  is 
living  in  the  West;  and  Deamaris,  wife  of  John 
Gray.  Mr.  Black's  second  wife  was  Miss  Eleanor 
Flora,  of  Macon  County,  who  died  when  her  son 
Ne:il  was  five  years  old.  They  had  three  children: 
Neal  J.;  James  H.,  who  enlisted  in  the  Tweiitj'- 
first  Illinois  Regiment,  was  captured  at  Chicka- 
mauga,  and  died  a  prisoner  in  Anderson ville  after 
a  confinement  of  nine  months,  aged  twenty-seven; 
and  Jacob,  who  lives  in  Mt.  Zion  Township,  and 
also  served  during  the  war,  being  mustered  out 
June  14,  1865,  at  Springfield.  Jacob  Black,  Sr., 
for  his  third  wife  married  Mrs.  Lucinda  Smith, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Oxley,  and  they  had  one 
child,  David  B.,  of  Davenport,  Neb.  She  died 
about  1856,  and  her  husband  died  in  1876. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen,  Neal  Black  started  out 
in  life  for  himself  empty-handed, and  has  followed 
farming  as  a  means  of  livelihood  ever  since,  and 
through  his  industrious  efforts  has  achieved  success. 
His  life  has  indeed  been  a  busy  one,  for  he  had  to 
work  hard  to  get  a  start,  but  prosperity  at  length 
rewarded  his  efforts,  and  he  now  has  a  good  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twent}'  acres.  This  is  a  val- 
uable tract  of  land,  and  the  place  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved. 

On  the  12lh  of  September,  1866,  Mr.  Black  mar- 
ried Miss  Amanda  Jane  Black,  a  native  of  Ma- 
coupin  County,  III.,  but  who  was  reared  in  Macon 
County,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Nancy  (Ash- 
lock)  Black.  Her  father,  who  died  in  1861,  was  a 
brother  of  Jacob  Black,  and  consequently  she  and 
her  husband  are  first  cousins.  Mrs.  Daniel  Black 
made  her  home  with  her  daughter  Amanda,  her 
only  child,  until  her  death,  in  November,  1873. 
Our  subject  has  one  son,  Walter  R.,  who  is  still 
at  home. 

During  the  late  war,  Mr.  Black  entered  the  serv- 
ice of  his  country,  on  the  6th  of  December,  1861, 
as  a  member  of  Battery  I,  Second  Light  Artillery. 


The  troops  went  South  in  February,  1862,  and  he 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Island  No.  10,  Cor- 
inth and  Perryville,  Ky.,  and  on  to  Atlanta,  was 
with  Sherman's  army  on  its  celebrated  march  to 
the  sea,  and  took  part  in  the  Grand  Review  at 
Washington.  He  was  forage  master  for  the  stock 
through  Georgia,  and  held  the  oflice  of  Corporal. 
He  remained  in  the  service  until  the  war  closed, 
when,  the  country  no  longer  needing  his  service, 
he  was  honorably  discharged,  June  16,  1865,  being 
mustered  out  at  Springfield. 

In  his  social  relations,  Mr.  Black  is  connected 
with  Thomas  White  Post  No.  529,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Mt. 
Zion.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  hav- 
ing supported  that  party  since  attaining  his  ma- 
jority. His  first  vote  was  cast  for  Lincoln  in  1860. 
Himself  and  wife  hold  membership  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  at  Mt.  Zion.  He  is  a  pub- 
lic-spirited, broad-gauged  man,  who  has  the  best 
interests  of  the  community  at  heart,  and  well 
deserves  the  good  name  which  he  bears. 


C- 


JOHN  A.  WILSON  is  the  owner  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  acres  of  splendid  farm- 
ing land  all  under  a  high  state   of  cultiva- 
'    tion,  and  this  valuable  tract  is  a  part  of  the 

old  Wilson  homestead,  on  which  he  was  born  and 
reared,  for  his  family  is  one  of  the  pioneer  fami- 
lies of  the  county.  His  birth  occurred  February 
20,  1858.  His  father,  William  A.  Wilson,  was 
born  in  Tennessee,  and  when  a  mere  lad  came  with 
his  parents  to  Illinois.  For  sixty  consecutive 
years  he  lived  in  Macon  County,  and  his  death 
occurred  here  on  January  9,  1888,  aged  sixty- 
seven  years.  Being  reared  amid  the  wild  scenes 
of  pioneer  life,  William  Wilson  had  no  opportu- 
nities for  an  education,  and  instead  of  being  sent 
away  to  school  when  old  enough  to  work,  like  his 
neighbor,  Abraham  Lincoln,  he  went  to  the  huge 
forests  and  split  rails  at  fifty  cents  per  hundred, 
thus  clearing  up  the  land  for  farming  purposes. 


542 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


For  many  seasons  he  hauled  the  farm  products  to 
St.  Louis  and  to  Chicago  with  ox-teams,  camping 
under  the  wagon  at  night.  These  and  many  other 
hardships  Mr.  Wilson  passed  through  in  his  early 
manhood,  but  he  was  strong  and  willing,  and  after 
many  years  of  hard  toil  and  struggle  he  succeeded 
in  getting  a  little  home  paid  for.  With  this  start 
it  was  not  long  before  he  acquired  a  competency. 
Mr.  Wilson  was  a  successful  and  self-made  man, 
and  his  prosperity  was  well  deserved.  In  the 
early  days  he  was  well  known  all  through  this  sec- 
tion of  the  State  and  had  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  his  acquaintances.  He  was  a  man  of  strict  in- 
tegrity and  honesty  of  purpose,  was  liberal-minded 
and  enterprising,  and  assisted  largely  in  building 
up  the  permanent  public  institutions  of  his  town 
and  count}'.  Politically,  he  was  identified  with 
the  Democratic  party. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage  witli  Miss 
Margaret  Henry,  who  came  with  her  parents  to 
Macon  County  in  her  childhood.  Unto  them  were 
born  six  children,  but  Eveline,  James,  Morrison 
and  William  are  now  deceased.  Mary  is  the  wife 
of  Dr.  Martin  V.  Lonergan,  of  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship, who  is  mentioned  on  another  page  of  this 
volume.  The  mother  died  in  1863,  and  the  father 
in  1888.  They  now  rest  side  by  side  in  Mt.  Zion 
Cemetery. 

In  taking  up  the  history  of  our  subject  we  re- 
cord the  life-work  of  one  who  is  widely  and  favor- 
ably known  throughout  his  native  county.  The 
public  schools  afforded  him  his  educational  priv- 
ileges, and  under  the  parental  roof  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  lads  he  was  reared  to  manhood. 
He  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits  throughout 
his  entire  life,  and  the  neat  and  thrifty  appear- 
ance of  his  place  indicates  the  careful  supervision 
of  the  owner,  who  ranks  among  the  wide-awake 
and  enterprising  young  farmers  of  Mt.  Zion  Town- 
ship. 

March  10,  1886,  Mr.  Wilson  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mrs.  Lola  (Chapman)  Casner,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Andrew  J.  Chapman,  of  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  widow  of  Oliver  Casner,  who  was  a  son 
of  L.  B.  Casner,  and  who  died  March  3,  1880.  Mr. 
Casner  was  a  farmer  of  Mt.  Zion  Township,  and 
she  married  him  when  in  her  eighteenth  year. 


She  has  a  daughter,  Olive  Casner,  by  her  first  mar- 
riage, now  aged  fourteen  years.  By  her  second  un- 
ion have  been  born  two  children,  Lola  Marie  and 
John  Howard.  The  parents  have  a  pleasant  home, 
a  bright  and  interesting  family,  and  are  well  situ- 
ated to  enjoy  life.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  member  of 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  and  his  wife 
holds  membership  with  the  United  Brethren  Church. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy, 
and  socially  is  connected  with  Casner  Lodge, 
I.  O.  O.  F.  Having  spent  his  entire  life  in  this 
county,  his  history  is  therefore  well  known  to 
many,  and  the  fact  that  he  is  held  in  the  highest 
regard  by  his  many  friends  and  acquaintances 
well  indicates  an  upright  career. 


(OAH  W.  TOIIILL,  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  33,  Long  Creek  Township,  was  born 
in  Crawford  County,  III.,  August  11, 1840. 
His  father,  John  Tohill,  was  born  in  Lancaster 
Count}',  Pa.,  in  1818,  and  when  a  child  went  to 
Hocking  County,  Ohio,  witli  his  parents,  his  father 
being  a  pioneer  farmer  and  tobacco-raiser  of  the 
county.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age,  John  To- 
hill removed  to  Lawrence  County,  III.,  where  he 
spent  one  winter;  then  returned  to  Ohio,  where  he 
married  Martha  Springer,  a  native  of  the  Buckeye 
State.  Her  parents  were  from  Virginia,  but  the 
family  originally  came  from  Switzerland.  In 
1836  Mr.  Tohill  brought  his  bride  to  Illinois  and 
settled  on  Stringtown  Prairie,  in  Lawrence  County 
He  afterwards  bought  land  in  Crawford  Count}', 
and  there  made  his  home  until  1864,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Mt.  Zion  Township,  Macon  County, 
where  he  is  still  living.  He  has  been  successful  in 
business  and  now  owns  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  ninety  acres.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
himself  and  wife  are  faithful  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church.  The  family  numbered 
thirteen  children,  of  whom  five  sons  and  seven 
daughters  are  yet  living.  Lewis,  the  eldest,  who 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


543 


served  in  the  Ninety-eighth  Illinois  Infantry 
during  the  late  war,  now  resides  in  Crawford 
County;  Noah  is  the  second;  John  died  in  infancy; 
Mary  is  the  next  younger;  Laurence  resides  in 
Colorado;  Jonah  is  living  in  this  county;  and 
Martha,  George  W.  (of  Colorado),  Andrew  J.,  Eli, 
Sarah,  Ella  and  Belle  complete  the  family. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  primitive 
school,  with  its  puncheon  floor,  huge  fireplace, 
clapboard  door,  mud  and  stick  chimney,  and 
greased-paper  windows,  but  he  afterward  attended 
the  academy  in  Mt.  Zion  for  fourteen  months  and 
the  High  School  in  Crawford,  thus  becoming  well 
informed,  and  subsequently  engaged  in  teaching. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  in  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  I,  Twenty-first  Illinois  Infantry,  under 
Col.  Good  for  three  months.  In  1862,  he  re-en- 
listed as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Ninety-eighth 
Illinois  Infantry,  under  Col.  Funckhauser,  and 
went  to  Louisville,  where  the  company  was  en- 
gaged in  building  breastworks.  He  participated 
in  many  important  battles,  including  the  engage- 
ments at  Crab  Apple  Orchard,  Murfreesboro, 
Hoover's  Gap,  Dalton,  Chickamauga,  Lookout 
Mountain,  Mission  Ridge,  Uesaca,  Kinggold,  Knox- 
ville,  Atlanta  and  Jonesboro.  During  much  of 
the  time  the  troops  were  mounted,  and  probably 
no  regiment  saw  more  active  service.  Mr.  Tohill 
was  mustered  out  June  27,  1865,  after  three  years 
spent  on  Southern  soil,  and  returned  home  with 
all  of  his  equipments  of  war.  He  still  has  his  sa- 
bre and  Spencer  rifle. 

Our  subject  first  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  of 
his  father,  and  in  the  spring  of  1872  purchased 
his  present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
It  was  then  wild  prairie,  but  by  tiling  and  thor- 
ough cultivation  he  has  made  it  one  of  the  best 
farms  of  the  neighborhood,  its  well-tilled  fields 
yielding  him  a  good  income.  In  the  spring  of 
1878,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Rebecca 
Jane  Burrous,  daughter  of  Ben  Burrous,  of  Mt. 
/ion  Township,  where  the  lady  was  born  April  12, 
1861.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Romulus  Remus,  Gartield,  Noah, 
Randall,  John  Bennett  (who  was  killed  by  a  colt 
July  7,  1891),  William  Floyd,  John  Thomas  and 
Gracie  Elizabeth. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tohill  are  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  of  Casner,  and  he  is  a  member 
of,  and  Chaplain  in,  the  Grand  Army  post  of  La 
Place,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  Grant,  and  has  since  been  a  stalwart  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party.  He  was  elected 
Assessor  in  the  spring  of  1879,  but  has  never  been 
a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office-seeking.  The 
community  has  ever  found  in  him  a  valued  citizen, 
for  he  discharges  his  public  duties  with  the  same 
fidelity  which  he  manifested  during  the  late  war, 
when  in  his  country's  hour  of  peril  he  defended 
the  Stars  and  Stripes,  which  now  float  so  proudly 
over  the  united  nation. 


ANDALL  F.  McDONALD,  an  enterprising 
and  progressive  farmer  of  Long  Creek 
Township,  residing  on  section  30,  was  born 
in  Winchester,  Scott  County,  111.,  March 
1854.  His  father,  John  McDonald,  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  grandfather  was  a  native 
of  Scotland,  and  was  accidentally  drowned  in  the 
Little  Miami  Ri-ver,  in  Ohio.  He  had  had  one  son 
who  went  to  California  during  the  gold  excite- 
ment, and  after  his  return  to  Illinois  enlisted  in 
Hie  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Regiment  and 
died  from  a  wound  received  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh. 
John  McDonald  was  apprenticed  to  a  Mr.  Cougler, 
who  ran  a  flourmill,  barrel  factory,  distillery  and 
paper  factory.  He  learned  all  these  trades,  and 
became  an  expert  in  the  various  lines.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-one  he  bought  a  flatboat  and  did  trad- 
ing in  New  Orleans.  He  also  ran  a  grocery  at 
Cincinnati  for  a  time,  but  while  he  was  sick  his 
partner  swindled  him  out  of  the  greater  part  of 
his  capital.  Subsequently  he  engaged  in  farming 
near  Milford,  Ohio,  and  later  he  emigrated  to 
Winchester,  111.,  where  he  engaged  in  milling  for 
two  years.  In  1854  he  went  to  Decatur,  and  for 
five  years  operated  the  mill  for  Frank  Priest.  He 


544 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


then  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
railroad  land  on  section  20,  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  operated  it  for  a  year,  after  which  he 
resumed  milling  for  a  year,  and  later  he  again 
went  to  the  farm  and  successfully  continued  its 
cultivation  until  his  death,  in  1880,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-eight  years. 

Mr.  McDonald  was  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  belonged  to  the 
Odd  Fellows'  society.  He  was  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  Union  League,  and  was  one  of  the 
prominent  Republicans  of  his  county,  being  often 
seen  in  its  conventions,  where  he  was  recognized 
as  a  leader.  In  Parkersburg,  W.  Va.,  he  was  mar- 
ried, in  December,  1845,  to  Miss  Nancy  L.  Sisson, 
who  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Pa.,  March 
12,  1828,  and  went  with  her  parents,  Edwin  and 
Sarah  Sisson,  to  West  Virginia  when  twelve  years 
old.  Of  the  children  born  to  this  union,  Mrs. 
Florence  L.  Prather  lives  in  Decatur;  Edmon  S., 
who  was  educated  in  Evanston,  111.,  is  a  leading 
lawyer  of  Decatur,  and  has  served  as  City  Attor- 
ney; A.  F.,  a  twin  brother  of  our  subject,  is  a  far- 
mer of  Mt.  Zion  Township,  and  married  Miss 
Davidson;  Alice  is  the  wife  of  Ira  T.  Baird,  of 
Prairie  Home;  John,  who  married  Miss  Hamilton, 
of  Decatur,  is  living  on  the  old  homestead;  George, 
who  married  Miss  Lulu  Gabbett,  follows  farming; 
and  Sheridan  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  months. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  six  months 
old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Macon  County. 
He  was  reared  in  Decatur  and  on  the  old  home 
farm,  and  acquired  a  good  practical  education  in 
the  public  schools.  Reared  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits, he  has  followed  that  business  throughout  his 
entire  life  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  wide- 
awake and  enterprising  farmers  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  McDonald  chose  Miss  Sarah  J.  Baker,  a  native 
of  Montgomery  County,  111.,  and  a  daughter  of 
George  Q.  Baker.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
witli  two  children,  Luella  and  Bessie,  and  the 
daughters  are  the  light  of  the  household.  The 
family  holds  a  high  position  in  social  circles  and 
their  home  is  the  abode  of  hospitality. 

Since  his  marriage,  Mr.  McDonald  has  carried  on 


farming,  and  now  owns  and  operates  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  rich  land,  which  he  has  placed 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  In  politics,  he 
is  an  advocate  of  Republican  principles  and  has 
been  honored  with  the  offices  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  Assessor.  He  has  often  attended  the 
conventions  of  his  party  and  is  one  of  its  leading 
members.  Socially,  he  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows' 
societ3r  of  Casner,  and  himself  aid  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
Long  Creek.  The  cause  of  temperance  finds  in 
him  a  warm  friend,  and  he  gives  his  support  to 
every  enterprise  calculated  to  promote  the  general 
welfare. 


LLEN  TAFT  GRIMES,  M.  D.,  a  practic- 
ing physician  of  Decatur,  has  an  office  in 
the  Woman's  Club  Building,  and  enjoys 
a  liberal  practice.  She  was  born  in  Bracevillc, 
Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  on  the  31st  of  October, 
1846.  Her  father,  Frederick  L.  Taft,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio  and  married  Miss  Elvira  Rood,  who 
was  born  in  Litchfield  County,  Conn.  Their  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  in  her  native  State.  Fred- 
erick Taft  was  a  stock-dealer,  and  his  daughter 
Ellen  spent  her  early  years  on  his  stock  farm  in 
her  native  county.  After  attending  the  public 
schools,  she  entered  the  Western  Reserve  Seminary, 
at  Farmington,  Ohio,  where  her  literal'}'  educa- 
tion was  completed. 

When  a  3roung  lady  of  twenty-two  Miss  Taft 
gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Dr.  Francis  S.  Grimes, 
who  was  born  in  Springfield,  Maas.,  in  1831.  He 
was  graduated  from  the  Medical  College  of  Pitts- 
field,  Mass.,  and  afterward  spent  three  years  in 
Bellevue  Hospital,  in  New  York.  During  the  war 
he  served  for  three  years  as  Surgeon  in  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  being  attached  to  the  Sixty-sec- 
ond New  York  Infantry.  Soon  after  the  war  was 
over  he  located  in  Braceville,  Ohio,  and  began 
practice.  It  was  during  his  residence  there  that 
he  and  his  wife  were  married. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


545 


By  this  union  have  been  born  two  children,  a 
son  and  a  daughter.  Stanley  Taft,  the  elder,  is 
now  a  compositor  on  the  Review.  Frances  has 
been  a  thorough  student  and  is  now  taking  a  two- 
years  course  in  Pratt's  Normal  Institute,  of  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.,  devoting  her  time  and  attention  to  art 
work  witli  a  view  to  teaching  the  same.  She  is  a 
popular  young  lady  in  the  circles  of  society  in 
which  she  moves,  and  lias  many  friends  through- 
out this  community. 

During  their  residence  in  Braceville,  Ohio,  in 
1870,  Mrs.  Grimes  began  reading  medicine  with 
her  husband.  In  1873  she  entered  the  Woman's 
Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  from  which  she 
was  graduated  in  March,  1876,  after  pursuing  a 
three-years  course,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  She 
at  once  began  practice  wilh  her  husband  in  Brace- 
ville, and  was  the  first  lady  physician  in  her  old 
home.  On  the  30th  of  June,  1879,  they  arrived 
in  Decatur.  At  that  time  Dr.  Scargent  was  the 
only  lady  physician  in  the  city.  She  warmlj'  wel- 
comed Mrs.  Grimes,  who  from  the  beginning  had 
a  fine  practice,  which  has  constantly  increased. 
She  makes  a  specialty  of  the  diseases  of  women 
and  children,  and  in  her  practice  has  met  with  ex- 
cellent success.  She  is  entirely  devoted  to  her 
profession,  of  which  she  has  been  a  close  student, 
and  always  keeps  well  informed  concerning  the 
theories  and  discoveries  connected  with  the  science 
of  medicine.  In  professional  and  social  life  she 
is  highly  esteemed,  being  a  lady  of  many  excel- 
lencies of  character. 


J~~j  AMES  M.  B1DDLE,  City  Marshal  of  Maroa, 
|    and  a  widely  known  and  popular  man,  was 
;    born   in   Fleming  County,  Ky.,  November 
_  '     17,  1847.     His  parents,  Stephen  and   Eliza- 
beth (Shockey)    Biddle,  were  also  natives  of  the 
same  State,  and  the  father  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation.    In    1863,    he    came   to   Illinois,  locating 
eight  miles  southwest  of  Maroa,  where  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  and  carried  on  farming  until 


1879,  when  he  went  to  live  with  his  son  Alfred,  in 
whose  home  lie  died  July  12,  1880,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-seven.  He  married  Miss  Shockey,  and  they 
became  parents  of  seven  children:  John  P.,  of  Mont- 
gomery County,  Ind.;  Nancy,  wife  of  Jesse  Fisher, 
of  Decatur;  William  H.,  of  Montgomery  County, 
Ind.;  Jerome  H.,  of  Remington,  Ind.;  James,  of  this 
sketch;  Alfred  R.,  of  Storm  Lake,  Iowa;  and  Mol- 
lie,  wife  of  J.  E.  Clemens,  of  Storm  Lake.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died,  and  Mr.  Biddle  mar- 
ried Mrs.  Eveline  Ross,  who  was  the  mother  of 
two  children,  Elizabeth  and  Lucy.  After  her  death 
he  wedded  Mrs.  Duvall,  widow  of  Edward  Duvall, 
and  a  daughter  of  William  Price.  By  her  first 
marriage  she  had  two  sons,  William  and  Richard, 
and  by  her  second  union  she  had  one  child,  Napo- 
leon P.,  of  Indian  Territory. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Ste- 
phen Biddle,  was  born  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Ma- 
ryland. He  was  a  farmer,  who  reared  a  large  family, 
and  died  at  the  great  age  of  ninety-two.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  James  M.  Shockey,  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  and  was  of  Dutch  descent.  Just  after 
the  war  he  came  to  Macon  County,  and  followed 
farming  in  Maroa  Township.  He  then  removed 
to  Tundridge  Township,  De  Witt  County,  where 
he  bought  a  home,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
days,  dying  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  record 
was  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  when  with  his  father 
he  came  to  Illinois.  II is  education  was  acquired 
in  the  county  of  his  nativity.  He  was  reared  to 
farm  life  and  followed  that  vocation  until  1883, 
since  which  time  he  has  made  his  home  in  Maroa. 
He  has  been  twice  married.  In  1869  he  married 
Clara  M.,  daughter  of  W.  H.  and  Eliza  (Stephen- 
son)  Hill.  By  their  union  was  born  a  daughter, 
Anna  C.  The  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  and  a  most  estimable  lady.  She 
departed  this  life  February  28,  1870.  On  the 
22d  of  October,  1872,  Mr.  Biddle  married  Miss 
Mattie  D.  Cord,  daughter  of  Sidney  and  Margaret 
(Dye)  Cord,  natives  of  Fleming  County,  Ky.  They 
have  two  children,  Sudie  A.  and  William  R.  The 
daughter  Anna  is  now  the  wife  of  Louis  A.  Mills, 
of  Decatur. 

Since  living  in  Maroa,  Mr.  Biddle  has  followed 


546 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


various  occupations,  and  for  four  years  he  has 
served  as  Marshal,  proving  a  capable  and  efficient 
officer.  He  is  also  County  and  City  Constable  and 
is  now  serving  his  second  four-years  term  with 
credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
constituents.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican, and,  socially,  is  a  member  of  Maroa  Lodge 
No.  454,  A.  F.  A  A.  M.;  Maroa  Chapter  No.  192, 
R.  A.  M.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9, 
K.  T.,  of  Decatur.  Himself  and  wife  are  members 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  in  the  community 
where  they  reside  have  the  warm  regard  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 


A.  BARRACKMAN,  manager  of  the  De- 
catur Shaft  Support  Company,  whose  busi- 
ness promises  to  become  one  of  the  leading 
industries  of  this  city,  is  a  native  of  Indiana.  He 
was  born  in  Worthington,  Greene  County,  on 
the  27th  of  March,  1849,  and  is  a  representative 
of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  that  locality, 
his  father,  C.  J.  Barrackman,  being  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  town  of  Worthington.  On  leav- 
ing the  lloosier  State  in  1860,  he  came  to  Macon 
County,  and  for  a  time  engaged  in  merchandising 
in  Decatur,  and  was  the  owner  of  considerable 
real  estate  in  and  near  the  city.  His  death  here 
occurred  about  1887. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  eleven 
3'ears  of  his  life  in  the  State  of  his  nativity,  and 
then  came  to  Illinois,  where  his  education  was  ac- 
quired in  the  public  schools.  When  a  young  man 
lie  worked  in  the  clothing  store  of  his  father,  and 
later  became  a  traveling  salesman  for  a  tobacco 
house.  Subsequently  he  was  made  manager  of 
the  northwestern  department  of  the  Union  To- 
bacco Works,  of  Louisville,  and  was  thus  em- 
ployed until  about  four  years  ago,  when  he  de- 
cided to  leave  the  road.  He  proved  an  expert 
salesman  and  occupied  a  good  position  in  that 
line. 

On  the  9th  of  October,    1880,   Mr.  Barrackman 


was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  M.  L.  Andrews, 
the  youngest  daughter  of  W.  C.  Andrews,  of 
Worthington,  Ind.  Her  father  was  also  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  that  place,  and  aided  greatly 
in  its  upbuilding.  The  union  of  our  subject  and 
his  wife  has  been  blessed  with  two  interesting  chil- 

O 

dren,  Marion  A.  and  Josephine. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Barrackman  is  a  stal- 
wart Democrat  and  an  inflexible  supporter  of  the 
principles  of  that  party.  Socially,  he  is  a  charter 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  of 
Worthington,  Ind.  On  his  return  to  Decatur  he 
embarked  in  the  real-estate  business,  continuing 
in  that  line  until,  having  invented  the  Star  Coil 
Spring  Shaft  Support  and  Anti-Rattler,  and  secured 
the  patents  upon  it,  he  began  its  extensive  manu- 
facture. A  company  was  formed,  including  some 
large  capitalists  of  Decatur,  and  the  business  has 
been  pushed  to  its  utmost.  Many  testimonials  have 
been  received  stating  that  this  shaft  support  is  the 
finest  invention  of  the  kind.  Man}'  have  said  that 
they  would  not  do  without  it  for  several  times  its 
price.  The  business  has  rapidly  increased,  and 
the  support  already  has  a  large  sale.  Ample  fa- 
cilities have  been  made  for  its  manufacture  and 
the  trade  is  constantly  increasing.  It  will  be  seen 
that  Mr.  Barrackman  is  a  man  of  considerable  in- 
ventive genius,  as  well  as  good  business  ability. 
He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  valued  citizens  of 
Decatur,and  his  honorable,  upright  life  has  gained 
him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


NDREW  F.  McDONALD,  who  devotes  his 
energies  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  makes 
his  home  on  section  4,  Mt.  '/.ion  Township, 
is  a  native  of  this  State.  He  was  born  in 
Winchester,  Scott  County,  March  27,  1854,  but 
has  been  a  resident  of  Macon  County  since  1858, 
at  which  time  the  family  removed  hither.  Flis 
paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  who, 
having  emigrated  to  America,  was  drowned  in  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


547 


Little  Miami  River,  in  Ohio.  His  son  John,  father 
of  our  subject,  and  one  brother  were  left  alone  in 
the  world.  The  former  was  born  in  Philadelphia 
in  1812.  When  the  gold  excitement  in  California 
broke  out  his  brother  went  to  the  mines,  thus 
leaving  John  entirely  alone. 

Anxious  to  accomplish  something  in  life  and 
become  a  useful  member  of  society,  Mr.  McDonald 
learned  the  miller's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  for 
many  years,  becoming  an  expert  in  that  line.  In 
1852,  he  removed  to  Scott  County,  111.,  and  in  1858 
to  Macon  County.  In  1859,  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  prairie  land  in  Long  Creek 
Township,  and  carried  on  farming  for  a  year,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Decatur,  where  he  resumed 
milling.  A  year  afterwards,  however,  he  again 
went  to  the  farm,  where  he  remained  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  when  he  enlisted  as  a 
member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois 
I  n  fan  try.  In  the  battle  of  Sliiloh  he  was  wounded, 
and  from  the  effects  he  never  fully  recovered.  His 
death  occurred  in  March,  1880. 

In  December,  1845,  John  McDonald  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  L.  Sisson,  of  West 
Virginia,  who  was  born  in  Washington  County, 
Pa.,  March  12,  1828.  Six  children  graced  this 
union:  Edward  S.,  a  leading  lawyer  of  Decatur; 
R.  F.,  a  farmer  of  Long  Creek  Township;  Andrew, 
twin  brother  of  R.  F.;  Alice,  wife  of  Ira  R.  Baird, 
who  is  living  in  Prairie  Home,  111.;  John,  who  re- 
sides on  the  old  homestead;  George,  a  resident  of 
Long  Creek  Township;  and  Sherry,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years. 

Andrew  F.  McDonald  has  spent  nearly  his  en- 
tire life  in  this  county,  and  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  its  farming  interests.  He  aided  his 
father  in  the  mill  and  on  the  farm  until  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  to  make  his 
own  livelihood.  As  a  companion  and  helpmate 
on  life's  journey  he  chose  Miss  Frances  L.  David- 
son, a  daughter  of  S.  S.  Davidson,  an  old  and 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Mt.  /ion  Township, 
now  living  in  Decatur.  Their  union  was  cele- 
brated April  15,  1880,  and  has  been  blessed  with 
two  children,  John  A.  and  Andrew  Fay. 

Mr.  McDonald  is  now  the  owner  of  a  good 
farm  of  eighty  acres,  situated  on  section  4,  Mt. 


Zion  Township.  Upon  the  place  is  a  pleasant  resi- 
dence, good  barns  and  outbuildings,  and  all  the 
necessary  improvements  and  conveniences.  The 
fields  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
yield  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and 
labor  bestowed' upon  them  by  the  owner,  who  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  enterprising  and  represen- 
tative agriculturists  of  the  community.  He  is  a 
highly  respected  citizen  and  manifests  a  com- 
mendable interest  in  everything  that  pertains  to 
the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he  makes 
his  home.  He  has  lived  a  quiet,  unpretentious 
life,  and  thereby  lias  gained  universal  confidence. 


NETER  R.  GROUND,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  12,  Mt.  Zion  Township, 
claims  North  Carolina  as  the  State  of  his 
nativity,  his  birth  having  there  occurred  in 
September,  1828.  His  father,  Henry  Ground,  was 
torn  in  the  same  State,  and  the  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Mary  Isenheimer,  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  North  Carolina.  In  1840,  they  left  their 
old  home  and  removed  to  Indiana,  where  they  re- 
sided until  called  to  their  final  rest.  They  had  a 
family  of  twelve  children.  Levi  and  Franklin 
died  while  young  and  were  buried  in  North  Caro- 
lina; Andrew  resides  in  Missouri;  Alexander  died 
and  was  buried  in  Owen  County,  Ind.;  Miles,  a 
soldier  of  the  Mexican  War,  died  in  Tennessee; 
Logan  resides  in  Greene  County,  Ind.;  Peter  R.  is 
the  next  younger;  Rebecca  is  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Stevens,  who  is  living  in  Brown  County,  Ind.; 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  James  Warnpole,  of  Greene 
County,  Ind.;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Samuel 
Parks,  a  resident  of  Monroe  County,  Ind.;  and 
Lena  is  the  wife  of  William  Hendricks,  also  of 
Monroe  County. 

Under  the  parental  roof  our  subject  spent  the 
days  of  his  childhood.  He  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  on  attaining  his  majority  and  has  since 
been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources.  He  first 
emigrated  to  Greene  County,  111.,  where  he  re- 


548 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


mamed  six  months,  and  then  removed  to  Cass 
County,  where  he  resided  for  about  four  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  came  to  Ma- 
con  County,  and  since  1861  has  resided  in  Mt. 
Zton  Township,  where  he  lias  carried  on  agricul- 
tural pursuits. 

In  1855,  in  Cass  County,  111.,  Mr.  Ground  was 
married  to  Miss  Margaret  Frasill,  by  whom  he  had 
two  children:  Lurana,  wife  of  L.  Baker,  who  now 
resides  in  Arkansas;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  mother  died  in  February,  1859,  and  her  remains 
were  interred  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery.  In  February, 
1860,  Mr.  Ground  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Angeline  Jones,  a  daughter 
of  Claybourn  Jones,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  else- 
where in  this  work.  Four  children  have  been 
born  of  their  union:  Minnie,  now  the  wife  of 
George  McCool,  who  resides  near  Argenta;  Harry, 
at  home;  Robert,  who  is  living  in  Argenta;  and 
Ella,  who  is  still  under  the  parental  roof.  In 
1874,  Mr.  Ground  was  again  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  5th  of  De- 
cember, and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Long  Creek  Cem- 
etery. On  the  17th  of  January,  1882,  he  married 
Mrs.  Maria  Bradley,  who  came  to  Illinois  in  1864, 
and  was  the  widow  of  Samuel  Bradley,  to  whom 
she  was  married  at  nineteen.  She  had  had  five 
children  by  her  first  marriage:  Quincy,  a  traveling 
salesman  of  Peoria;  Henry,  who  died  at  seventeen 
years  of  age;  Martha,  in  Decatur;  Maggie,  Mrs.  Les- 
lie Beldon,  of  Mt.  /ion;  and  Samuel,  who  died  at 
two  years  of  age.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  three  children,  Annie,  Rufus  C.  and  Homer 
V.,  all  at  home. 

When  he  left  home  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
'world,  Mr.  Ground  had  only  $8  in  money,  but  he 
possessed  a  young  man's  bright  hope  of  the  future 
and  a  determination  to  succeed.  In  consequence, 
with  the  energy  and  industry  which  are  numbered 
among  his  chief  characteristics,  he  has  worked 
his  way  upward  and  is  now  numbered  among  the 
leading  and  substantial  agriculturists  of  the  coun- 
ty. He  has  gained  a  competency  for  his  declining 
years,  being  now  the  owner  of  a  splendid  farm  of 
four  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres,  all  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  supplied  with  good 
buildings.  In  social  circles  the  family  holds  an 


enviable  position;  their  pleasant  and  attractive 
home  is  the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  their  many 
friends  are  always  sure  of  receiving  there  a  hearty 
welcome  and  cordial  greeting.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ground  are  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and,  in  politics,  he  is  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party. 


'  ASPER  J.  PEDDECORD,  one  of  the  promi- 
nent and  influential  citizens  of  Decatur,  is 
a  member  of  the  banking  linn  of  Pedde- 
ty  cord  &  Burrows,  also  President  of  the  De- 
catur Furniture  Company.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  born  near  Rockville,  Montgomery 
County,  Md.,  on  the  8th  of  November.,  1815, 
and  comes  of  old  families  of  that  State.  His  par- 
ents, Allen  B.  and  Catherine  (Willett)  Peddccord, 
were  both  natives  of  Maryland, and  were  of  Scotch 
descent.  By  occupation,  Allen  B.  Peddecord  was 
a  farmer.  He  lost  his  wife  in  1815,  he  surviving 
her  many  years,  and  died  in  1868,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy-eight,  leaving  three  children:  Re- 
becca, Ninian,  and  Jasper,  our  subject,  who  is  the 
only  living  representative  of  the  family. 

Jasper  remained  on  the  home  farm  in  the  county 
of  his  birth  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  acquir- 
ing such  education  as  was  afforded  in  the  country 
schools  of  that  day,  supplemented  by  study  in  the 
Rockville  Academy,  after  which  he  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  mercantile  salesman  in  Washington,  D.  C. 
There  he  remained  five  years,  going  from  there  to 
Vicksburg,  Miss.,  where  he  again  found  employ- 
ment in  a  mercantile  establishment,  and  remained 
two  years,  after  which  (in  1838)  he  came  to  Deca- 
tur, 111.,  where  he  has  continuously  resided,  and 
where  the  trials  and  struggles  in  a  new  country 
actually  began. 

Our  subject  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  northwest  of  Decatur,  and  soon 
afterward  formed  a  co-partnership  with  Henry 
Prather,  and  carried  on  general  merchandising  for 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


549 


fifteen  years,  including  various  flatboat  trips  to 
New  Orleans,  loaded  with  pork,  flour,  corn,  etc.,  to 
exchange  for  cash  or  other  commodities,  requiring 
nearly  three  months  to  make  a  round  trip.  Their 
first  place  of  business  was  a  log  cabin  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  old  square,  where  the  Long 
Hotel  now  stands,  and  his  name  is  inseparably 
connected  with  the  historj'  of  Decalur  and  Macon 
County.  Having  witnessed  the  erection  of  every 
house  now  standing  in  the  city  of  Decatur,  he  is 
indeed  one  of  the  honored  pioneers. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Prather  retired  from  the  business, 
and  went  to  California,  Mr.  Peddecord  purchasing 
his  interest  in  the  business.  He  afterward  ad- 
mitted to  partnership  Hosea  J.  Armstrong,  who 
continued  witli  him  two  years,  when  he  too  went 
to  California,  and  Mr.  Peddecord  was  once  more 
alone.  In  1852  his  third  and  still  existing  part- 
nership was  formed  with  Lowber  Burrows,  and  they 
soon  after  established  a-  banking  business,  which 
they  have  since  continued. 

On  the  30th  of  July,  1842,  Mr.  Peddecord  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Adamson,  widow  of 
John  S.  Adamson,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Isabella 
(Watson)  Oglesby,  and  sister  of  ex-Governor 
Oglesby.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  their 
union,  namely:  Woodford  W.,  Isabella,  Emeline 
W.,  Richard  G.  and  Valette  O.,  all  of  whom  are 
living. 

The  Decatur  Furniture  Company,  of  which  Mr. 
Peddecord  is  now  President,  was  established  about 
thirty  years  ago,  and  was  incorporated  under  the 
general  laws  of  Illinois  in  1881.  In  1890  the  plant 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  was  immediately  rebuilt 
on  a  more  extensive  plan,  and  fully  equipped  with 
all  modern  wood-working  machinery,  and  to-day 
will  compare  favorably  with  any  of  the  modern 
factories. 

In  politics,  our  subject  has  been  from  youth  a 
Jackson  Democrat,  and  continued  to  act  with  that 


party  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  when 
he  promptly  took  the  side  of  the  Union,  and  has 
been  closely  allied  with  the  Republican  party  ever 
since.  While  not  an  office-seeker,  he  has  twice 
been  honored  with  the  office  of  Mayor  of  the  city 
and  other  public  positions.  He,  however,  takes  an 
active  interest  in  political  affairs,  and  his  commo- 
dious house,  No.  226  North  Franklin  Street,  has 
long  been  headquarters  for  visiting  statesmen  from  . 
this  and  other  States.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
Macon  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.;  and  is  one  of 
the  charter  members  of  Macon  Chapter  No.  21,  R. 
A.  M.  He  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with 
Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  Mr. 
Pedcjecord  is  one  of  the  Trustees. 


l—l-l 


eOL.  JAMES  W.  THORNHILL,  a  well-known 
and  popular  citizen  of  Harristown  Town^. 
ship,  is  a  farmer  and  auctioneer.  A  native 
of  Kentucky,  he  was  born  in  Grant  County  July 
19,  1824,  and  is  a  son  of  Reuben  Thornhill,  who 
was  born  and  reared  in  Virginia.  When  a  young 
man  of  eighteen  he  went  to  Kentucky,  and  was 
there  married  to  Sally  Musleman,  who  was  also 
born  in  the  Old  Dominion.  Upon  a  farm  in  the 
State  of  his  adoption,  Mr.  Thornhill  reared  his 
family  and  spent  his  entire  life,  dying  at  the  age 
of  seventy-four  years. 

The  educational  privileges  of  our  subject  were 
quite  limited.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until 
after  their  deaths,  and  then  purchased  the  old  home 
farm,  which  he  operated  until  1857.  In  that  year 
he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Butler  County,  Ohio. 
In  Hamilton  he  purchased  an  hotel,  which  he  car- 
ried on  until  1865,  when  lie  disposed  of  that  prop- 
erty and  emigrated  Westward.  Locating  in  Blue 


550 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mound  Township,  Mncon  County,  the  Colonel 
rented  land  and  engaged  in  fanning.  The  farm 
upon  which  he  now  resides  was  purchased  in  1886. 
Since*  locating  thereon  he  has  made  many  excel- 
lent improvements,  which  add  greatly  to  the  value 
and  attractive  appearance  of  the  place.  When  a 
young  man  of  eighteen  years  he  began  crying  sales, 
and  throughout  his  entire  life  has  served  as  an 
auctioneer.  He  is  now  considered  one  of  the  best 
auctioneers  in  Macoh  County. 

Mr.  Thornhill  was  married  in  Ohio,  November 
6,  1856,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Martha  E. 
Lewis,  a  native  of  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter  of  James  Lewis,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  lhat  county.  Her  grandfather,  Andrew  Lewis, 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  State.  When  he 
went  to  Ohio  an  old  fort  stood  on  the  site  of 
Cincinnati,  and  when  he  went  to  the  neighbor- 
hood where  he  settled  he  made  his  way  by  blazing 
trees.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thornhill  were  born 
seven  children.  Edward  is  married  and  follows 
farming;  David  O.  is  married  and  is  a  resident 
fanner  of  Illini  Township;  Clyde  W.  aids  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm.  They  lost  four  chil- 
dren: Josie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen;  May 
Belle,  at  the  age  of  fifteen;  Minnie,  at  the  age  of 
nineteen;  and  Maria,  when  three  years  of  age. 

Col.  Thornhill  was  a  member  of  the  State  militia 
in  Kentucky.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote 
in  Covington,  Ky.,  supporting  Henry  Clay,  and 
since  that  time  has  been  an  advocate  of  the 
Democracy.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  and  arc  people 
whose  many  excellencies  of  character  have  gained 
for  them  high  regard.  The  Colonel  is  a  pleasant, 
genial  gentleman,  and  through  his  service  as  auc- 
tioneer he  has  formed  a  wide  acquaintance. 


OIIN  CROCKER,  of  Maroa,  is  a  native  of 
Illinois.  He  was  born  near  Yandalia  Au- 
gust 2,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  John  II.  and 
v  Louise  V.  (Philbrook)  Crocker,  the  former 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  and  the  latter  of 
Ohio.  The  record  of  his  parents  is  given  else- 
where in  this  volume. 

During  the  war,  when  he  was  only  four  years 
old,  his  parents  removed  to  Bird's  Point,  Mo., and 
in  1865  came  to  this  place,  where  he  was  reared  to 
manhood,  acquiring  a  good  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools.  He  was  also  a  student  for  a  year  in 
Illinois  College,  of  Jacksonville, and  in  Dartmouth 
College,  of  New  Hampshire.  Returning  home,  he 
joined  his  father  in  business  and  has  since  here  re- 
sided. He  and  his  brother  George  became  ptirt- 
ners  in  the  bank  in  1879,  and  were  associated  with 
their  father  until  his  death,  since  which  time 
George  has  lived  in  Springfield,  where  he  is  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  veterinary  surgery.  John 
has  continued  in  the  banking  and  grain  business 
in  Maroa,  doing  a  large  and  constantly  increasing 
business.  He  was  elected"  Mayor  to  fill  the  unex- 
pircd  term  of  his  father,  which  certainly  was  a 
high  testimonial  to  his  popularity  and  the  favor 
he  finds  with  the  people.  In  politics  he  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  is  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge, 
Chapter  and  Commandcry  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity. 

Mr.  Crocker  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  drug  store, 
which  is  managed  by  James  II.  Sterling,  and  he  is 
also  interested  in  the  grain  elevators  in  Emery 
and  Pearson,  in  connection  with  Thomas  Costello, 
and  in  the  Masonic  Building,  which  is  owned  by 
a  stock  company,  of  which  he  is  Secretary.  He 
was  the  prime  mover  in  securing  the  electric-light 
plant,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  State,  and  now  as 
the  result  of  his  untiring  efforts  the  streets  and 
all  the  principal  business  houses  are  well  lighted 
with  arc  lights.  The  Maroa  Electric  Light  Com- 
pany has  been  organized  and  its  oHict-rs  are  John 
Crocker,  President;  George  Conover,  Treasurer; 
and  Will  Schenck,  Secretary. 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL    RKCOR1). 


551 


The  St.  Nicholas  Hotel. 

The  above  is  a  representation  of  one  of  the  most  famous  hostelrics  found  within  the 
boundaries  of  this  grand  commonwealth.  Here  the  traveler  finds  rest  and  comfort,  and  on 
the  site  where  the  old-style  landlord  greeted  with  hearty  smile. the  occasional  guest  as  lie 
alighted  from  the  primitive  stage  coach  or  jaded  horse,  the  present  popular  host,  Mr. 
Charles  Laux,  meets  with  open  arms  the  hundreds  of  commercial  men  who  flock  here  to  pai- 
ticipate  in  the  good  cheer  that  each  knows  awaits  him,  and  sleep  in  the  comfortable 
beds  in  airy  chambers  where  every  modern  convenience  is  found.  For  thirty  years  Mr. 
Laux  has  been  landlord  of  the  St.  Nicholas,  and  his  name  is  always  associated  with  this  re- 
nowned hostelry. 

In  years  gone  b}-,  -'before  the  war,"  the  Han-ell  House  was  the  rendezvous  for  many  re- 
markable men.  Here  Abraham  Lincoln  met  and  joked  with  other  remarkable  men,  but  little 
less  distinguished.  In  1865  Mr.  Laux  remodeled  that  home  and  named  it  the  St.  Nicholas, 
which  stood  till  1891,  when  the  present  magnificent  edifice  was  erected  at  an  immense  cost, 
and  now  stands  a  monument  to  his  enterprise  and  ability. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


553 


IIARLES  W.  THOMAS  is  engaged  in  general 
fanning  and  stock-raising  on  the  oldThomas 
homestead  on  section  9,Mt.  Zion  Township, 
where  his  parents  located  in  1863.  He  was  born 
in  Dayton,  Ohio,  on  the  4th  of  March,  1855,  and 
in  1857  the  family  came  to  the  West  and  settled  in 
IJecatur,  Macon  County.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, MiloJ.  Thomas,  was  born  in  Lamoille  Count}', 
Vt.,  in  1829,  and  after  having  arrived  at  man's 
estate  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  E. 
Sandham,  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  born  in 
1835,  and  a  daughter  of  John  and  Phoebe  Sand- 
ham.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  June, 
1854,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  two  children, 
a  son  and  daughter.  The  latter,  Cora  A.,  is  the 
wife  of  J.  W.  Stocks,  who  resides  in  Moultrie 
County,  III.,  near  Lovington,  and  the  former  is 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Milo  J.  Thomas  was  a  brick  mason  by  trade  and 
a  building  contractor.  He  worked  at  that  trade 
before  and  after  coining  to  Illinois,  and  was  suc- 
cessful in  his  undertakings.  On  coming  to  Macon 
County,  he  first  located  in  Decatur,  where  he  re- 
mained for  about  five  years,  doing  business  as  a 
contractor,  and  then  in  1863  removed  to  Mt.  Zion 
Township.  In  1872  he  settled  on  his  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  9,  and  from 
that  time  until  his  death  devoted  his  energies  to 
its  cultivation.  In  the  pleasant  and  attractive 
home  which  he  erected  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  His  dcatli  occurred  on  the  14th  of  March, 
1893,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in  Mt.  Zion  Ceme- 
tery. He  was  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics, 
prominent  in  local  political  circles,  and  held  the 
office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  thirteen  years  in 
Mt.  Zion  Township.  For  many  years  he  belonged 
to  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was 
one  of  its  faithful  and  consistent  members.  Mrs. 
Thomas,  who  belongs  to  the  same  church,  soon  af- 
ter her  husband's  death  removed  to  Mt.  Zion, 
where  she  expects  to  spend  the  remainder  of  her 
days. 

Charles  W.  Thomas  is  still  living  on  the  old 
homestead  where  his  boyhood  and  youth  were 
passed.  The  place  is  dear  to  him  from  its  associa- 
tions, and  he  has  known  no  other  home  since  he 
was  a  lad  of  six  summers.  He  is  now  engaged  in 

26 


general  farming  and  stock-raising  and  does  a  good 
business  along  those  lines.  The  well-tilled  fields 
yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the 
care  and  cultivation  he  bestows  upon  them.  After 
attending  the  common  schools,  Mr.  Thomas  com- 
pleted his  education  in  Lincoln  University,  and 
subsequently  engaged  in  teaching.  He  entered 
upon  that  profession  on  attaining  his  majority, 
and  for  seven  years  was  employed  as  a  teacher  in 
Macon  and  Moultrie  Counties,  proving  himself  an 
able  and  successful  instructor. 

February  27,  1884,  Mr.  Thomas  wedded  Miss 
Lucy  Meisenhelder,  who  was  born,  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Decatur.  Their  union  was  blessed  with 
three  children,  only  one  of  whom  is  living,  Ida,  a 
bright  little  child  of  four  years,  who  is  the  light  of 
her  parents'  home.  Two  children  died  in  infancy, 
Milo  and  Roy.  Our  subject,  who  follows  in  the 
political  footsteps  of  his  father,  and  is  a  stalwart 
advocate  of  Republican  principles,  is  now  serving 
as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  They 
have  a'  pleasant  home  and  are  surrounded  by  all 
the  comforts  and  conveniences  that  go  to  make 
life  worth  the  living. 


jRYANT  NOWLIN,  who  has  long  been  a 
resident  of  Macon  County,  now  resides  on 
his  farm  on  section  27,  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship. As  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  this  community,  we  feel  assured  that 
this  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to 
many  of  our  readers.  He  was  born  near  Vandalia, 
in  Fayette  County,  111.,  September  14,  1828,  and 
comes  of  an  old  Virginian  family.  His  grandfa- 
ther, James  Nowlin,  spent  his  entire  life  in  Buck- 
ingham County,  and  his  father,  John  Nowlin, 
was  born  and  reared  in  the  Old  Dominion.  The 
latter  served  in  the  War  of  1812.  under  Gen. 
Jackson,  and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Mobile 
and  New  Orleans.  On  receiving  his  discharge,  he 
walked  from  the  Crescent  City  to  his  old  home  in 


554 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Virginia.  Some  years  later  he  removed  to  Ten- 
nessee, locating  on  the  banks  of  the  Cumberland 
River.  At  length  he  came  to  Bond  County,  111., 
and  then  went  to  Fayette  County,  where  he  died 
October  30,  1847,  at  the  age  of  sixt.y-five  years. 
For  his  services  in  the  Mexican  War  he  received 
a  land  warrant  for  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
which  was  located  by  his  sons. 

In  Tennessee  Mr.  Nowlin  married  Prudence 
Ann  Blankenship,  daughter  of  Zachariah  Blanken- 
ship,  and  a  native  of  Tennessee.  Unto  them  were 
born  nine  children:  Sarah,  deceased;  David,  who 
died  on  the  old  homestead;  Nancy  and  Mrs.  Mary 
Beck,  both  deceased;  Nathaniel,  who  entered  the 
army  from  Arkansas  and  died  in  Fayette  County, 
that  State;  Lurena,  deceased ;  Bryant;  John,  a  soldier 
of  the  late  war,  now  living  in  Missouri;  and  James, 
who  was  in  the  service  for  tliree  years.  The  fa- 
ther of  this  family  took  quite  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs  and  was  prominent  in  local  political 
circles.  He  held  membership  with  the  Close  Com- 
munion Baptist  Church.  In  an  early  day  he  was 
a  great  hunter,  and  was  an  expert  rifle  shot,  and 
killed  a  panther  and  many  deer  and  wild  hogs. 

Mr.  Nowlin  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  man- 
hood upon  the  home  farm  and  was  educated  in 
the  old-time  subscription  schools,  which  were  held 
in  a  log  building,  with  a  huge  fireplace,  in  which 
a  back  log  six  feet  long  could  be  placed.  He  re- 
mained at'home  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  when 
at  his  father's  death  the  family  was  broken  up 
and  he  began  earning  his  own  livelihood.  He 
worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  $8  per  month.  Start- 
ing for  St.  Louis  with  only  $1.05  in  his  pocket, 
he  walked  that  distance,  and  three  nights  were 
spent  by  the  roadside.  After  three  years  he  went 
to  Jacksonville,  where  he  was  again  employed  as 
a  farm  hand,  and  in  1851  returned  to  Fayette 
County. 

In  the  following  spring  Mr.  Nowlin  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Mary  M.  Stokes,  a  native  of  Fay- 
ette County,  111.,  and  she  has  proved  to  him  a 
true  helpmate  and  companion.  For  two  3-ears  he 
operated  a  rented  farm.  In  the  fall  of  1854  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  was  just  completed  to 
Decatur,  and,  as  there  were  no  coaches  yet  on  the 
line  at  that  time,  he  made  this  journey  by  rail  on 


a 'fin  tear.  He  rented  a  farm  in  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  has  here  since  made  his  home.  As  the 
result  of  his  industry  and  enterprise  he  was  en- 
abled to  purchase  a  farm,  and  now  has  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land,  which 
yields  to  him  a  golden  tribute. 

Mr.  Nowlin  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Franklin  Pierce  in  1852,  and  since  that  time  lias 
voted  for  Lincoln  and  Grant,  but  usually  supports 
the  Democratic  party.  He  ma}'  truly  be  called  a 
self-made  man,  for  his  possessions  have  been  ac- 
quired entirely  through  his  own  efforts.  He  now 
has  a  good  property  and  a  pleasant  home,  and  has 
reared  a  family  of  children  who  are  all  doing  well 
in  life.  George,  the  eldest,  is  now  a  fanner  of 
Indiana.  He  was  educated  in  Terre  Haute  and 
Decatur,  and  has  engaged  in  teaching.  Frank 
M.  aids  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm.;  Net- 
tie is  under  the  parental  roof;  and  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  who  married  Naomi  Bradley,  also  fol- 
lows farming.  The  parents  and  children  are  lead- 
ing citizens  of  the  community,  and  our  subject 
is  recognized  as  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  strict 
integrity. 


D 


EUBEN  II.  MERI  WEATHER,  who  is  widely 
known  throughout  Macon  County  as  one 
of  its  prominent  citizens,  is  now  living  on 
section  30,  Long  Creek  Township,  and  is 
numbered  among  the  settlers  of  1858.  He  was 
born  near  Baltimore,  Md.,  June  20,  1820,  and 
comes  of  an  early  Colonial  family.  His  grand- 
father, Reuben  Meriweather,  was  one  of  the  heroes 
of  the  Revolution,  serving  in  the  War  for  Inde- 
pendence as  Colonel,  and  was  one  of  the  executors 
of  Lord  Baltimore.  His  entire  life  was  spent  about 
twenty-three  miles  from  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and 
he  became  a  large  land-owner  and  wealthy  man. 

Thomas  Meriweather,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  and  reared  on  the  old  homestead  and  after- 
ward inherited  it.  He  acquired  a  liberal  education 
for  those  days,  and  throughout  his  entire  life  en,- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


555 


gaged  in  farming.  His  wife  was  in  her  maiden- 
hood Maria  Handy,  and  her  father  was  also  a  Col- 
onel of  the  Revolution.  Our  subject  is  the  only 
survivor  of  their  family.  He  had  four  sisters,  but 
all  are  now  deceased. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  early  boyhood  of  our  subject,  which  was  passed 
upon  his  father's  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the 
common  schools,  but  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he 
entered  Kenyon  College,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  President  Hayes 
was  in  the  class  just  before  him,  and  the  young 
men  formed  a  warm  friendship  in  college.  Mr. 
Meri weather  continued  to  make  his  home  in  the 
State  of  his  nativity  until  1858,  when  he  emigrated 
Westward  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Decatur. 
Here  he  served  as  Deputy  Circuit  Clerk  under 
William  Ilammel  for  four  years,  and  was  appointed 
Master  in  Chancery  by  Judge  Emerson,  filling  that 
oflice  for  ten  years  with  credit  to  himself  and  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  In  the  mean  time 
he  studied  law  and  for  a  period  engaged  in  legal 
practice.  In  1875,  he  was  elected  and  served  as 
Mayor  of  Decatur.  This  ended  his  city  life,  for 
in  the  fall  of  1876  lie  removed  to  the  farm  which 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  It  comprises  two 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich  and  arable  laud, 
and  for  the  cultivation  of  it  the  owner  receives 
abundant  harvests. 

Mr.  Meriweather  was  married  in  his  native  State 
to  Miss  Hester  A.  Austin,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  John 
Austin,  of  Maryland.  She  was  educated  in  an 
academy  of  that  State,  and  their  union  was  cele- 
brated in  1846.  Unto  them  were  born  three  sons 
and  a  daughter.  John  A.,  who  was  educated  in 
Decatur,  and  married  Miss  Tyler,  is  now  teller  in 
the  National  Hank,  of  that  city;  Herbert  is  living 
in  Decatur;  Mary  R.  and  William  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Meriweather  is  a  broad-minded  man,  who 
reads  extensively  and  thinks  deeply.  His  opinions 
are  the  result  of  earnest  meditation,  and  he  is  not 
afraid  to  defend  his  views  on  any  subject.  He 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  in  1844  for  Henry- 
Clay,  and  was  a  Whig  until  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  part}-.  Earnest  and  zealous  in  de- 
fense of  the  Union,  he  joined  that  party  and  has 
since  been  one  of  its  stanch  supporters.  He  is  firm 


in  his  advocacy  of  protection,  as  he  believes  it  to 
be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  majority.  As  be- 
fore stated,  Mr.  Meriweather  is  well  known  through- 
out this  community  and  those  with  whom  he  has 
been  brought  in  contact  hold  him  in  high  esteem, 
his  public  and  private  life  having  been  alike  true. 


OSEPH  RAY,  who  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  on  section  6,  Whitmore 
Township,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  citizen 
of  this  county.  He  was  born  on  the  7th  of 
October,  1842,  in  Scott  County,  111.,  and  is  of  Scotch 
and  Irish  descent.  His  father,  Thomas  Ray,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  was  a  brother  of  the  author 
of  Ray's  Arithmetic,  a  standard  textbook,  very 
widely  used  in  the  schools.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Julia  A.  Curtis. 
In  the  family  were  thirteen  children,  nine  of  whom 
are  now  living.  In  order  of  birth  they  are:  Alonzo, 
Joseph,  S.  C.  (a  veteran  of  the  late  war),  Mary, 
Edward,  David,  Sarah,  Maggie,  and  Clinton.  This 
family  furnished  four  sons  and  soldiers  of  the 
late  war,  and  the  father  also  wore  the  blue. 

Our  subject  was  born  and  reared  upon  a  farm, 
and  the  public  schools  afforded  him  his  educational 
privileges.  When  a  lad  of  thirteen  summers  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  Macon  Count}',  in  1855, 
the  family  locating  in  Friends'  Creek  Township. 
There  he  attained  to  mature  years,  his  youth  being 
passed  in  an  uneventful  manner.  In  1861,  the 
family  removed  to  Whitmore  Township.  Joseph 
was  still  at  home  with  his  parents  at  the  breaking 
out  of  the  late  war.  Prompted  by  patriotic  im- 
pulses, he  entered  the  service  of  his  country  on 
the  10th  of  July,  1861,  as  a  member  of  Company 
A,  Forty-first  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  mustered 
in  at  Decatur  for  a  three-years  term,  and  the  first 
active  engagement  in  which  he  participated  was  at 
Ft.  Donelson.  He  was  under  fire  at  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  participated  in  the  siege  of  Corinth,  the 
battles  of  Ilatchie's  River,  Cold  Water,  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg  and  the  battle  of  Jackson.  He  served 


556 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


all  through  the  Meridan  campaign,  the  Georgia 
campaign,  went  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated 
march  to  the  sea,  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Savan- 
nah, the  Carolina  campaign,  was  at  the  surrender 
of  Gen.  Johnson,  and  participated  in  the  Grand  Re- 
view at  Washington.  He  re-enlisted  in  the  same 
company  December  10,  1863,  after  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  was  made  Sergeant,  and  was  mustered 
out  as  Second  Lieutenant,  October  23,  1865,  after 
more  than  four  years  of  faithful  service,  during 
which  time  he  was  never  off  duty  for  a  single  day. 
After  receiving  his  discharge,  Mr.  Ray  returned 
to  Macon  County,  and  in  1867  purchased  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  on  which  he  now  resides,  since 
which  time  he  has  devoted  his  energies  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  the  raising  of  stock.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican  and  has  been  honored  with 
several  local  offices  of  trust.  He  served  as  Col- 
lector for  four  years,  and  was  one  of  the  Commis- 
sioners who  had  charge  of  the  drainage  ditch  of 
Hickory  Point,  Whitmore  and  Friends'  Creek 
Townships.  He  takes  considerable  interest  in  civic 
societies,  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the 
Uniformed  Rank  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Odd 
Fellows'  lodge,  and  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public. 


THOMAS  J.  DRAPER,  a  highly  esteemed 
farmer  residing  on  section  15,  Mt.  Zion 
Township,  is  living  in  the  neighborhood 
of  his  birthplace,  for  he  was  born  in  this  township, 
March  3,  1855.  His  father,  John  A.  Draper,  was 
one  of  the  first  white  children  born  in  Macon 
County,  the  year  of  his  birth  being  1828.  Promi- 
nent among  the  pioneer  settlers  was  our  subject's 
grandfather,  who  came  from  Virginia  in  1825, 
locating  here  when  Macon  County  was  almost 
an  unbroken  wilderness.  lie  settled  on  Steven's 
Creek,  where  lie  remained  for  about  a  year,  after 
which  he  bought  out  an  Indian  trader,  who  lived 
about  twelve  miles  northeast  of  Decatur.  While 
there  he  was  converted  under  the  preaching  of  Peter 


Wright,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  about 
1830  or  1832.  He  was  of  Scotch-English  descent, 
and  had  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  His  son, 
John  Draper,  was  widely  and  favorably  known  in 
this  community,  when;  he  resided  until  18!)2,  when 
he  removed  to  Douglas  County,  where  he  is  now 
living.  He  crossed  the  plains  to  California  in 
1850  in  search  of  gold.  He  returned  in  January, 
1853,  and  was  married  in  the  winter  of  1854,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Sarah  W.  Jones,  who 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent, 
as  is  also  Mr.  Draper.  Her  death  occurred  in  1888, 
and  her  remains  were  interred  in  Mt.  Zion  Ceme- 
tery. 

The  father  of  our  subject  chose  farming  for  his  life 
work,  and  at  one  time  was  the  owner  of  a  large  tract 
of  the  best  farming  land  in  Macon  County.  In 
his  family  were  seven  children:  Thomas  J.,  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch;  John  A.,  a  resident  of  Iowa; 
Purnell;  Abram  Lincoln;  Ulysses  Grant  and  Lewis 
Sherman,  who  are  living  in  Decatur;  and  James 
Ottis,whodied  and  was  buried  in  Mt.Zion  Cemcterj'. 
Thomas  Draper,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
acquired  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Macon 
County,  and  was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
having  followed  that  business  throughout  his  entire 
life.  He  started  out  for  himself  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years  empty-handed,  but  he  has  made 
the  most  of  his  opportunities,  and  is  now  a  suc- 
cessful agriculturist. 

In  1885,  Mr.  Draper  was  married  to  Miss  Luella 
S.  Stewart,  who  was  born  in  Macon  County,  and 
died  in  1887,  her  remains  being  interred  in  Mt 
Zion  Cemetery.  September  24,  1889,  Mr.  Draper 
was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Mary  P.Wonacott,  alsoa  native  of  this  county. 
Her  father,  John  R.  Wonacott,  was  one  of  the  brave 
boys  in  blue  of  the  late  war,  and  is  now  deceased. 
Her  mother,  Margaret  J.  Hlaney,  is  still  living  and 
makes  her  home  in  Mt.  Zion. 

Socially,  Mr.  Draper  is  connected  witli  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  has 
been  identified  with  the  Republican  party  since 
becoming  a  voter  and  is  a  stanch  advocate  of  its 
principles.  His  wife  holds  membership  with  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  Their  home 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


557 


is  a  pleasant  one,  situated  on  section  15,  Mt.  /ion 
Township,  where  Mr.  Draper  operates  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  good  land.  They  are  pleasant, 
companionable  people,  who  hold  an  enviable  posi- 
tion in  social  circles,  and  their  sterling  worth  and 
many  excellencies  of  character  have  gained  for 
them  the  high  regard  of  a  large  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances. 


P FREDERICK  W.  MILLER,  a  retired  farmer 
j)  who  makes  his  home  in  Maroa,  is  of  Ger- 
man birth.  His  parents,  Philip  and  Char- 
lotte Miller,  were  natives  of  Prussia.  They  had 
three  children:  Frederick  W.,  Louisa  and  Henry. 
Our  subject  was  born  June  11,  1832,  and  when  a 
young  lad  of  nine  years  was  left  an  orphan  by 
the  death  of  his  parents.  No  money  came  to  him 
from  the  estate,  and  emptj- -handed  he  was  thus 
early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  When  in 
his  tenth  year  he  started  for  America  in  company 
with  some  friends,  who  located  in  Jackson  County, 
I  ml.,  upon  a  farm,  and  with  whom  he  remained  for 
about  three  years.  When  a  youth  of  fourteen 
years  he  removed  with  the  family  to  St.  Charles, 
Mo.,  and  in  that  neighborhood  lived  for  fifteen 
years  upon  a  farm.  His  entire  life  has  been  de- 
voted to  agricultural  pursuits. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1855,  Mr.  Miller  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Sarah  Ann  Mockbee, 
daughter  of  Tillman  and  Anna  MOckbee,  who 
were  natives  of  Kentucky.  Four  children  graced 
their  union,  but  Philip,  Frederick  and  William  II. 
are  now  deceased.  The  last-named  wedded  Mamie 
Swain,  and  died  leaving  three  children:  Hallie, 
Ncta  and  Walter.  Charles  A.,  the  only  one  now 
living,  is  a  farmer  and  painter.  He  married  Miss 
Rose  Williams,  and  lives  in  Maroa.  Mrs.  Sarah  A. 
Miller  died  March  5,  1865,  in  the  faith  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  with  which  she  had  held  mem- 
bership from  her  eighteenth  year.  Mr.  Miller  was 
again  married,  October  3,  1865,  his  second  union 


being  with  Lydia  Margaret,  daughter  of  William 
and  Miriam  (Kramer)  Stewart,  the  former  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Pennsylvania.  Four 
children  were  born  of  the  second  marriage.  Mar- 
shall H.  died  at  the  age  of  three  years;  Anna  is 
next  in  order;  Lucy  M.  became  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam A.  Haynes,  who  was  killed  in  a  railroad  acci- 
dent itt  Monticello,  111.,  on  Easter  Sunday,  April 
17,  1892,  leaving  a  son,  Frederick  A.  Mrs.  Haynes 
now  lives  with  her  father.  Benjamin  Franklin  is 
the  next  younger;  and  Fannie  died  in  infancy. 

In  1861  Mr.  Miller  enlisted  in  the  State  militia, 
and  served  until  1865.  In  the  spring  of  that  year 
he  came  to  Macon  County,  111.,  and  located  on  sec- 
tion 18,  Maroa  Township,  where  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land.  To  that  tract 
he  added  until  he  now  owns  four  hundred  acres, 
which  yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute.  He  also  has 
fine  city  property  in  Decatur  and  Maroa.  •  Him- 
self and  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Maroa  Lodge 
No.  454,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  and,  politically,  is  a  Demo- 
crat. We  see  in  Mr.  Miller  a  self-made  man,  who 
has  had  many  obstacles  and  difficulties  to  over- 
come and  who.  though  thrown  upon  his  own  re- 
sources at  a  very  early  age,  has  worked  his  way 
steadily  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence.  Of  his 
success  he  may  be  justly  proud. 


BENJAMIN  M.  SMITH,  one  of  the  highly 
respected  and  worthy  citizens  of  Mt.  Zion 
Township,  now  living  a  retired  life  in  the 
village  of  Mt.  Zion,  is  a  native  of  Virginia. 
He  was  born  in  Prince  William  County,  February 
22,  1816,  and  his  father,  Joseph  Smith,  was  born 
in  the  same  county  in  1774.  The  latter  was  mar- 
ried, in  1801,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Jameson,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  Virginia.  In  1819  they  left  their 
old  home  and  emigrated  to  Montgomery  County, 
Ky.,  where  they  remained  until  their  deaths.  The 
mother  passed  away  in  1842,  and  the  father  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  in  1851.  They  became  the 


558 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


parents  of  the  following  children:  Weeden  W.,  who 
died  in  1842,  and  lies  buried  in  the  family  burial- 
ground  in  Powell  County,  Ky.;  John  B.,  who  died 
in  1836;  James  and  Sidney,  also  deceased;  Jane, 
who  has  been  called  to  the  home  beyond;  Sarah, 
who  died  in  1891;  and  Benjamin,  the  only  surviv- 
ing member  of  the  family.  The  father  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  War  of  1812,  and  won  the  rank  of 
Captain. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  childhood  and  youth  of  our  subject,  which 
were  quietly  passed  under  the  parental  roof.  When 
quite  young  he  manifested  an  aptitude  for  his 
studies  and  improved  his  early  opportunities  for 
an  education.  He  developed  a  taste  for  book- 
keeping and  mathematics,  and  in  1838,  when  he 
started  out  in  life  for  himself,  he  was  employed  as 
book-keeper  in  the  Red  River  Iron  Works  and  also 
in  the  Caney  Iron  Works,  in  Bath  County,  Ky., 
remaining  with  each  company  for  a  year. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  Smith  chose  Miss  Frances  Stoner,  of  Kentucky. 
The  lady  was  born  in  Madison  County,  that 
State,  and  is  a  grandniece  of  Daniel  Boone,  the 
famous  pioneer  and  the  discoverer  of  the  Mammoth 
Cave  in  Kentucky.  Her  grandfather  was  engaged 
in  the  Indian  wars  and  was  associated  with  Daniel 
Boone  for  many  years.  The  union  of  our  subject 
and  his  wife  was  celebrated  in  1843,  and  has 
been  blessed  with  the  following  children,  namely: 
Weeden,  who  resides  in  Mt.  Zion;  Mary,  who 
makes  her  home  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  Minerva, 
who  is  living  in  Joliet,  111.;  Washington,  who  re- 
sides in  Decatur,and  is  now  a  member  of  the  State 
Legislature;  Annie,  who  makes  her  home  in  Piatt 
County;  and  Maria  and  Jefferson  D.,  who  are  still 
living  with  their  parents  in  Mt.  Zion. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  began  their  domestic  life  in 
Montgomery  County,  Ky.,  and  there  remained  un- 
til 1857,  when  they  emigrated  with  their  family 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  Mt.  Zion  Township,  Macon 
County,  with  whose  interests  and  upbuilding  their 
history  has  since  been  identified.  Mr.  Smith  here 
embarked  in  farming,  which  he  carried  on  success- 
fully until  1891,  when  he  laid  aside  the  cares  of 
active  business  life  and  removed  to  Mt.  Zion. 
where  he  is  now  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest.  The 


family  has  a  most  pleasant  and  attractive  home, 
situated  on  an  elevated  site  and  surrounded  by  a 
grove  of  beautiful  shade  trees,  which  wave  their 
green  banners  over  the  well-kept  lawn.  Mr.  Smith 
was  formerly  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  and  in  politics 
is  identified  with  the  Democratic  party.  His  life 
has  been  such  that  he  has  gained  universal  confi- 
dence. He  is  a  genial,  pleasant  gentleman,  and  in 
consequence  has  gained  many  warm  friends. 
Though  seventy-seven  years  old,  he  is  still  able  to 
read  clearly  any  message  without  glasses. 


m 


AMES  MADISON  GRAY  is  a  well-known 
lawyer  of  Dccatur,  Macon  County,  and  is 
prominent  in  political  circles.  A  native  of 
Illinois,  he  was  born  in  Fayette  County, 
near  Vandalia,  on  the  1st  of  June,  1862.  Ou  the 
paternal  side  he  coines  from  an  old  Tennessee  fam- 
ily, and  on  the  maternal  side  from  one  of  the  pio- 
neer families  of  Kentucky.  His  grandfather  Gray 
was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  but,  emigrating  to  Illi- 
nois, became  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Fayette 
County.  He  was  a  prominent  farmer,  but  lived  a 
quiet,  unpretentious  life.  He  reached  the  allotted 
three  score  years  and  ten,  and  passed  away, 
mourned  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Richard  Gray,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Coles  County,  III.,  and  there  resided  until 
1854,  when  he  removed  to  Fayette  County,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  Throughout  his  life 
he  has  engaged  in  fanning  and  stock-raising.  He 
has  also  been  an  active  politician  in  the  Democratic 
ranks  and  warmly  advocates  the  principles  of  that 
party.  His  wife  was  called  to  the  home  beyond 
at  the  age  of  forty-seven,  in  1887.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a 
most  estimable  lady.  She  became  the  mother  of 
six  children,  as  follows:  Douglas;  James  M.;  Alice, 
wife  of  Austin  W.  Miller,  of  Ramsey,  111.;  Rachel, 
wife  of  Benjamin  F.  Kirk,  of  Hayle  City,  111.; 
Nora  and  Eddie. 

Qlancing  back  at  the  early  boyhood  of  our  sub- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


559 


ject,  we  sec  that  it  was  passed  in  the  usual  manner 
of  farmer  lads  on  his  father's  farm  in  Kayette 
County,  lie  began  his  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  attended  the 
High  School  at  Ramsey,  111.,  for  two  years,  after 
which  he  taught  school  for  three  years.  Later  he 
pursued  the  scientific  course  in  the  Northern  In- 
diana Normal  School  at  Valparaiso,  and  in  1886 
was  graduated  from  that  institution  with  the  de- 
gree of  B.  S.  Having  completed  his  literary  edu- 
cation, he  again  embarked  in  teaching  school,  and 
followed  that  profession  for  a  period  of  two 
years.  During  that  time  he  entered  upon  the 
study  of  law,  having  determined  to  become  a 
member  of  the  legal  profession,  and  in  1890  he 
was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  from 
the  law  department  of  the  same  school  in  which  he 
had  completed  the  scientific  course.  The  same 
year  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  and,  locating  in 
Decatur,  he  hung  out  his  shingle  to  the  breezes. 

Since  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Gray  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  and  is  a  warm  ad- 
vocate of  Democratic  principles.  He  ably  served 
as  Chairman  of  the  City  Central  Committee  for 
two  years,  was  also  a  member  of  the  County  Cen- 
tral Committee  and  of  the  Congressional  Commit- 
tee. Mr.  Gray  is  still  a  young  man  and  in  all 
probability  much  of  his  life  yet  lies  before  him, 
but  in  the  few  years  which  have  passed  since  he  has 
reached  man's  estate,  he  has  given  evidence  of 
qualities  that  will  no  doubt  make  his  career  a  suc- 
cessful one.  He  is  ambitious  and  enterprising, 
well  versed  in  the  law,  an  able  advocate,  and  has 
already  gained  a  fair  patronage. 


ftOLNKY  BARBER,  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
George  W.  Jones  &  Co.,  dealers  in  clothing 
and  gents'  furnishing  goods,  is  a  well- 
known  business  man  of  Decatur,  and  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Macon  County.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
Empire  State,  and  was  born  in  the  town  of  Shel- 
don, Wyoming  County,  August  8,  1832.  His  par- 


ents were  Jarvis  and  Betsy  (Krink)  Barber.  The 
former  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  was  descended 
from  one  of  the  early  New  England  families,  and 
the  latter  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  They 
had  a  family  of  eight  children,  of  whom  Amanda, 
Homer  and  Lorette,  the  three  eldest,  are  deceased; 
Henry  H.  is  a  retired  farmer  of  Marshall,  Lyon 
County,  Minn.;  Volney  is  the  next  younger;  Emily 
is  the  widow  of  C.  Kennedy,  of  Marshall  County, 
Minn.;  Alta  R.  is  the  wife  of  John  Irwin,  of  De- 
catur; and  one  child  died  in  infancy. 

In  1843,  the  family  left  New  York  State  and, 
coming  West,  settled  in  Lake  County.  111.  Mr. 
Barber  of  this  sketch  was  born  and  reared  on  a 
farm,  and  received  such  educational  advantages 
as  the  district  schools  afforded.  He  became  inured 
to  farm  labor  in  his  early  youth,  and  assisted  his 
father  in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm  until  twenty 
years  of  age,  when  he  determined  to  enter  upon 
some  other  pursuit.  On  leaving  home  he  secured 
a  position  as  clerk  in  a  grocery  store  in  Blooming- 
ton,  this  State,  where  he  remained  for  one  year, 
and  then  entered  a  boot  and  shoe  store  as  clerk, 
remaining  three  years. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1857,  Mr.  Barber  opened 
a  boot  and  shoe  store  in  Decatur,  which  he  carried 
on  successfully  for  ten  years.  In  1867,  he  sold 
his  stock  of  goods  and  leased  his  building  for  five 
years,  and  two  years  later  removed  to  a  farm  four 
miles  north  of  the  city.  He  had  purchased  this 
land  in  1865,  becoming  owner  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  on  section  27,  Hickory  Point 
Township.  It  was  all  wild  and  unimproved,  but 
he  at  once  began  its  development  and  soon  the 
raw  prairie  was  transformed  into  well-tilled  fields. 
Farming  afforded  him  profitable  emplo3'ment  until 
1872,  when  he  returned  to  Decatur,  where  he 
again  embarked  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business, 
which  he  continued  for  three  years,  in  partnership 
with  J.  N.  Baker. 

In  1875,  Mr.  Barber  returned  to  his  farm,  leav- 
ing his  partner  in  charge  of  the  store,  in  which  he 
continued  to  own  an  interest  until  1889.  In  1892, 
he  purchased  a  half-interest  in  the  business  now 
conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  George  W. 
Jones  &  Co.  This  is  one  of  the  leading  clothing 
stores  of  the  city.  In  the  spring  of  1893,  Mr. 


560 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Barter  sold  his  beautiful  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  north  of  Decatur  and  became  a 
resident  of  the  city.  He  is  still  largely  interested 
in  real  estate,  his  landed  possessions  in  different 
States  exceeding  two  thousand  acres.  In  Shelby 
County,  111.,  he  has  a  large  stock  farm  of  five  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  where  he  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  raising  thoroughbred  Aberdeen,  or  Polled- 
Angus,  cattle  and  draft  horses.  He  also  has  a 
very  large  ranch  in  Kansas,  devoted  to  breeding 
and  feeding  horses  and  cattle.  Mr.  Barber  is  a 
member  of  the  Orange  Belt  Land  and  Canal  Com- 
pany, which  has  its  headquarters  at  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

On  the  15lh  of  April,  1857,  Mr.  Barber  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Cleora  R.,  daughter 
of  Reuben  Rugg.  Six  sons  were  born  of  this 
union.  Arthur  R.,  the  eldest,  is  a  farmer  of  Shelby 
County,  111.;  Frank  II.  resides  in  Grand  Rapids, 
Mich.;  Lucius  V.  carries  on  his  father's  ranch  in 
Shelby  County;  Walter  O.  is  at  home;  Willie  F. 
B.  died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  and  Albert  IL, 
who  is  Secretary  of  the  Orange  Belt  Land  and 
Canal  Company,  resides  at  Phcenix,  Ariz. 

For  twelve  years  Mr.  Barber  was  Superintendent 
of  the  County  Farm,  and  for  three  years  he  held 
the  office  of  Supervisor  of  his  township.  In  pol- 
itics, he  has  been  a  Republican  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  that  party.  For  about  forty  years  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order.  In  his  var- 
ious business  enterprises  he  has  achieved  success 
as  a  result  of  his  industry  and  business  sagacity. 


•f3^ 


ENJAMIN  F.  SHIPLEY,  who  is  success- 
fully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Ma- 
M)/  roa>  Das  f°r  only  a  short  time  devoted  his 
^&P  energies  to  this  work,  but  he  has  the  abil- 
ity and  force  of  character  that  will  win  him  a 
foremost  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  legal  profes- 
sion, and  is  a  wide-awake  and  enterprising  young 
man.  He  was  born  near  Vandalia,  in  Fayette 
County,  111.,  February  14, 1850,  and  is  one  of  four 
children,  whose  parents  were  Russell  and  Martha 


(Greene)  Shipley.  The  former  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  his  father  was  born  in  Maryland, 
lie  was  a  planter,  and  in  slavery  days  was  exten- 
sively engaged  in  raising  tobacco.  He  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  Russell  Shipley  fol- 
lowed farming  in  Kentucky  and  Illinois,  and  after 
locating  near  Vandalia  married  Miss  Greene,  a  na- 
tive of  this  State.  The  children  born  of  this  un- 
ion were  Benjamin  F.;  Byrd;  Luc  E.,  wife  of  Sam- 
uel Spratt,  of  Greeneville,  111.;  and  Lizzie,  wife  of 
John  Shipley,  of  Bowling  Green,  Ky.  The  father 
died  in  1876,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  and  the 
mother  in  February,  1861.  They  were  members  of 
•the  Methodist  Church,  but  after  the  deatli  of  his 
wife  Mr.  Shipley  joined  the  Baptist  Church.  He 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War. 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  was  similar  to  that 
of  any  other  farmer  lad  of  Illinois  in  an  early  day 
in  most  particulars,  differing  mostly  as  to  details. 
He  early  learned  to  plow  and  plant,  and  in  the 
winter  months  attended  the  district  schools.  He 
was  afterwards  a  student  in  the  public  schools  of 
Vandalia.  and  there  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  be- 
gan reading  law.  While  pursuing  his  Law  studies 
he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  County  Superinten- 
dent of  Schools,  which  position  he  filled  for  ten 
years.  In  1886,  he  came  to  Maroa,  and  was  elected 
Principal  of  the  public  schools  of  this  place,  vacat- 
ing the  office  after  a  seven-years  term.  Mr.  Ship- 
ley was  a  most  able  instructor.  Tact  and  talent 
were  combined  in  his  work,  and  his  success  is 
shown  by  his  long  terms  of  service. 

Our  subject  has  been  twice  married.  He  first 
wedded  Dora,  daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  and  Char- 
lotte (Bishop)  Lee,  of  Shobonier,  111.  His  wife 
died  in  December,  1891,  and  on  the  24th  of  May, 
1893,  he  married  Miss  Ada  V.  Graham,  daughter 
of  George  and  Ellen  L.  (Shutt)  Graham,  of  Ram- 
sey, 111.  This  wortli3'  couple  are  held  in  the  high- 
est regard  by  all  who  know  them  and  have  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 

In  1893,  Mr.  Shipley  laid  aside  educational 
work  and  began  legal  practice,  having  been  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar  in  Mt.  Vernon  in  1889.  He  is 
the  present  City  Attorney  of  Maroa,  which  office 
he  has  held  since  the  organization  of  the  cit}-  un- 
der the  general  law.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chris- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


561 


tian  Church,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Maroa 
Lodge  No.  454,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Maroa  Chapter  No. 
192,  R.  A.  M.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No. 
9,  K.  T.,  of  Decatur.  He  also  belongs  to  Royal 
Lodge  No.  109,  K.  P.;  and  Maroa  Camp  No.  417, 
M.  W.  A.  He  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party. 


N  S.  KIZER,  of  Decatur,  claims  Ohio  as 
the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in 
Hamilton  County,  ten  miles  from  Cincin- 
nati,  October  17,  1815,  and  is  of  German 
descent.  His  grandfather,  a  native  German,  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  Pennsylvania,  and  in  that  State 
Jacob  Kizer,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born- 
At  the  age  of  twelve  he  went  to  Tennessee,  and 
lived  with  a  brother  until  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority, when  lie  went  to  Ohio.  He  there  met  and 
married  Rhoda,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Stites,  who 
laid  out  Columbia.  She  was  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey, and  was  of  English  descent.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  1807,  and  settled  on  a  farm  which  Mr. 
Kizer  operated  in  connection  with  blacksmith  ing. 
In  1821,  he  removed  to  Shelby  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  bought  land  and  cleared  a  timbered 
tract.  The  year  1835  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Illi- 
nois after  a  journey  of  thirty-three  days.  The 
father  died  in  Mechanicsburgh  in  1845,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-seven  3'ears,  after  which  the  family  scat- 
tered and  the  mother  lived  with  her  children. 
She  died  in  Long  Creek  Township  in  October, 
1875,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five.  Mr.  Kizer  was  a 
zealous  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and 
served  as  Class-leader  and  Steward  for  thirty  years. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat.  Of  the  twelve 
children,  eleven  grew  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood, and  five  are  still  living,  namely:  John; 
Mary  Ann,  widow  of  John  Stickel,of  Long  Creek; 
William  B.,of  Texarkana, Tex.;  Mrs.  Rhoda  Brown, 
of  Arkansas;  and  Jacob  R.,  of  Missouri. 

Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  only  six  summers  when 


the  family  removed  to  Shelby  County,  where  he 
was  reared  to  manhood  amid  the  wild  scenes  of 
frontier  life.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
old-time  log  schoolhouse,  with  its  slab  seats,  huge 
fireplace  and  other  primitive  furniture.  On  at- 
taining to  man's  estate  he  began  to  earn  his  own 
livelihood.  In  1837  he  bought  a  team  and  went 
to  Galena,  where  he  worked  in  the  lead  mines  for 
two  years,  and  then  engaged  in  cabinet-making 
and  carpentering.  The  year  1846  witnessed  his 
arrival  in  Macon  County.  Locating  in  Long  Creek 
Township,  he  there  made  his  home  until  1857. 

Mr.  Kizer  was  married  in  1845,  in  that  township, 
to  Miss  Lydia,  daughter  of  Joseph  Davis.  She 
.  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  was  brought  to  Ma- 
con  County  when  one  year  old.  Eight  children 
have  been  born  unto  them,  namely:  Mrs.  Sarah 
Worthem,  of  Hammond,  111.;  Thomas  J.,  a  grain 
buyer  of  Hammond;  Louisa  Luella,  at  home;  Will- 
iam R.,  a  jeweler  of  Mattoon ;  John  Henry,  a  far- 
mer of  Long  Creek  Township;  Clara  J.,  at  home; 
Marvin  I).,  a  merchant  of  Long  Creek;  and  Flora 
Belle,  who  is  living  in  Tuscola,  111.  Mr.  Kizer  has 
provided  his  children  with  good  educational  ad- 
vantages and  thus  fitted  them  for  the  practical 
duties  of  life. 

In  1857  our  subject  went  to  Missouri,  but  when 
the  war  broke  out  was  forced  to  leave.  He  was 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  company  with  his 
brother,  W.  B.,  and  they  lost  nearly  $9,000.  Re- 
turning to  Illinois,  lie  located  on  a  farm  in  Long 
Creek  Township,  purchasing  eighty  acres  of  ara- 
ble land  and  forty  acres  of  timber  on  section  27. 
To  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  farm 
he  assiduously  devoted  his  energies  until  about 
1887,  when  he  came  to  Decatur,  where  he  has  since 
lived  a  retired  life,  enjoying  the  rest  which  he  has 
so  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves.  For  many 
years  himself  and  wife  have  been  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  have  taken 
an  active  part  in  benevolent  and  charitable  work, 
and  Mr.  Kizer  has  served  as  Class-leader.  His 
fellow-townsmen  have  called  upon  him  to  serve 
in  several  public  positions.  He  has  filled  the  office 
of  Assessor,  was  Supervisor  for  two  terms,  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  thirteen  years,  and  School  Treas- 
urer for  twenty-one  consecutive  years.  In  poli- 


562 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


tics  lie  was  long  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy,  but 
now  votes  with  the  Prohibition  part}7.  The  cause 
of  temperance  finds  in  him  a  warm  friend,  and 
every  enterprise  calculated  to  prove  of  public  ben- 
efit receives  his  support. 


V*AMES  DURNING,  who  after  years  of  toil 
and  labor  is  now  living  a  retired  life  at  his 
present  home  in  Mt.  /ion,  deserves  repre- 
sentation in  this  volume,  for  he  is  one  of 
the  highly  respected  citizens  of  the  community. 
His  life  record  is  as  follows:  He  was  born  June 
20,  1828,  in  Caldwell  County,  Ky.,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Jane  (Maxwell)  Durning,  the  former 
born  in  Venango  County,  Pa.,  in  1802,  and  the 
latter  in  Caldwell  County,  Ky.,  in  1805.  Her 
death  occurred  in  the  county  of  her  nativity  in 
1850,  but  Mr.  Durning  died  in  Kansas  in  1880,  and 
was  buried  in  Humboldt,  Kan.  The  family  of 
this  worthy  couple  numbered  eight  children: 
Alexander,  whose  death  occurred  in  Kentucky; 
William,  who  died  in  Hancock  County,  Ky.; 
James,  of  this  sketch;  /ekiel  K.,  who  died  and  was 
buried  in  Salem  Church  Cemetery,  of  Macon 
County-;  Edward  N.,  who  resides  in  this  county; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  Kincaid,  who  is  living  in 
Daviess  County,  Ky.;  Catherine,  Mrs.  Elliott,a  resi- 
dentof  Indiana;  and  Martha,  wife  of  Adam  Turpie, 
a  resident  of  Argentine,  Wyandotte  County.  Kan., 
and  who  is  a  brother  of  United  States  Senator 
Turpie. 

We  sec  in  Mr.  Durning  a  self-made  man  who 
started  out  in  life  without  money  or  influence,  but 
has  worked  his  way  upward  from  a  humble  posi- 
tion to  one  of  affluence.  He  owes  his  success  to- 
day to  his  industrious  habits,  good  management 
and  honesty  of  purpose.  His  life  work  has  been 
farming  and  stock-raising.  He  settled  in  Wheat- 
land  Township  in  1853,  having  come  to  this 
county  with  S.  K.  Smith,  of  Mt.  /ion.  After  a  ten- 
years  residence  there  he  removed  to  Long  Creek 


Township,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  and 
then  became  a  resident  of  Mt.  /ion  Township,  in 
which  he  still  makes  his  home.  Since  laying  aside 
business  cares  he  has  resided  in  the  village,  but  he 
still  owns  his  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  on  sections  4  and  5. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1855,  Mr.  Durning 
wedded  Miss  Mary  Jane  Nicholson,  of  Garrard 
County,  Ky.,  who  was  born  August  28,  1830.  Her 
father  was  a  well-known  teacher  of  that  county.who 
made  teaching  his  life  work.  Two  children  graced 
this  union:  Charles,  who  married  Miss  Lutitia  Muir, 
and  resides  on  the  old  homestead  with  his  wife  and 
three  children,  Arthur  C.,  Orville  R.  and  Nina 
May.  Stella  resides  with  her  parents.  Both  were 
educated  in  Mt.  /ion  and  Prairie  Hall. 

Mr.  Durning  has  been  honored  with  the  office 
of  Road  Commissioner  for  nine  consecutive  years, 
which  indicates  two  facts:  that  his  fellow-townsmen 
repose  great  trust  in  him,  and  that  the  trust  has 
never  been  betrayed.  He  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  Republican  party.  So- 
cially, he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  of 
Mt.  /ion,  and  himself  and  wife  hold  membership 
with  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Durning  is  numbered  among  the  honored  early 
settlers  of  the  county,  and  it  was  he  who  hauled 
the  tirst  load  of  lumber  to  the  site  of  the  present 
town  of  Macon.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  views,  is 
public  spirited  and  progressive,  genial  and  cordial 
in  manner,  and  he  and  his  estimable  wife  have 
many  warm  friends  throughout  the  community. 


OIIN  SCOTT,  a  retired  farmer  now  living 
in  Mt.  /ion,  is  a  native  of  the  Hoosier 
State.  He  was  born  in  Gibson  County,  Ind., 
on  the  22d  of  December,  1821,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Poll}'  (Dodds)  Scott.  The  father  was 
born  in  South  Carolina,  and  in  his  youth  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Tennessee,  where  he  met  and 
married  Miss  Dodds.  They  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  but  James,  Betsy  and  Nancy  all 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


563 


died  and  were  buried  in  Indiana.  Jane  was  laid 
to  rest  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery;  Jessie  is  living  in 
Iowa;  Frank  D.  is  mentioned  on  another  page  of 
this  work;  and  our  subject  completes  the  number. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  in  the  War  of  1812, 
serving  under  Gen.  Jackson.  He  and  his  wife  now 
sleep  side  by  side  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery. 

Our  subject  was  only  seven  years  of  age  when 
he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Sangamon  County, 
111.,  where  the  family  remained  for  a  year,  and 
then  spent  one  year  in  McLean  County.  Since 
1835  they  have  been  residents  of  Macon  County. 
Mr.  Scott  of  this  sketch  is  a  self-made  man,  who 
has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  efforts  since  the 
age  of  sixteen  years.  His  educational  privileges 
were  quite  limited.  Farming  and  stock-raising 
have  been  his  life  work,  and  that  he  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  his  career  will  be  seen  from  the  fact  that 
by  his  faithful  and  energetic  efforts  and  the 
assistance  of  his  wife  lie  has  acquired  a  handsome 
competency  for  his  declining  years.  They  have  a 
pleasant  home  in  Mt.  Zion,  where  they  now  reside, 
and  own  four  hundred  and  thirty-six  acres  of  fine 
land,  all  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  im- 
provement, with  the  exception  of  a  thirty-six-acre 
tract  of  timber-land. 

On  the  22d  of  March,  1853,  Mr.  Scott  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  J.  Davidson,  whose 
father  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and  mother 
a  native  of  Kentucky.  The  family  came  to 
Illinois  in  1829.  Four  children  were  born  unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott,  but  Martha,  a  bright  and 
beautiful  girl,  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery,  mourned 
by  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends.  Minna  died  at 
the  age  of  nine  years,  and  was  buried  by  the  side 
of  her  sister.  Oliver  M.,  who  married  Miss  Nancy 
Smith,  is  living  in  Wheatland  Township;  and 
Rhoda  is  the  wife  of  L.  Henry,  and  is  living  on 
the  old  home  farm  with  her  parents  near  Mt. 
Zion. 

Mr.  Scott  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has 
been  honored  with  a  number  of  official  positions, 
the  duties  of  which  he  has  discharged  with  prompt- 
ness and  fidelity,  but  he  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker.  He  lias  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 


munity and  its  upbuilding.  After  a  well-spent 
and  useful  life  he  is  now  living  retired,  enjoying 
the  rest  which  he  has  so  truly  earned  and  richly 
deserves.  He  is  numbered  among  the  honored 
pioneers  of  the  county,  and  has  here  made  his  home 
for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  it  is  with 
pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  readers  this  record 
of  his  life. 


6»OBIAS  QUICKEL,  who  for  twenty-five 
years  has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits 
on  sections  13  and  18,  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  York  County,  Pa.,  in  1835.  His 
great-grandfather,  John  Michael  Quickel,  was  born 
in  Europe  in  1721,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
1769,  landing  in  Baltimore,  whence  he  went  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  bought  four  hundred  and 
eighteen  acres  of  land,  the  homestead  of  the  family. 
There  his  death  occurred  in  1787.  His  son,  John 
Quickel,  was  born  in  1762,  and  became  a  prominent 
citizen  of  York  County.  He  entered  land  from 
the  Government  and  gave  a  portion  of  this  as  a 
site  for  a  church  and  bury  ing -ground.  The  old 
'Quickei  Church  was  replaced  with  a  new  one  some 
years  ago.  He  also  volunteered  for  the  Revolu- 
tionary service,  raised  a  company  for  that  war,  and 
valiantly  aided  in  the  struggle  for  independence. 
He  taught  school  fora  number  of  years  and  served 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  learned  the  trade  of 
stone-cutting  and  made  a  n  umber  of  the  tombstones 
which  still  stand  in  the  old  cemetery  near  the 
homestead.  He  knew  something  of  medicine,  and 
also  had  a  set  of  dentist's  instruments,  but  his 
main  pursuit  was  farming.  The  community  found 
in  him  a  useful  and  valued  member. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Michael  Quickel,  was 
born  August  25,  1794,  in  York  County.  He  was 
reared  under  the  parental  roof,  and  hauled  stone 
for  the  house  and  barn  on  the  old  place.  In  later 
life  he  cared  for  his  father  in  his  declining  years. 
The  latter  died  in  1831,  and  his  wife,  who  was  born 
in  1763,  died  in  1830.  Michael  Quickel  followed 


.'.'•4 


POiiTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


farming  until  his  death,  in  1846.  He  married 
Miss  Catherine  Krone,  daughter  of  George  Krone, 
who  was  born  in  the  year  1763  and  died  in 
1817.  His  wife  was  born  in  1775,  and  died  in 
1852.  Mrs.  Qnickel  is  still  living,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six  years,  and  makes  her  home  with  her 
youngest  daughter  in  Chambcrsburgh,  Pa.  After 
the  death  of  her  first  husband,  she  kept  her  family 
together  until  the  children  were  nearly  grown. 
She  was  again  mairied,  and  is  now  the  widow  of 
Samuel  Long.  The  )>areuts  of  our  subject  were 
both  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  the 
father  was  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy.  The 
children  of  the  family  were  Gideon,  who  served 
three  years  in  the  Eighty-seventh  Pennsylvania 
Regiment  during  the  late  war  and  died  in  the 
Keystone  State;  George,  who  resides  near  the  old 
home;  Mrs.  Anna  Meisenhelter,  of  Pennsylvania: 
and  Mrs.  Leah  Rice,  of  C'hambersburgh. 

Tobias  Quickel  is  a  self-made  man,  whose  career 
is  well  worthy  of  emulation.  His  privileges  were 
quite  limited,  but  he  made  the  most  of  his  advan- 
tages. There  were  no  free  schools  near  his  home 
until  after  he  was  thirteen,  but  his  father  taught 
him  at  home,  and  he  attended  the  subscription 
schools.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  earn- 
ing his  own  livelihood,  and  for  one  summer 
worked  on  a  farm,  receiving  $8  per  month.  He 
then  worked  in  a  mill  for  six  months  for  16  per 
month.  The  next  half-year  he  received  $8  per 
month,  and  for  two  months  was  paid  $12  per 
month.  Not  satisfied  with  his  education,  he  re-en- 
tered school  and  as  he  possessed  a  natural  taste  for 
mathematics,  he  advanced  rapidly  in  his  studies. 
He  learned  surveying,  studied  astronomy,  algebra 
and  other  higher  branches,  and  then  engaged  in 
teaching  and  successfully  followed  that  profession 
for  some  time.  In  1864  he  came  West  on  a  pros- 
pecting tour,  visiting  Iowa  and  Illinois,  and  at- 
tended the  State  Fair  in  Decatur. 

In  1867,  Mr.  Quickel  was  married  to  Miss  Mary 
Recser,  a  native  of  York  County,  Pa.,  and  with 
his  bride  started  at  once  for  Macon  County,  where 
be  has  since  made  his  home.  His  wife  died  here, 
leaving  a  three-year-old  daughter.  Catherine  E., 
now  the  wife  of  Milton  Reisinger,  a  fanner  of  this 
community.  She  was  reared  by  her  grandparents 


in  York  Count}-,  Pa.  For  his  second  wife,  our 
subject  chose  Elizabeth  A.  Hursh,  of  Cumberland 
Count)-,  Pa.  Her  father  died  when  his  children 
were  small,  and  the  family  was  then  scattered. 
She  has  one  brother  living  in  Massachusetts,  one 
in  Nebraska,  one  in  Missouri,  and  one  in  Kansas; 
one  died  in  the  Keystone  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Quickel  have  a  son,  Oscar  H.,  who  is  still  on  the 
home  farm. 

When  our  subject  c-ame  to  this  county  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  improved  land,  but  to  this  he  has 
added  from  time  to  time,  until  he  now  has  an  ex- 
tensive farm,  where  he  successfully  carries  on  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  and  stock-raising.  The  place 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved. The  house  is  a  commodious  and  fine  res- 
idence, around  which  he  has  planted  many  beauti- 
ful shade  trees,  and  the  place  is  one  of  the  most 
desirable  country  homes  in  eastern  Illinois.  Mr. 
Quickel  has  led  a  bus}-  and  useful  life,  yet  has 
found  time  to  devote  to  public  interests.  Edu- 
cation lias  ever  found  in  him  a  friend,  and  all 
worthy  enterprises  receive  his  support.  Himself 
and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  Long  Creek.  He  cast  his  first  Presiden- 
tial vote  for  Buchanan  in  1856,  and  has  since  been 
a  Democrat.  By  careful  attention  to  the  details 
of  his  business,  by  enterprise  and  perseverance  he 
has  acquired  a  comfortable  competence  and  is  now 
numbered  among  Macon  County's  substantial  citi- 
zens. 


AMUEL  HEFT,  who  cairies  on  general 
farming  on  section  17.  Austin  Township, 
is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens  that  Ohio  has 
furnished  this  community.  He  was  born 
in  Fail-field  County  August  21,  1828,  and  is  a  son 
of  David  Heft,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  in  early 
boyhood  went  with  his  parents  to  the  Buckeye 
State,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  Smith,  a  native  of  Ohio.  Seven 
children  were  born  of  the  union  of  this  worthy 
couple:  Ezra,  who  died  in  Memphis,  Trim.,  in  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  B1OGRAPHJCAL   RECORD. 


565 


service  of  his  country  during  the  late  war;  Samuel, 
whose  name  heads  this  sketch;  Emanuel,  who  is  ' 
living  in  Nebraska;  Mary,  wife  of  John  Hurd,  a 
resident  of  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa;  Peter,  of  Potta- 
wattamie  County, Iowa;  Joshua, of  Council  Bluffs, 
Iowa;  and  Sarah'Jane,  wife  of  Benjamin  Hurd,  who  \ 
is  living  near  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  The  father  of 
this  family  died  in  Hocking  County,  Ohio,  in  1845, 
aud  the  mother  spent  her  last  days  in  Pottawatta- 
mie  County.  Iowa,  where  the  family  had  settled  in 
1855. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  childhood 
upon  his  father's  farm,  and  in  the  winter  season 
attended  the  district  schools,  while  in  the  summer 
months  he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field.  Having 
attained  to  mature  years,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Elizabeth  Davis,  of  Shelby  County, 
Ohio.  Their  union  was  celebrated  April  10,  1853, 
and  lias  been  blessed  with  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  William  W.;  Foster,  at  home; 
Scott;  John  A.,  of  Phel|>s  County,  Xeb.;  Oma;  An- 
nie; Stella  and  Clora.  Oma,  Annie  and  Ciora  are 
still  living  with  their  father.  The  mother  was 
called  to  the  home  beyond  January  27,  1877,  and 
her  remains  were  interred  in  Emery  Cemetery. 

Our  subject  settled  in  Illinois  in  1856,  and  ex- 
cept for  one  year,  has  lived  in  the  State  ever  since. 
The  home  farm,  upon  which  he  settled  in  1870, 
is  situated  on  section  17,  Austin  Township,  aud 
comprises  one  hundred  aud  sixty  acres  of  valuable 
land,  which  yields  a  golden  tribute  for  the  care 
and  labor  bestowed  upon  it.  There  are  good 
buildings  upon  the  place,  and  it  is  well  improved 
in  every  way.  Mr.  Heft  has  always  followed  ag- 
ricultural pursuits.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
on  his  father's  death,  he  was  left  to  look  after  the 
family,  and  his  labor  and  work  all  went  for  their 
aid  until  he  had  become  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
five  years.  He  then  left  home  empty-handed,  but 
by  a  determined  will,  good  management  and  per- 
severance he  has  worked  his  way  upward  to  a  posi- 
tion of  affluence.  Certainly  his  success  is  well  de- 
served, being  the  just  reward  of  a  well-spent,  use- 
ful and  unselfish  life.  Mr.  Heft  has  always  faith- 
fully discharged  his  duties  of  citizenship,  but  has 
never  had  time  or  inclination  for  office-seeking. 
He  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  with  which  he 


has  been  identified  since  its  organization,  his  first 
vote  being  cast  for  Gen.  Scott  in  1852.  He  is  an 
honest,  upright  man,  who  has  the  respect  and  good- 
will of  all  who  know  him,  and  in  his  declining 
years  he  is  taking  life  easy  in  his  pleasant  and  at- 
tractive home. 


:ILLIAM  C.  BRELSFORD,  a  farmer  resid- 
ing on  section  14,  Austin  Township,  claims 
Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was 
born  in  Butler  County  March  22,  1833,  and  is  one 
of  seven  children  whose  parents  were  Benjamin 
and  Jane  (Van  Cleve)  Brelsford.  The  father  was 
born  near  Reading  Pa.,  in  1776, and  when  a  young 
lad  removed  with  his  parents  to  Cincinnati,  when 
one  log  cabin  marked  the  site  of  that  great  com- 
mercial city.  The  children  of  the  family  were 
Catherine,  Sarah  Jane,  Martha,  Ann  Maria,  Benja- 
min V..  Absalom  D.  and  William  C. 

Our  subject  started  out  in  life  for  himself  in 
1850,  when  he  was  seven  teen  years  of  age.  He  had 
had  little  opportunity  for  securing  an  education, 
and  had  no  capital  to  aid  him  in  life's  struggles, 
but  nevertheless  he  has  prospered.  On  the  15th 
of  October,  1855,  he  chose  as  a  companion  and 
helpmate  on  life's  journey  Miss  Susan  E.  A.  Detro, 
of  Butler  County,  Ohio.  Their  union  was  blessed 
with  the  following  children:  Benjamin  C.,  William 
H.,  Eliza  Jane,  Sarah  M.,  Eugene.  Pierson.  Lydia 
Ellen  and  Harry.  Pierson  and  Harry  are  still  at 
home.  On  the  15th  of  September,  1876,  Mrs. 
Brelsford  died  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Central 
Ridge  Cemetery,  in  Maroa  Township.  April  9, 
1878,  our  subject  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Ella  Bost,  a  resident  of  Ed- 
gar County,  111. 

Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Brelsford  has  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  to  which  he  was  feared. 
When  he  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  he 
worked  by  the  month  for  several  years  as  a  farm 
hand,  receiving  from  $10  to  $15  per  month  in 
compensation  for  his  services.  He  had  many  hard- 


566 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ships  and  difficulties  to  meet  in  those  early  days, 
and  many  obstacles  to  overcome,  but  with  deter- 
mined effort  and  willing,  honest  hands  he  worked 
his  way  slowly  but  steadily  upward  to  success,  and 
now  in  his  declining  years  he  can  look  back  over 
the  days  that  were  spent  in  hard  toil  and  see  that 
by  his  industry  and  steadfastness  of  purpose  he  has 
won  for  himself  and  family  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence, which  in  his  declining  years  will  enable  him 
to  live  a  retired  life.  He  can  look  out  over  beau- 
tiful fields  of  waving  grain,  comprising  four  hun- 
dred acresof  rich  farming  land,  and  know  it  is  his 
own.  He  may  well  be  proud  of  the  success  that 
has  attended  his  efforts,  for  in  all  his  dealings  he 
has  followed  an  honorable  and  upright  course, and 
his  example  is  well  worthy  of  emulation.  It  should 
also  serve  to  encourage  others  who  like  himself 
have  to  start  out  in  life  with  nothing  to  depend 
on  but  their  own  exertions.  Success  is  not  the  re- 
sult of  talent  and  genius,  it  is  the  reward  of  labor. 
In  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Brelsford  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public 
office.  In  the  community  where  he  resides  he  has 
the  confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


|i  AMES  II.  ALEXANDER,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Macon  County,  has  resided  upon 
his  present  farm  on  section  31,  Whitmore 
Township,  for  almost  forty  years,  or  during 
entire  residence  in  this  community.  In  the 
days  which  have  come  and  gone  since  he  located 
in  this  community,  he  has  aided  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  county,  and  has  borne  his  part  in  its 
upbuilding  and  progress;  hence  his  name  deserves 
enrollment  with  the  honored  pioneers. 

Mr.  Alexander  was  born  near  Franklin,  in  John- 
son County,  Ind.,  on  the  29th  of  October,  1831, 
and  is  a  son  of  James  R.  and  Rebecca  (Gay)  Alex- 
ander. His  father  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina 
and  was  of  Irish  descent.  He  was  born  in  1797, 
and  when  quite  young  removed  with  his  parents 


to  Tennessee,  from  where  he  went  to  Indiana  in 
1828,  making  the  journey  by  team.  He  located  in 
.Johnson  County,  becoming  one  of  its  pioneer  set- 
tlers. From  the  Government  he  secured  a  tract  of 
land  and  there  engaged  in  fanning  until  his  re- 
moval to  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  where  his  death 
occurred  in  May,  1817.  By  occupation  he  was  a 
farmer,  and  followed  that  pursuit  throughout  his 
entire  life.  He  held  membership  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  in  politics  was  a  Democrat. 
While  in  Indiana  in  an  earty  day  he  served  as 
County  Judge.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  who 
also  belonged  to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  after  her 
husband's  death  went  to  Decatur,  where  she  died 
in  November,  1868. 

The  Alexander  family  numbered  ten  children, 
but  the  four  eldest,  Mary,  Eliza,  Thomas  K.  and 
Tilghman  II.,  are  now  deceased.  John  H.  is  living 
a  retired  life  in  California;  Emily  has  also  passed 
away;  James  is  the  next  younger;  Addison  J.  and 
William  G.  are  also  deceased;  and  Isabella  com- 
pletes the  family. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  is  widely  known  in  Macon  County. 
During  his  boyhood,  he  attended  school  for  about 
three  months  during  the  y6ar  in  a  log  school- 
house  and  even  this  meagre  privilege  was  no 
longer  afforded  him  after  he  had  completed  his 
fifteenth  year.  His  father  died  when  he  was  sev- 
enteen years  of  age,  and  he  then  aided  in  the  care 
of  the  home  farm,  remaining  with  his  mother  un- 
til he  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-three.  He  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  in  St.  Clair  County  until 
April,  1854,  when  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early- 
settlers  of  Macon  County.  He  located  upon  the 
farm  in  Whitmore  Township  which  has  since  been 
his  home,  and  which  now  comprises  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety-two  acres  of  land.  For  years  he 
engaged  in  its  cultivation,  and  from  time  to  time 
he  erected  good  buildings  and  made  other  sub- 
stantial improvements  upon  the  place,  all  of  which 
are  monuments  to  his  handiwork. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  Alexander  chose  Miss  Sarah  A.  Griffen,  a  na- 
tive of  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mrs. 
Mary  Foulke  (Shepherd)  Griffen.  The  marriage 
ceremony  was  performed  October  17,  1860,  and  by 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


567 


tlicir  union  have  been  born  three  children:  Jos- 
eph, a  musician,  who  is  now  traveling  with  the 
Andrews  Opera  Company;  Edgar,  a  business  man 
of  Decatur;  and  Ottie,  wife  of  William  Hayes, 
who  with  her  husband  resides  on  the  old  homestead 
with  our  subject,  and  he  operates  the  farm.  The 
mother  of  this  family  was  called  to  the  home  be- 
yond January  15,  1893,  and  her  remains  were  in- 
terred in  the  Decatur  Cemetery.  Mr.  Alexander 
is  now  living  a  retired  life,  resting  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  fruits  of  his  former  labor.  He  exer- 
cises his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  with  which  he  has  affiliated  since  its 
organization. 


MUELLER,  is  one  of  Decatur's  most  prom- 
inent and  enterprising  men.  He  is  at  the 
head  of  three  large  industries,  and  by  his 
business  interests  he  has  materially  aided 
in  the  prosperity  and  upbuilding  of  his  adopted 
country.  The  record  of  his  life  is  as  follows:  He 
was  born  in  the  year  1832,  in  the  city  of  Wertheim, 
on  the  Main,  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden.  His 
education  was  begun  in  the  common  public  schools, 
and  on  mastering  the  studies  there  he  attended 
the  gymnasium,  or  High  School.  When  a  youth 
of  fourteen  he  began  learning  the  locksmith's 
trade,  and  after  following  that  business  for  two 
years  he  spent  the  two  succeeding  years  in  learn- 
ing the  machinist's  trade  in  the  city  of  Manheim, 
Grand  Duchy  of  Baden.  From  there  he  went  to 
another  machine  shop  under  instruction. 

When  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  Mr.  Mueller 
traveled  in  Germany  (as  all  mechanics  must  do 
under  the  law  of  the  land),  through  the  Nether- 
lands and  Rhiuelands,  going  as  far  as  Rotterdam. 
Not  finding  the  employment  he  wished,  he  de- 
termined to  seek  a  home  and  fortune  in  America, 
and,  carrying  out  this  resolution,  crossed  the  At- 
lantic and  landed  in  Chicago  in  1851.  He  had  no 
capital,  and  being  entirely  dependent  upon  his 
own  exertions  at  once  began  the  search  for  work. 


He  secured  employment  in  a  machine  shop  in  that 
city  and  there  remained  for  four  years,  after  which 
he  went  to  Freeport,  111.,  to  establish  business  for 
himself  as  a  gunsmith.  Two  years  were  there 
passed,  and  the  year  1857  witnessed  his  arrival  in 
Decatur,  where  he  again  embarked  in  the  gunsmith 
business. 

Attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  at  Pike's 
Peak,  Mr.  Mueller  journeyed  Westward  in  1859, 
but  after  a  year  returned  to  Decatur  and  worked 
at  the  gunsmithing  trade  until  1872  when,  in  con- 
nection with  that  enterprise,  he  began  the  manu- 
facture of  water-work  supplies,  such  as  water-tap- 
ping machines  and  brass  goods,  and  also  estab- 
lished a  plumbing  and  heating  department.  At 
this  time  in  one  house  were  combined  the  three 
enterprises — the  manufacture  of  water-work  sup- 
plies, plumbing  and  heating  and  gun  departments, 
but  soon  it  was  found  necessary  to  move  the  gun 
department  into  a  separate  building.  This  was 
done  in  1885,  and  in  1888  the  plumbing  and  heat- 
ing department  was  also  moved  into  a  separate 
building.  All  three  businesses  are  incorporated 
as  separate  and  independent  concerns,  and  Mr. 
Mueller  is  President  of  each.  He  manufactures 
everything  in  the  line  of  water-work  supplies 
and  in  first-class  style  does  all  kinds  of  work  con- 
nected with  heating,  plumbing  and  gunsmithing. 
Mr.  Mueller  is  a  man  of  unbounded  enterprise,  of 
fertile  resources,  possesses  great  perseverance  and 
industry,  and  as  the  result  of  his  own  unaided  ef- 
forts he  has  achieved  the  success  which  places  him 
in  the  foremost  rank  among  the  business  men  of 
this  thriving  city. 


EMUEL  WIKOFF  has  been  a  resident  of 
Illinois  since  1854,  and  has  long  been  iden- 
tified with  the  agricultural  interests  of 
Macou  County,  but  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in 
Maroa.  lie  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Ohio, 
January  13,  1834.  The  family  is  of  German  ori- 
gin, and  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  a  New 


568 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Jersey  fanner,  was  one  of  a  family  closely  con- 
nected with  the  Revolution.  His  father,  Samuel 
Wikoff,  was  also  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  in  an 
early  day  emigrated  to  Ohio.  He  married  Miss 
Vashti  Ireton,  and  unto  them  were  born  five  sons: 
Joseph,  Samuel,  Ireton,  Charles  and  Jacob,  all  of 
whom  are  deceased,  and  one  daughter,  Achsa. 
For  his  second  wife  he  chose  Ann  Henderson,  also 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  seven  sons  and  two  daughters:  Garrett,  August 
C.,  Gertrude  (deceased,  Mrs.  John  Vale),  Jonathan 
II.  (also  deceased),  Peter,  John,  Hudson  B.,  Lemuel, 
and  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Hugh  Fouch.  The  father 
died  in  Ohio  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine,  and  his 
wife  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years.  He  was  a  Pres- 
byterian and  she  a  Baptist  in  religious  belief. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was .  reared  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  save  that  at  the  age 
of  eleven  he  was  left  an  orphan,  after  which  he 
made  his  home  with  two  of  his  brothers  until  he 
had  arrived  at  man's  estate.  Hoping  to  benefit 
his  financial  condition  thereby,  he  came  to  the 
West  in  1854,  locating  in  Sangamon  County,  where 
lie  operated  a  rented  farm  for  about  three  years, 
after  which  he  worked  for  his  brother-in-law  in 
a  dairy  at  Decatur  for  a  few  months.  He  then 
bought  out  the  business,  which  he  conducted  suc- 
cessfully for  three  years.  In  1863  he  removed 
from  Decatur  to  De  Witt  County,  where  he  fol- 
lowed farming  for  two  years,  and  then  returned 
to  Macon  County.  Purchasing  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  Maroa  Township,  he  devoted  his  energies 
to  farming  during  the  seven  succeeding  years  of 
his  life,  and  in  the  meantime  he  purchased  an  ad- 
ditional tract  of  forty  acres  and  another  of  eighty 
acres.  He  lived  upon  the  latter  until  January, 
1891,  when  he  came  to  Maroa,  where  he  has  since 
lived  retired.  When  he  left  the  farm  he  owned 
five  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  highly  culti- 
vated. He  also  owns  the  good  residence  in  which 
he  now  lives. 

Mr.  Wikoff  was  married  November  27,  1856, 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Wikoff,  a  relative,  becoming  his 
wife.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Eliza  Wi- 
koff. Their  union  was  blessed  with  six  children: 
Olive  L.,  wife  of  Albion  Lyman,  a  farmer  of  this 
county,  by  whom  she  has  four  children,  Laura, 


Charles,  Earl  and  Vera;  Richard  B.;  James  E., 
who  married  Nettie  Denisc,  and  with  their  daugh- 
ter, Ethel,  reside  near  Maroa;  Charles  W.,  who 
wedded  Revina  Bennett,  is  engaged  in  the  furni- 
ture trade  and  makes  his  home  in  Maroa;  William 
A.,  a  farmer  residing  five  and  a-half  miles  south- 
west of  the  city,  who  married  Annie  Hockaday, 
by  whom  he  lias  two  children,  Bern  ice  and  Ar- 
ville;  and  Fred  O.,  at  home. 

Mr. Wikoff  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  Republi- 
can principles.  He  has  served  as  Road  Commis- 
sioner for  the  past  nine  years  and  is  a  member  of 
the  City  School  Board.  Every  public  duty  and 
private  trust  reposed  in  him  is  faithfully  per- 
formed. Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  is  now 
acting  as  Trustee,  and  in  the  work  of  its  upbuild- 
ing and  advancement  they  take  an  active  inter- 
est. His  toil  in  former  years  has  brought  to  Mr. 
Wikoff  a  handsome  competence,  and  he  can  now 
spend  his  declining  days  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 
well-earned  rest. 


J|OHN    CROCKER,    deceased.       This    work 
would  be  far  from  complete  were  not  ade- 
'    quate    mention     made    of    the    gentleman 
1     whose    name    heads    this    record,  and  who 
was  so  inseparably  connected  with  every  enterprise 
intended  to  build  up  both  the   temporal  and   the 
spiritual  interests  of  the  people  among  whom   his 
life  was  spent,  and  with  whose  interests   his  own 
were  so  closely  interwoven.     The  Crocker  family, 
of    Scotch-Irish    descent,  dates    back   to  Colonial 
days,  and  is  one  that  has  exerted  no  little   influ- 
ence in  our  country's  history.     John  Crocker  is 
the  fourth  in  descent  to  bear  the  name,  a  peculiar 
coincidence  lying  in  the  fact  that  it  was  the  only 
son  in  each  case  who  was  named  John. 

The  family  had  settled  in  New  Hampshire  soon 
after  the  founding  of  that  commonwealth,  and  our 
subject  was  born  in  the  old  town  of  Londonderry 
August  2,  1804.  His  parents  were  John,  and  Mar- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


573 


garet  Crocker,  and  when  hut  twelve  years  of  age 
lie  was  left  fatherless.  As  he  grew  to  manhood,  he 
worked  his  mother's  farm  in  the  summer  months 
and  taught  school  during  the  winter  seasons,  hav- 
ing, largely  through  personal  effort,  received  a  lib- 
eral education  for  that  period.  In  June,  1828,  he 
married  Miss  Mary  Neal  Pillsbury,  who  came  also 
from  a  family  that  was  prominent  in  more  ways 
than  one.  Her  father,  Moses  C.  Pillsbury,  was  a 
noted  prison  reformer,  as  was  also  her  brother, 
Hon.  Amos  Pillsbury.  In  1837,  Mr.  Crocker  re- 
moved to  Boston,  where  he  lived  two  years,  com- 
ing thence  to  Illinois  in  1839.  After  a  three- 
months  journey,  he  located  in  Jacksonville,  in 
October  of  that  year. 

In  October,  1854,  Mr.  Crocker  was  appointed  the 
lirst  agent  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  atMaroa, 
and  at  once  entered  upon  the  duties  of  that  posi- 
tion, working  for  the  railway  company  until  1868. 
The  country  being  new,  he  secured  from  the  Gov- 
ernment large  tracts  of  laud,  which  increased 
greatly  in  value  and  made  him  a  wealthy  man. 
His  wealth  was  not  used  wholly  for  himself,  but 
was  placed  where  others  gained  by  its  rise,  and 
many  a  man  can  look  back  to  times  when  Mr. 
Crocker's  ready  hand  helped  him  through  trying 
ordeals.  Realizing  the  great  needs  of  the  new 
community,  he  entered  actively  into  such  work  as 
he  saw  was  desired.  He  was  one  of  the  prime 
movers  in  securing  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
1859,  and  was  its  ruling  Elder  from  that  time  until 
his  death.  He  contributed  largely  of  his  influence, 
time  and  means  to  the  upbuilding  and  advance- 
ment not  only  of  the  church,  but  of  evei'3'  enter- 
prise calculated  to  help  the  town.  The  public 
library  of  the  town  was  established  through  his 
munificence,  and  he  purchased  the  church  bell. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crocker  were  enthusiastic 
workers  in  every  cause  tending  to  advance  the 
people  intellectually  and  morally,  and  lie  seemed 
to  have  a  father's  interest  in  the  welfare  of  every 
one  who  cast  his  lot  in  Maroa.  He  organized  the 
first  bank  of  the  town,  which  is  still  doing  business 
here,  although  it  has  undergone  some  slight  changes 
in  name.  His  mind  was  clear,  and  he  possessed  a 
keen  business  sagacity  and  insight  and  was  looked 
up  to  as  a  counselor  and  friend  by  every  man  who 

27 


became  connected  with  any  local  enterprise.  He 
had  four  children:  John  Holbrook,  born  July  9, 
1829;  George  Farrer.  born  in  February,  1831; 
Rufus  Choate,  born  August  16,  1834;  and  Abb}' 
Wells,  born  in  September,  1841.  His  happiness 
was  broken  in  1873,  when  his  life  adviser  and 
companion  was  taken  away,  and  in  1879  he  passed 
from, earth  and  joined  her  in  the  eternity  of  love. 


AMEfS  M.  EYMAN,  who  resides  on  section 
33,  Illini  Township,  where  he  carries  on 
general  farming,  has  long  been  identified 
with  the  history  of  this  county,  and  his  en- 
tire life  has  been  passed  in  Illinois.  He  was  born 
in  St.  Clair  County  August  6,  1830,  and  comes  of 
one  of  the  oldest  families  in  the  State.  His  grand- 
father, Abraham  Eyman,  a  native  of  Virginia,  was 
one  of  the  first  white  settlers  of  St.  Clair  County, 
and  upon  the  old  homestead  his  son  Abraham,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  January  6,  1803. 
Having  arrived  at  mature  years  he  married  Clar- 
issa McGuire,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  with 
her  family  became  one  of  the  pioneers  of  St.  Clair 
County.  It  was  in  1856  that  Abraham  Eyman 
came  to  Macon  County,  locating  in  Harristown 
Township,  where  with  his  sons  he  opened  up  a 
farm.  The  later  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in 
Harristown,  where  he  lived  retired.  He  was 
called  to  his  final  rest  April  20,  1891.  His  wife 
survived  him  one  year  and  passed  away  May  18, 
1892,  and  both  lie  buried  in  Harristown  Cemetery, 
where  a  marble  monument  indicates  the  loving 
remembrance  in  which  they  are  held  by  their 
children.  The  family  numbered  seven  sons  and 
three  daughters  who  grew  to  mature  years,  of 
whom  three  sons  and  two  daughters  arc  yet  liv- 
ing. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth  upon  the  old  homestead  in  St. 
Clair  County  and  was  early  inured  to  the  hard- 
ships of  frontier  life  and  to  the  arduous  labor  of 
developing  wild  land,  but  he  thereby  gained  a  self- 
reliance  and  force  of  character  which  have  proved. 


574 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  incalculable  benefit  to  him  in  his  later  years. 
In  1855,  when  a  young  man,  he  came  to  this 
county,  and  during  the  first  season  engaged  in 
breaking  prairie.  He  aided  his  father  in  opening 
up  a  farm  and  remained  at  home  until  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  when  he  developed  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  resides. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey 
Mr.  Kyman  chose  Harriet  E.  Huff,  a  native  of  Tip- 
pecanoe  County,  Ind.  Their  union  was  celebrated 
December  16,  1858,  and  the  young  couple  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  the  farm  which  Mr.  Ey- 
man  had  begun  to  improve.  Their  home  was  a  log 
cabin  and  only  a  few  acres  were  broken,  but  with 
characteristic  energy  he  began  its  development, 
and  in  consequence  the  farm  of  to-day  bears  little 
resemblance  to  that  of  thirty  years  ago.  It  is  con- 
veniently located  within  three  miles  of  llarristown 
and  comprises  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
rich  land,  upon  which  are  a  substantial  residence, 
good  outbuildings,  an  orchard  and  other  accessor- 
ies. The  whole  is  enclosed  with  a  beautiful  hedge 
fence. 

The  death  of  Mrs.  Eyman  occurred  March  25, 
1863.  One  daughter  was  born  of  the  union,  Mary, 
wife  of  C.  A.  Towne,  of  Decatur,  by  whom  she  has 
three  children;  two  died  in  childhood,  Frank 
and  Albert.  December  1,  1865,  Mr.  Eyman  mar- 
ried Miss  Narcissa  Fuller,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and 
a  daughter  of  Joel  and  Margaret  (Lucas)  Fuller. 
They  have  four  children:  Ella,  wife  of  Bruce  Mc- 
Gregor, a  farmer  of  Harristown  Township;  Cora, 
wife  of  Frank  P.  Towne,  a  merchant  of  Harris- 
town;  Lina  and  Edith,  at  home. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Eyman  was  originally  an  old- 
line  Whig  and  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Gen.  Scott,  but  in  1856  he  joined  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  affiliated  until  1892,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  found  in  the  ranks  of  the 
Prohibition  party.  He  is  a  stanch  advocate  of 
temperance  principles  and  gives  his  support  to 
every  enterprise  calculated  to  advance  moral  in- 
terests in  the  community.  Himself  and  wife  are 
faithful  members  and  active  workers  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church  of  Harristown,  in  which  he  has  served 
as  Elder  for  twenty-five  years.  Straightforward 
and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  and  true  to  every 


trust,  both  public  and  private,  Mr.  Eyman  has 
gained  the  respect  of  the  entire  community  in 
which  he  has  so  long  made  his  home,  and  we  feel 
assured  that  his  many  friends  will  receive  with  in- 
terest this  record  of  his  life. 


APT.  WILLIAM  GRASON,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Oakley  Township  and  Decatur, 
for  his  home  lies  within  the  corporation 
limits  of  the  city,  is  a  native  of  Ireland.  lie  was  born 
in  County  Monaghau,  December  27,  1832,  and  in 
1835  his  father,  Robert  Grason,  brought  the  family 
to  this  country.  After  living  in  Cincinnati  for  a  few 
years  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  then  to  Peoria  and 
afterward  returned  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  engaged 
in  clerking.  Subsequently  he  went  to  New  Or- 
leans, where  all  trace  of  him  was  lost.  He  married 
Jane  Glenn,  who  is  of  Scotch  descent,  her  parents 
having  removed  from  Scotland  to  the  North  of 
Ireland  to  escape  religious  persecutions.  The  fam- 
ily numbered  ten  children,  but  William,  Maria 
and  Thomas  are  the  only  ones  now  living.  The 
father  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Capt.  Grason  left  home  at  the  age  of  twelve 
and  began  working  as  a  farm  hand.  Four  years 
later,  having  determined  to  acquire  an  education, 
he  went  to  Scott  County,  111.,  pursued  his  stud- 
ies, mastered  the  higher  grades  and  studied  lan- 
guages, mathematics  and  drawing.  Later  he  learned 
the  trade  of  carpentering  and  ship-building  in 
Pike  County,  at  which  he  worked  until  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  when,  in  1855,  he  came  to  Macon 
County.  That  year  he  purchased  his  present  farm, 
a  tract  of  wild  land,  upon  which  he  made  his  home 
until  1862. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1855,  in  Scott  County,  Mr. 
Grason  married  Helen  E.  Burrows,  a  native  of 
Morgan  County,  III.,  whose  parents  came  to  this 
State  from  Vermont.  In  1862  Mr.  Grason  enlisted 
for  the  late  war  and  was  elected  First  Sergeant  of 
Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


575 


Infantry.  The  regiment  was  organized  atDeeatur 
and  formed  part  of  the  Second  Di vision, Fifteenth 
Army  Corps,  under  Gen.  Sherman.  He  took  part 
in  the  battle  of  Tallahoochee,  then  fell  back  to 
Memphis  and  went  to  Holly  Springs.  He  took 
part  in  the  first  attack  on  Vicksburg  and  the  siege 
of  that  city,  and  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post.  In 
the  charge  on  Ft.  Hill  he  was  wounded,  being  shot 
through  the  left  lung.  He  was  then  commanding 
his  company.  On  account  of  his  injuries  he  was 
sent  home  on  a  furlough,  but  as  soon  as  possible 
went  back  to  the  front.  He  was  also  in  the  disas- 
trous charge  on  the  works  at  Vicksburg  May  19, 
when  the  company  entered  with  thirty-one  men, 
but  only  thirteen  stacked  arms.  He  was  again 
wounded  at  Jonesboro,  Ala.,  a  spent  ball  fractur- 
ing two  ribs  and  injuring  his  right  lung.  Capt. 
Grason  took  part  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  the 
march  to  the  sea,  and  participated  in  the  Grand 
Review  at  Washington.  He  was  made  First  Lieu- 
tenant April  28,  1863,  and  was  mustered  out  as 
Captain  June  7,  1865. 

Returning  to  Scott  County,  our  subject  worked 
at  his  trade  for  two  years,  and  has  since  engaged 
in  the  cultivation  of  his  present  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres,  but  expects  soon  to  lay  aside  all  busi- 
ness cares  and  live  a  retired  life.  In  1891  he  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who 
died  on  the  9th  of  August.  Eight  children  were 
born  unto  them,  six  yet  living:  Charles  "Fremont, 
a  farmer  of  this  county;  William  Carlton,  who 
wedded  Mary  Gary  and  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead, which  he  has  recently  purchased;  Robert 
Emmett,  a  farmer  of  Crawford  County,  Iowa; 
Franklin  Glenn,  an  engineer  on  the  Wabash  Rail- 
road; Thomas  A.,  a  fireman  on  the  Wabash  Road; 
and  Ida  Belle,  wife  of  Scott  Cook,  of  Decatur. 

Capt.  Grason  is  a  Universalist  in  religious  be- 
lief, has  read  extensively  and  is  a  deep  thinker. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  Republicans  of  this  town- 
ship and  has  been  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  party 
since  casting  his  first  vote  for  Fremont.  He  served 
as  Supervisor  for  four  terms,  was  census  enumer- 
ator, and  was  elected  to  the  Thirty-fifth  General 
Assembly,  in  which  he  served  on  the  Committees 
on  Public  Charities,  Roads  and  Bridges,  and  La- 
bor. He  proved  a  capable  and  useful  member  of 


the  House,  and  in  all  the  public  offices  which  he 
has  been  called  upon  to  fill  he  has  discharged  his 
duties  with  a  promptness  and  fidelity  that  won 
him  high  commendation,  and  he  is  always  true  to 
public  and  private  trusts.  The  country  found  in 
him  a  faithful  defender  during  the  late  war  and  it 
now  recognizes  in  him  a  valued  citizen. 


ON.  W.  F.  CALHOUN  is  too  well  known 
ij)  throughout  Illinois  to  need  special  intro- 
duction to  the  readers  of  this  volume. 
He  has  become  widely  known  as  one  of 
the  enterprising  journalists  of  Macon  County,  and 
formed  an  extensive  acquaintance  while  acting  as 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Illinois. 
Prominent  in  all  public  circles,  he  is  alike  popular 
in  social  circles,  and  few  men  have  more  friends 
and  less  enemies  than  our  subject. 

On  the  paternal  side,  our  subject  is  of  Scotch 
descent,  and  on  the  maternal  side  of  German  lin- 
eage. His  grandfather,  Jacob  Kiner,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812.  His  father.  John  M.  Cal- 
houn,  was  born  near  Blain,  Perry  County,  Pa.,  and 
died  there  in  1858.  He  followed  the  trade  of  a 
contractor  and  builder,  and  carried  on  a  cabinet- 
maker's shop  during  the  winter,  employing  a  force 
of  men  throughout  the  year.  He  married  Cath- 
erine Kiner,  also  a  native  of  Blain,  and  at  his 
death  left  three  sons  and  two  daughters:  William 
F.  (of  this  sketch),  Winfield  Scott,  Mrs.  Jennie 
McLaughlin,  John  Dill  and  Mrs.  Ella  Hill.  After 
the  death  of  her  first  husband,  Mrs.  Calhoun,  in 
1867,  became  the  wife  of  J.  B.  Terpening,  of  Gen- 
eseo,  and  by  him  had  one  child,  Grace. 

The  life  record  of  our  subject  is  as  follows:  He 
was  born  in  Blain,  Pa.,  November  21,  1844,  and 
his  first  memories  are  of  the  Keystone  State,  where 
he  was  reared  under  the  beneficent  influences  of 
a  good  home.  After  attending  the  common 
schools,  he  was  a  student  in  the  Mt.  Pisgah  Acad- 
emy, of  Landisburgh.  Lessons  of  industry  were 
also  instilled  into  his  mind,  and  at  the  early  age  of 


576 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


twelve  years  the  enterprising  lad  began  work  upon 
a  farm.  Having  secured  a  teacher's  certificate 
he  taught  a  school  near  Blain  in  1860  and  con- 
tinued teaching  and  farming  until  the  time  of  his 
enlistment  for  the  late  war. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Calhoun  became  a  private 
of  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-third 
Pennsylvania  Infantry, for  nine  mouths.  He  served 
in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  his  regiment  being 
connected  with  the  Fifth  Army  Corps.  Under  Capt. 
David  Tressler,  he  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run,  South  Mountain, 
Antietam,  Frcdericksburg  and  Chancellorsville, 
after  which  the  regiment  was  mustered  out,  the 
term  of  service  having  expired.  Mr.  Calhoun 
re-enlisted  in  Company  K,  Twentieth  Pennsyl- 
vania Cavalry,  just  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg. 
He  entered  the  service  as  a  private  but  was  made 
Sergeant  soon  after.  His  company  was  com- 
manded by  Capt.  S.  E.  Gross,  now  the  wealthy  and 
well-known  real-estate  dealer  of  Chicago.  He  did 
service  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  under  Gens.  Sie- 
gel,  Hunter  and  Sheridan,  and  engaged  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Newmarket,  Piedmont,  Lexington,  Lynch- 
burg,  Liberty,  Ashby's  Gap,  Snicker's  Gap,  Kerns- 
town,  Winchester,  Gordonsville,  Waynesboro, 
Five  Forks,  Saylor's  Creek,  Appomattox  Court 
House,  and  many  other  smaller  affairs.  At  the 
battle  of  Piedmont  his  horse  was  shot  from  under 
him.  After  that  engagement  he  was  promoted  to  be 
Orderly  Sergeant  and  served  in  that  capacity  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  in  Phil- 
adelphia, in  August,  1865.  He  was  present  at 
Lee's  surrender  and  participated  in  the  Grand 
Review  at  Washington. 

After  the  war,  Mr.  Calhoun  returned  to  his 
home  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  the  fall  of  1865 
came  with  his  mother,  brothers  and  sisters  to  Illi- 
nois. Under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Joshua  Smith, 
then  of  Marseilles,  he  studied  dentistry,  and  sub- 
sequently engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Seneca,  Farmer  City  and  Clinton,  111.  He  was 
very  successful  in  this  line  of  work.  While  at 
Seneca,  he  was  married,  on  the  18th  of  August, 
1869,  to  Miss  Blanche  Derthick,  of  that  place,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  with  five  children: 
Maude,  now  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of 


Decatur;  Nellie,  an  expert  stenographer,  who  was 
employed  by  the  Republican  State  Central  Com- 
mittee during  the  late  campaign;  Kate,  Collier, 
and  Richard. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Calhoun  hold  membership  with 
the  first  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  an 
active  member  of  Dunham  Post  No.  141,  G.  A. 
R.,  and  in  politics  is  a  loyal  Republican.  In  1883, 
he  was  elected  from  the  district  comprising  Piatt, 
Champaign  and  DeWitt  Counties  to  the  State  Leg- 
islature, and  served  during  the  Thirty-third, 
Thirty-fourth  and  Thirty-fifth  General  Assem- 
blies with  honor  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to 
his  constituents.  In  the  session  of  1887,  he  was 
Speaker  of  the  House,  an  honor  well  deserved  and 
ably  borne.  In  1890  he  purchased  an  interest  in 
the  Decatur  Daily  and  Weekly  Republican,  buying 
out  J.  R.  Mosser.  The  paper  is  now  conducted 
under  the  firm  name  of  llamsher  <fc  Calhoiui.  The 
daily  is  a  nine-column,  four-page  paper,  and  the 
weekly,  which  is  the  oldest  newspaper  in  the 
county,  is  a  six-column,  eight-page  paper,  and  is 
the  organ  of  the  Republican  party  in  Macon 
County.  In  the  farm  work  of  his  boyhood,  in 
the  school  teaching  of  early  manhood,  in  the  den- 
tistry of  his  more  mature  years,  in  his  official  life, 
Mr.  Calhoun  met  with  excellent  success,  and  now 
as  one  of  the  editors  of  the  leading  Republican 
paper  of  Decotur,  he  is  alike  successful.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  through  the  columns  of  this 
journal  he  wields  an  inlluence  for  the  best  inter- 
ests of  the  city  and  its  advancement.  Faithful  to 
his  country  in  her  hour  of  peril,  he  is  as  true  in 
da3'S  of  peace.  His  public  and  private  life  are 
alike  above  reproach,  and  the  able  editor  of  the 
Republican  has  the  confidence  and  warm  regard 
of  all. 


_^  ORATIO  M.  STREVER,  who  is  engaged  in 
fanning  on  section  3.  Friends'  Creek  Town- 
ship, is  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  coun- 
ty and  is  one  of  the  honored  veterans  of  the 
late    war.     He  served  among  the  boys  in  blue  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


577 


valiantly  aided  liis  country  in  those  dark  days. 
He  lias  been  alike  true  in  times  of  peace,  and  the 
com  in  unity  recognizes  in  him  a  valued  citizen. 
Born  near  Bryan,  in  Williams  County,  Ohio, 
March  25,  1841,  he  is  a  son  of  Anson  and  Naomi 
(Cook)  Strever.  The  family  is  of  German  de- 
scent. The  father  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade  and 
followed  that  business  for  some  years.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather  was  a  Revolutionary  hero,  and 
Anson  Strever  was  a  soldier  of  the  Mexican  War. 
At  the  breaking  out  of  that  struggle,  he  enlisted  in 
Defiance,  Ohio,  as  a  member  of  Capt.  Chase's 
company,  and  the  same  year  died  from  disease 
contracted  in  the  service.  His  remains  were  in- 
terred in  Mexico.  In  the  family  were  seven  chil- 
dren. John  B.,  who  served  as  a  Corporal  in  Com- 
pany D,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, during  the  late  war,  was  captured  in  Julj-, 
1863,  and  died  in  Libby  Prison  in  the  following 
October;  Samuel  C.  is  a  grain  and  stock  buyer  of 
Argenta;  Horatio  is  the  next  younger;  Susan  is 
the  wife  of  George  Phillips,  of  this  county;  and 
two  children  died  in  infancy. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He  was 
reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  and  at 
intervals  attended  the  district  schools  until  eigh- 
teen years  of  age,  thus  acquiring  a  good  practical 
business  education.  He  came  to  Macon  County 
with  his  mother  in  1855,  the  family  locating  in 
Friends'  Creek  Township.  He  began  life  for  him- 
self when  a  youth  of  sixteen  and  has  since  been 
dependent  upon  his  own  resources,  so  that  what- 
ever success  he  has  achieved  is  due  entirely  to  his 
own  efforts.  He  worked  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when,  in 
April,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  State  service  for 
three  months,  spending  that  time  in  Springfield. 

When  that  term  had  expired,  Mr.  Strever  joined 
the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  A,  Forty-first  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  for  three  years,  enlisting  July  10, 
1861.  lie  was  mustered  into  service  at  Decatur, 
and  the  first  active  engagement  in  which  he  par- 
ticipated was  at  Ft.  Donelson.  This  was  followed 
by  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  the  siege  of  Corinth,  Cold 
Water  Creek,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  Jackson, 
Miss.,  where  he  carried  the  colors.  There  were 


over  seventy  bullets  passed  through  the  flag  at  the 
engagement,  and  of  the  seven  men  who  carried  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  at  Jackson  he  was  the  only  one 
who  escaped.  He  afterward  participated  in  the 
Meridan  campaign  and  the  Red  River  campaign 
and  was  mustered  out  of  service  as  Sergeant.  He 
was  very  fortunate,  in  that  he  was  never  wounded 
or  taken  prisoner.  He  was  always  found  at  his 
post,  faithfully  doing  his  duty,  and  received  an 
honorable  discharge  on  the  20th  of  August,  1864. 

Mr.  Strever  at  once  returned  to  his  home  in  Ma- 
con  County,  and  began  farming  in  Friends'  Creek 
Township,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was 
married  on  tbe  8th  of  March,  1866,  to  Miss 
Lydia  Pettit,  and  by  their  union  have  been  born 
eleven  children:  Irva,  wife  of  Frank  Gray,  who  is 
living  in  Argenta;  George,  Barney,  Alta,  Charlie; 
Samuel,  who  died  in  infancy;  Maggie;  Annie,  who 
died  in  1882;  Oscar  and  Otto,  twins;  and  Ro- 
land. 

The  Republican  party  finds  in  Mr.  Strever  a 
stanch  advocate,  he  being  a  believer  in  its  prin- 
ciples. He  served  his  township  as  Assessor  for  one 
term,  and  was  School  Director  for  eleven  years. 
Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Grand  Army, 
of  which  he  is  Past  Commander, and,  religiously,  is 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Those  who 
know  Mr.  Strever  esteem  him  highly,  for  his  up- 
right and  honorable  life  has  won  him  universal 
confidence. 


M.  BOARDMAN,  who  is  numbered  among 
the  settlers  of  this  county  of  December, 
1854,  and  who  now  follows  farming  on  sec- 
tion 34,  South  Wheatland  Township,  is  a  native 
of  Indiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Columbus 
in  1849.  His  father,  Isaac  Smith  Boardman,  was 
born  in  Seneca  County,  N.  Y.,  September  10,  1804, 
and  when  five  years  old  went  with  his  parents, 
Amos  and  Sylva  Boardman,  to  Dearborn  County, 
Ind.  There  he  rolled  the  logs  out  of  the  way  for 
the  erection  of  the  court  house  of  Columbus,  and 


578 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


helped  to  build  the  second  court  house  of  that 
place.  After  seven  years  spent  in  Dearborn  County, 
the  family  removed  to  Ripley  County,  where 
Isaac  reached  his  majority.  He  considered  him- 
self fortunate  if  he  received  one  month's  school  ing 
a  year,  but  he  made  the  best  of  his  opportunities 
and  acquired  a  good  practical  knowledge.  Remov- 
ing to  Bartholomew  County,  Ind.,  he  was  employed 
as  clerk  in  a  drug  store  for  a  time,  afterwards  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school,  and  subsequently  worked 
for  his  brother-in-law,  who  was  County  Clerk. 

Mr.  Boardman  married  Margaret  Chitty,  a  lady 
of  excellent  personal  qualities,  and  for  more  than 
a-quarter  of  a  century  they  traveled  life's  journey 
together.  She  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  of 
German  parentage,  and  became  the  mother  of 
eleven  children,  nine  3'et  living.  Mr.  Boardman 
held  the  office  of  County  Clerk  and  Recorder  of 
Bartholomew  County  for  fourteen  years,  and  af- 
terwards served  as  Circuit  Clerk  until  his  removal 
to  Illinois  in  1854.  He  volunteered  for  the  Mex- 
ican War  on  the  first  call  .for  troops,  and  served  as 
Captain  of  a  company.  He  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Buena  Vista,  in  which  he  saw  Jeff  Davis 
wounded,  and  was  in  many  skirmishes. 

In  1854,  Mr.  Boardman  came  to  Illinois  witli 
ox-teams,  and  in  the  spring  of  1856  settled  on 
section  27,  South  Wheatland  Township,  where  his 
son  Thomas  now  lives.  He  bought  two  hundred 
acres  at  $21  per  acre,  but  afterwards  increased  his 
possessions  until  he  owned  about  seven  hundred 
acres.  Prosperity  crowned  his  efforts,  and  he  be- 
came quite  wealthy.  lie  was  alive  to  all  the  best  in- 
terests-of  the  county,  and  served  as  Supervisor  in 
1860,  1865,  1867  and  1870.  He  cast  his  first  Pres- 
idential vote  for  Andrew  Jackson  in  1828,  and 
was  a  stanch  Democrat  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred November  30,  1882. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boardman  were  born  the  fol- 
lowing children:  James,  who  died  in  Bartholomew 
County,  at  the  age  of  eight;  Eliza,  wife  of  Jacob 
Sine,  of  Decatur;  Rebecca,  widow  of  Joseph  Sine; 
William,  who  married  Miss  McDaniel,  and  is  a 
farmer  of  South  Wheatland  Township;  Melissa, 
wife  of  Y.  P.  Jones,  a  retired  farmer  of  Decatur; 
Martha,  wife  of  Thomas  Jones,  an  agriculturist  of 
South  Wheatland  Township;  Mary  and  Thomas, 


who  live  on  the  old  homestead;  Buena  Vista,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  fourteen;  Charles  M.,  and  Ed- 
ward S.,  who  is  married  and  lives  in  Oklahoma 
City,  Okla.  Thomas  Boardman  was  born  in  1844, 
in  Bartholomew  County,  Ind.,  and  was  reared  to 
manhood  in  Columbus.  During  his  youth  he  as- 
sisted his  father  in  the  care  of  his  stock,  herding 
sheep  mostly.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he  has 
followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  still  lives  on 
the  old  homestead,  where  he  and  his  sister  both 
own  seventy-two  acres  of  land.  He  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  and  is  now  serving  as  School  Trustee 
of  his  township,  but  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  interests. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  and  youth  of  C.  M.  Boardman,  who 
was  reared  on  the  old  home  farm  and  acquired  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  now  owns  one  hundred  and  fifty-two 
acres  of  valuable  land, and  its  well-tilled  fields  and 
neat  appearance  indicate  his  careful  supervision. 
He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  agricultur- 
ists of  the  community.  On  the  13th  of  January, 
1870,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Ballinger,  a 
native  of  Virginia,  and  a  daughter  of  Robert  Bal- 
linger, of  Ohio,  and  Cassie  Ann  (Bell)  Ballinger, 
of  Virginia.  They  have  cared  for  and  educated 
Miss  Minnie  Neyhard,  who  is  still  with  them. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boardman  are  prominent  and 
influential  members  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church  at  Shady  Grove,  do  all  in  their 
power  to  advance  its  interest,  and  take  an  active 
part  in  Sunday-school  work.  He  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Greeley  in  1872,  and  has 
since  been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  Democracy, 
taking  an  active  part  in  local  politics.  He  is  an 
enterprising  and  progressive  citizen,  and  his  use- 
ful and  upright  career  has  won  him  the  high  regard 
of  all  who  know  him. 

Mrs.  Eliza  Sine,  the  eldest  daughter  of  the 
Boardman  family,  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
Iloosier  State,  spending  much  of  her  girlhood  in 
Columbus,  Ind.,  where  she  acquired  her  education. 
In  October,  1849,  she  became  the  wife  of  Jacob 
Sine,  who  was  born  in  Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  emigrated  to  Indiana.  He  was  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


579 


cooper  by  trade.  In  1856  he  came  to  Illinois,  and 
has  since  lived  in  this  State.  For  some  years  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company,  but  is  now  engaged  in  the  nursery  busi- 
ness. For  nineteen  years  he  has  made  his  home 
in  Decatur. 

Six  children  have  been  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sine:  Susan,  wife  of  Thomas  Abel,  a  merchant  of 
Decatur;  Albert,  who  married  Ida  Williams,  and  is 
employed  in  the  coffee  works  of  Decatur;  Laura, 
wife  of  Edgar  J.  Robbins  (deceased),  of  Decatur; 
Mrs.  Mary  Ferguson,  also  living  in  the  county 
seat;  Mrs.  Minnie  Allen  and  Mrs.  Katie  McWhorter, 
twins.  The  children  have  all  been  provided  with 
good  educational  advantages.  The  Board  man 
family  and  its  various  members  are  widely  known 
in  Mncon  County,  and  are  entitled  to  the  respect 
of  all. 


ESTER  F.  ABRAMS,  a  leading  photogra- 
P"ei'  °f  Decay's  who  stands  at  the  head  of 

-vs  his  profession  in  Macon  County,  was  born 
in  Blue  Mound  in  1869,  and  is  therefore  one  of 
the  younger  business  men  of  this  eit}'.  He  is  a  son 
of  Francis  M.  Abrams,  who  was  also  born  in  this 
county.  Grandfather  Abrams  came  from  Ken- 
tucky to  Illinois,  settling  in  Decatur  more  than 
forty  years  ago.  His  old  home  still  stands.  He  saw 
Indians  upon  the  river  and  also  saw  the  red  men 
laid  upon  piles  of  rails  for  burial.  He  split  rails 
with  Abraham  Lincoln  in  an  early  day  and  ran  a 
transfer  line  from  this  place  to  St.  Ix>uis.  After  the 
building  of  the  railroad  he  engaged  in  the  real- 
estate  business.  His  last  days  were  spent  upon  a 
farm  near  Blue  Mound.  In  the  early  days  of  the 
city  lie  held  a  number  of  offices  and  was  a  promi- 
nent man.  His  children  were  Dr.  IX  O.  and  J.  H., 
of  Woods,  111.;  Mrs.  Adeline  Blancy;  and  F.  M., 
father  of  our  subject. 

The  latter  was  born  in  Deeatur  in  1842  and  for 
some  time  was  associated  with  his  father  in  busi- 
ness. During  the  late  war  he  enlisted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Fifteenth 


Illinois  [nf KB  try,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Chattanooga,  Mission  Ridge,  Chickamauga  and  Ft. 
Donelson.  When  the  country  no  longer  needed 
his  services,  he  returned  to  his  home  near  Blue 
Mound  and  soon  after  married  Sarah  Weigandt,  a 
lady  of  German  descent,  who  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  whose  parents  came  from  Pennsylvania.  For 
a  number  of  years  they  resided  upon  the  farm,  but 
in  1883  they  removed  to  Decatur,  where  Mr. 
Abrnms  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for  a 
time.  He  then  removed  to  Blue  Mound,  where  he 
now  makes  his  home  and  where  he  carries  on  the 
grain  business.  lie  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  and  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  Their  family  numbers 
eight  children:  Lester;  John  L.,  who  is  learning 
photography  with  his  brother  and  has  charge  of 
the  printing  department;  Myra,  Orlando  H.,  Ar- 
thur, Frank,  Lillie  and  Lena. 

Our  subject  spent  his  boyhood  days  upon  his 
father's  farm  and  acquired  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Blue  Mound  and  Decatur.  He  started 
out  in  life  for  himself  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  For 
some  time  he  studied  oil  painting  and  then  took 
up  the  study  of  photography  in  the  gallery  of  Mr. 
Shively,  completing  his  studies  in  Chicago  and  St. 
Louis.  He  also  learned  pastel  painting.  Some 
three  years  ago  he  returned  to  Decatur  thor- 
oughly equipped  for  business,  and  has  since  en- 
gaged in  his  present  line.  He  occupies  a  front 
rank  among  the  artists  of  the  city,  has  one  of  the 
finest  and  best  equipped  galleries  and  studios  in 
Decatur,  and  the  public  accords  him  a  liberal  pat- 
ronage. No  discovery  relating  to  the  art  is  un- 
known to  him,  and  the  best  methods  are  always 
employed  in  his  galley. 

In  December,  1890,  Mr.  Abrams  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Martha  App,  daughter  of  Oli- 
ver App.  She  was  born  in  Ohio  and  is  of  German 
descent.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  one 
son,  L.  Merle,  who  is  the  joy  of  the  household. 
The  parents  hold  an  enviable  position  in  social 
circles  and  are  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  the  community.  Mr.  Abrams  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  and  the  Uniformed  Rank. 


580 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


During  his  boyhood  he  was  told  by  three  phrenol- 
ogists that  he  would  make  an  artist.  As  this 
prophecy  accorded  with  his  tastes  he  entered  upon 
that  profession,  and  his  success  from  the  beginning 
has  been  assured,  for  he  has  done  his  utmost  to 
perfect  himself  in  his  art,  and  his  natural  ability 
has  done  much  toward  placing  him  among  the 
leading  artists  of  central  Illinois. 


ELIJAH  WALKER,  a  leading  and  influential 
farmer,  and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
South  Macon  Township,  residing  on  section 
3,  is  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County,  111.  He  was 
born  March  3,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of  Edward  B.  and 
Rebecca  (Chance)  Walker.  This  worthy  couple 
were  the  parents  of  a  family  of  nine  children, 
seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  our  subject 
is  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  Five  of  the  number 
are  now  deceased.  Joseph  died  in  infancy;  Newton, 
Sarah  and  Elizabeth  have  also  passed  away;  Joel 
is  engaged  in  the  grain  business  in  Moweaqua,  111.; 
John  W.  is  a  grain  dealer  at  Walker  Station, 
and  one.  of  the  prominent  men  of  the  county; 
Elisha,  twin  brother  of  our  subject,  died  when 
about  four  years  of  age,  and  he  and  his  father  were 
buried  in  the  same  grave;  and  Edward  B.,  the 
youngest  member  of  the  family,  follows  farming 
in  this  county.  The  father,  who  was  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  was  of  English  extraction,  emi- 
grated to  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  at  an  early  day, 
and  throughout  his  life  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming.  His  death  occurred  in  St.  Clair  County, 
at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years.  His  wife  was  born 
in  that  county  in  1812,  her  parents  having  been 
among  the  first  white  settlers.  She  passed  away 
February  27,  1893,  and  was  buried  in  Macon  Cem- 
etery. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  about  four 
years  of  age  when  his  father  died.  He  remained 
with  his  mother  in  St.  Glair  County  until  twenty 
years  of  age,  when  the}'  sold  the  old  homestead  on 
which  he  was  born  and  reared,  and  came  to  Macon 


County,  where  they  rented  land  for  a  year.  Mr. 
Walker  then  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie  land  for  his  mother,  and 
cultivated  and  improved  that  place  for  about  five 
years.  He  started  out  in  life  for  himself  at  the 
age  of  twenty-five,  entirely  without  capital,  in 
fact,  he  went  in  debt  for  his  wagon  and  team.  For 
three  years  he  rented  land,  and  then  with  the 
money  which  he  had  acquired  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  farming  land.  Since  that  time  he  has 
bought,  improved  and  sold  several  farms,  and  by 
these  investments  has  made  considerable  money. 

On  the  31st  of  March,  1868,  Mr.  Walker  was 
married  to  Miss  Carrie  L.  Allison,  of  this  county, 
and  by  their  union  were  born  six  children,  three 
sons  and  three  daughters:  Walter  E.,  Oliver  New- 
ton, Clara,  Ella  (who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years),  Arthur  and  Mamie.  The  family  have  a 
very  pleasant  and  comfortable  home,  situated  a 
mile  and  a-half  southeast  of  Macon,  where  Mr. 
Walker  owns  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
arable  land.  There  in  connection  with  the  culti- 
vation of  his  land  he  is  also  engaged  in  stock-rais- 
ing, making  a  specialty  of  the  breeding  of  Polled- 
Angus  cattle  and  Percheron  and  French  Coach 
horses.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  stock,  and  some 
fine  specimens  may  always  be  found  upon  his  farm. 
He  deserves  great  credit  for  his  success  in  life,  as 
his  prosperity  is  the  reward  of  his  own  industry  and 
enterprise.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  Repub- 
lican principles,  and  he  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  Church. 


LBERT  RANSON  NICHOLSON  was  born 
at  Lincoln,  Logan  County,  111.,  October 
28,  1864.  lie  is  the  son  of  Aaron  B.  and 
May  (Eastman)  Nicholson,  and  is  a  grand- 
son of  David  T.  and  Ruth  Nicholson.  David  T. 
Nicholson,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  emigrated 
with  his  parents  to  Cass  County,  Mich.,  in  1830,  and 
went  to  Logan  County,  111.,  in  1856.  He  was  for  a 
nu  in  her  of  years  a  successful  farmer  of  Logan 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


581 


County,  and  became  quite  prominent  in  Republican 
politics.  He  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Logan  County 
in  1860,  and  became  State  Senator  in  1869,  serving 
for  six  years. 

Albert  Ranson  Nicholson  was  reared  on  the  farm, 
and  began  working  for  himself  in  the  photo  busi- 
ness at  the  age  of  seventeen,  while  attending  Lin- 
coln University,  and  lias  continued  with  eminent 
success  to  the  present  time.  September  8,  1884, 
he  married  Miss  Josephine,  daughter  of  Ephraim 
and  Julian  La  Lone,  of  Alpena,  Mich.  By  their 
union  a  charming  girl,  now  of  three  summers,  has 
come  to  brighten  their  home. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  commenced  at  Blooin- 
ington,  111.,  moving  from  there  to  Alpena,  Mich., 
and  from  thereto  Decatur,  111.  Having  purchased 
the  well-known  and  well-patronized  studio  of  Mr. 
Piper,  he  has  not  only  held  the  former  patronage, 
but  has  greatly  increased  it. 

Mr.  Nicholson,  not  being  content  with  the  mere 
profession  of  photography,  has  developed  his 
natural  talent  in  portrait  work.  His  portraits  in 
oil,  water  colors,  sepia  and  crayon  rank  among 
the  first,  while  his  landscapes  and  marine  paint- 
ings are  found  among  the  best  families  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  Detroit  and  Jackson,  Mich.,  and  other 
cities  outside  the  State. 


WILLIAM  ARMSTRONG,  who  owns  and 
operates  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres 
of  valuable  land  on  section  27,  Friends' 
Creek  Township,  claims  Virginia  as  the  State  of 
his  birth.  The  place  is  Pendleton  Count}7,  and  the 
dale  is  July  23,  1839.  His  father,  James  Arm- 
strong, who  was  born  in  the  same  county,  is  of 
Scotch  descent, and  his  mother  was  of  German  lin- 
eage. She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Smith, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  Christopher  Smith.  Mr. 
Armstrong  was  twice  married,  and  by  his  second 
union  had  thirteen  children,  all  of  whom  grew 
to  manhood  and  womanhood,  namely:  Malinda, 
wife  of  Jacob  Kesterson,  of  Wood  County,  W. 


Va.;  Jacob,  who  died  January  2,  1889;  William, 
of  this  sketch;  Samuel,  of  Wood  County,  W.  Va.; 
Catherine,  wife  of  William  P.  Gray,  of  Raymond, 
111.;  Eugene  Armstrong,  who  resides  in  Virginia; 
Harriet,  wife  of  Samuel  Sans,  of  Wood  County, 
W.  Va.;  Nancy,  who  died  in  1880;  Mary  J.,  who 
died  in  1881;  Sarah,  widow  of  Charles  Hunter  and 
a  resident  of  Lubeck,  W.  Va.;  Annie,  wife  of  Sam- 
uel Braden,  a  farmer  of  this  county;  Christiana 
F.,  wife  of  Silas  Smedley,  of  Waco,  Tex.;  and  James 
H.,  an  agriculturist  of  this  community.  The  father 
of  this  family  followed  farming  throughout  his 
entire  life.  He  served  for  six  months  in  the  War 
of  1812,  under  Capt.  Hinkle.  His  entire  life  was 
passed  in  Virginia,  where  he  was  born  in  1788,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent and  influential  citizen  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church.  His  widow  still  survives  him 
and  is  yet  living  in  Virginia. 

Our  subject  received  but  limited  educational 
privileges  in  his  youth,  attending  the  subscription 
schools,  which  were  held  in  an  old  log  schoolhouse. 
His  training  at  farm  labor  was  not  meagre,  for  he 
was  early  inured  to  the  arduous  labors  connected 
with  agriculture.  On  attaining  man's  estate  he 
left  the  old  home  and  began  working  as  a  farm 
hand  at  fifty  cents  per  day.  He  was  thus  employed 
for  about  four  years,  after  which  he  rented  land,  in 
1868.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  he  journeyed 
Westward  to  Illinois  and  took  up  his  residence  in 
Maroa,  working  in  that  city  and  vicinity  for  three 
years,  after  which  he  rented  land  for  six  years, 
and  then  purchased  the  home  where  he  now 
resides.  He  first  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  partially  improved  land,  but  the  bounda- 
ries of  his  farm  he  has  since  extended,  until  now 
two  hundred  and  seventy  acres  yield  to  him  a 
golden  tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  cultiva- 
tion he  bestows  upon  them.  In  connection  with  the 
cultivation  of  cereals  he  is  also  engaged  in  stock- 
raising. 

Mr.  Armstrong  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
20th  of  June,  1860,  he  wedded  Miss  Elizabeth 
Glad  well,  and  unto  them  were  born  four  children: 
Edward,  a  farmer  of  Champaign  Count}-,  III.; 
Josephine,  who  died  in  1886;  Sarah  *:.,  wife  of  B. 
Walker,  who  resides  near  Lake  City,  Moultrie 


582 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


County;  and  James  W.,  a  farmer  of  Friends'  Creek 
Township.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  killed 
by  lightning  July  18,  1866,  and  on  the  31st  of 
January,  1871,  Mr.  Armstrong  wedded  Mrs.  Lizzie 
James,  a  daughter  of  John  Chapman,  a  native  of 
England.  She  was  born  in  England  June  7,1837, 
and  came  to  America  in  1842,  in  a  sailing-vessel, 
which  made  the  voyage  in  forty  days.  Her  family 
located  in  St.  Charles,  Mo.  By  the  second  union 
has  been  born  a  son,  John  II.,  whose  birth  occurred 
December  2,  1871. 

The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church  and  take  an  active  interest  in  all  that  per- 
tains to  its  welfare.  Mr.  Armstrong  keeps  well 
informed  on  the  political  issues  of  the  day  and  is 
a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Republican  party  but 
has  never  been  an  office-seeker.  He  is  now  build- 
ing a  block  in  Argenta  at  a  cost  of  $8,000,  and 
also  owns  residence  property  in  that  place.  He  has 
achieved  success  through  his  own  efforts,  and  his 
competence  is  therefore  the  just  reward  of  his  la- 
bors. 


WASHINGTON  L.  WHITLEY,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pin-suits  on  section 
28,  Harristown  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Kentucky.  He  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  on 
the  8th  of  March,  1843.  His  grandparents  were 
natives  of  Virginia  and  became  pioneer  settlers  of 
Kentucky.  It  is  said  that  the  first  white  child 
born  in  the  latter  State  was  a  Whitley.  The  par- 
ents of  our  subject,  James  and  Phoebe  (Haley) 
Whitley,  were  both  there  born.  By  their  marriage 
they  had  a  family  of  three  children:  Richard  T., 
now  a  resident  of  Montevallo,  Mo.;  Napoleon  B., 
who  died  in  1859,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years; 
and  Washington  L.,  of  this  sketch.  In  1846,  when 
our  subject  was  a  lad  of  three  years,  the  parents 
came  with  their  family  to  Illinois  and  located  in 
Macon  County. 

Ten  years  previously,  Milton  Whitley,  a  brother 
of  James,  had  come  to  this  State  and  taken  up  his 
residence  upon  a  farm.  He  also  ran  a  mill  and  dis- 


tillery. He  owned  some  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land,  that  on  his  death,  which  occurred  a 
short  time  after  the  arrival  of  his  brother,  was  pur- 
chased by  James  Whitley,  who  also  bought  the  Lin- 
coln place.  The  father  of  our  subject  had  visited 
Illinois  when  a  young  man,  and  in  1846,  witJi  his 
wife  and  family,  he  again  came.  At  that  time  he 
had  a  yoke  of  oxen,  one  horse  and  $50  in  cash. 
He  traded  tire  oxen  for  land  and  at  once  began 
the  development  of  a  farm.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  also  carried  on  a  mill,  which  his  brother 
had  built.  This  was  known  as  the  Whitley  Mill 
and  was  one  of  the  old  landmarks  of  the  county. 
It  was  the  only  one  on  the  river  between  Decatur 
and  Mechanicsburg.  Mr.  Whitley  possessed  excel- 
lent business  ability,  and  at  his  death,  as  the  result 
of  his  labors,  he  was  the  owner  of  six  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land.  In  politics,  he  was  a  strong 
Douglas  Democrat,  but  never  took  a  very  prom- 
inent part  in  political  affairs,  especially  as  an  office- 
seeker.  He  was  born  April  1,  1809,  and  died  in 
1872.  His  wife,  whose  birth  occurred  December  1, 
1805,  passed  away  in  1889. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  amid  the 
wild  scenes  of  frontier  life,  and  in  his  youth  aided 
in  the  labors  of  the  mill  and  of  the  farm.  On  his 
father's  death,  in  1872,  he  assumed  charge  of  the 
old  homestead,  which  he  has  since  operated.  He 
is  now  the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  sixteen 
acres  of  good  land,  and  his  well-developed  farm 
yields  to  him  a  good  income.  In  addition  to  the 
cultivation  of  his  land,  he  has  engaged  in  breeding 
draft  horses  and  has  met  with  good  success  in  this 
undertaking.  He  is  industrious  and  energetic,  and 
has  therefore  become  one  of  the  substantial  citizens 
of  the  community. 

On  the  1st  of  September,  1870,  Mr.  Whitley 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Alice  J.  Peats,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  their  union  being  cele- 
brated at  her  home  in  Mercer  Count3%  Pa.  Like 
his  father,  our  subject  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of 
Democratic  principles.  In  1890  he  was  honored 
with  an  election  as  Township  Supervisor,  and  so 
well  has  he  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  that 
he  has  been  twice  re-elected.  He  was  Chairman 
of  the  Finance  Committee  for  raising  funds  for 
the  building  of  the  county  court  house.  He  favored 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


583 


home  money,  and  his  vote  was  given  to  secure 
the  loan  and  to  proceed  with  the  building,  and 
asthe  result  Macon  County's  fine  court  house  now 
stands.  lie  is  a  public- spirited  and  progressive 
citizen  and  has  been  active  in  all  interests  pertain- 
ing to  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he 
resides. 


D^ELSON  F.  BROWN  is  one  of  the  represen- 
Jj   tative  farmers  of  Blue   Mound  Township, 
f    and   a   prominent  and    influential  citizen. 
He  resides  on    section  34,  where  he   owns  and  op- 
erates three  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  rich 
land,  that  pays  a  golden  tribute  to  his  care  and  la- 
bor.    He  has  placed  it  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation, and  upon  the  farm  has  made  many  excel- 
lent improvements,    having  good  buildings,  ma- 
chinery and  all  the  modern  accessories. 

Mr.  Brown  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  na- 
tivity. He  was  born  in  Ross  County,  on  the  4th 
of  January,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Francis  A.  and 
Sidney  (Barr)  Brown.  The  father  was  twice  mar- 
ried. In  1828  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Catherine  McClintock,  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio, 
and  by  their  union  were  born  two  children,  both 
now  deceased.  By  his  second  marriage  he  had 
four  sons  and  two  daughters,  the  eldest  of  whom, 
Thomas  W.,  is  a  resident  of  Blue  Mound  Town- 
ship; Nelson  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth;  Wes- 
ley M.  is  now  deceased;  Sidney  M.  is  the  wife  of 
M.  C.  Livingston,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  volume;  Henry  T.  is  engaged  in  fanning 
in  Blue  Mound  Township;  and  one  child  died  in 
infancy.  The  father  of  this  family  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  followed  that  business  through- 
out his  entire  life.  He  came  to  Macon  County  in 
1859,  and  purchased  eight  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land.  He  then  engaged  in  farming  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  loth  of  May, 
1891,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-six  years.  He 
was  a  successful  agriculturist,  and  left  a  valuable 
estate.  He  could  trace  his  ancestry  back  to  his 
great-great-grandfather,  James  Brown,  who  was 


born  in  Delaware  in  1686.  The  mother  of  out- 
subject  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  in 
1811,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sidney 
(McMacken)  Barr.  She  passed  to  the  home  be- 
yond from  the  old  homestead  in  this  county,  Au- 
gust 10,  1893. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  man- 
hood on  his  father's  farm,  remaining  under  the  pa- 
rental roof  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when 
he  started  out  for  himself  to  earn  his  own  liveli- 
hood. He  rented  land  of  his  father  for  a  time, 
and  then  purchased  property.  As  a  companion 
and  helpmate  on  life's  journey,  he  chose  Miss  Mil- 
dred A.  Pasley,  their  union  being  celebrated  on 
the  4th  of  January,  1870.  The  lady  was  born  in 
this  county  in  1852,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Robert 
A.  and  Edna  (Stith)  Pasley,  early  settlers  of  Ma- 
con County.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  has 
been  born  one  child,  a  son,  Travis,  who  aids  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm. 

As  his  financial  resources  were  increased,  Mr. 
Brown  made  other  purchases  of  land,  until,  as  be- 
fore stated,  his  possessions  now  aggregate  three 
hundred  and  twenty-five  acres,  and  he  is  ranked 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  community. 
On  all  questions  of  national  importance,  he  votes 
witli  the  Republican  party,  but  at  local  elections 
supports  the  man  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified 
for  the  position,  regardless  of  party  affiliations. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  highly  respected 
citizens,  who  hold  an  enviable  position  in  the  cir- 
cles of  society  in  which  they  move. 


W 

¥^ 


<|     WILLIAM  o.  WILLIAMS,  who  carries  on 

agricultural  pursuits  on  section  23,  Maroa 
Township,  was  born  in  Morgan  County, 
111.,  near  Jacksonville,  January  19,  1834.  and  is 
one  of  eight  children  whose  parents  were  John 
and  Margaret  J.  (Craig)  Williams.  The  father 
was  a  native  of  Kentuck}',  and  served  in  the 


584 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Black  Hawk  War.  In  1827  he  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Sangamon  County,  whence  he  after- 
ward removed  to  Morgan  County  and  was  mar- 
ried. In  1835  he  went  to  Cass  County,  and  sub- 
sequently lived  in  Menard  County,  coming  thence 
to  Macon  County  in  1857.  He  followed  farming 
throughout  his  entire  life.  His  deatli  occurred 
April  26,  1862.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  held  the  office  of  Assessor  in  Cass  County. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  was  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen. 
His  wife,  who  was  a  member  of  the  same  church, 
passed  away  in  November,  1856.  The  children  of 
this  worthy  couple  were:  William,  who  is  the  eld- 
est; .lames  D.,  who  enlisted  in  the  Forty-first  Illi- 
nois Regiment  for  the  late  war,  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Ft.  Donelson  in  1862,  and  was  buried  on 
Southern  soil;  John  E.,  who  was  a  member  of  the 
same  regiment  and  died  in  the  hospital  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  from  disease  contracted  in  the  service; 
Mary  J.,  who  died  in  1872;  Anna  E.,  wife  of  Eli- 
sha  Holmes,  a  farmer  of  California;  Sarah,  who 
died  in  1863;  and  David  H.,  who  is  living  in  Ar- 
kansas. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  our  subject 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  His 
primary  education,  acquired  in  the  subscription 
schools,  was  supplemented  by  study  in  Eureka 
College.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  af- 
ter he  had  attained  his  majority,  and  after  his 
mother's  death  he  came  to  Macon  County,  in  1858. 
Upon  the  homestead  in  Maroa  Township  he  re- 
sided until  1865,  and  then  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  land,  making  his  home  upon  that  farm  until 
1888.  That  year  witnessed  his  removal  to  his 
present  place  of  residence,  where,  in  connection 
with  the  cultivation  of  cereals,  he  also  engages  in 
stock-raising. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  1862,  Mr.  Williams  married 
Emma  J.  Hcdger,  who  was  born  in  Parke  County, 
Indi,  April  23,  1841,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
ai;d  Jane  (McAllister)  Hedger,  the  former  of  Ger- 
man, and  the  latter  of  Scotch  descent.  In  their 
family  were  eight  children:  Minerva,  who  died  in 
October,  1890;  William,  who  died  in  infancy; 
John,  also  deceased;  Mary,  wife  of  Madison  May- 
berry,  of  Kansas;  Emma  J.,  wife  of  our  subject; 


Harriet,  wife  of  T.  S.  Collins,  of  Bement,  111.; 
Sarah  E.,  wife  of  J.  II.  Russell,  of  Ft.  Scott,  Kan.; 
and  Joseph,  who  died  September  6,  1855.  The 
death  of  the  mother  occurred  October  16,  1865, 
and  the  father  departed  this  life  in  January,  1887. 
Five  children  were  born  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Williams:  Addie,-wbo  died  September  8, 
1865;  Eva,  wife  of  Robert  Englehardt,  who  makes 
his  home  in  Allen  County,  Kan.;  Jennie,  a  teacher 
of  instrumental  music;  Freddie,  who  died  October 
25,  1&72;  and  Grace,  who  died  April  6,  1881. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  hold  membership  with 
the  Christian  Church,  and  take  an  active  interest 
in  all  that  pertains  to  its  welfare.  In  politics,  he 
is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
has  efficiently  served  in  the  offices  of  Constable, 
Road  Commissioner  and  School  Director.  At  this 
writing  he  is  serving  as  School  Trustee.  The  best 
interests  of  the  community  ever  find  in  him  a 
friend,  and  his  pleasant,  genial  manner  has  made 
him  highly  respected  in  the  community. 


>HOMAS  JEFFERSON  SCROGGIN,  one  of 
the  leading  stock  farmers  of  central  Illinois, 
I  and  a  prominent  and  widely-known  citizen, 
resides  on  section  28,  Harristown  Township.  He 
has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  this  State,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Logan  County  August  13, 
1837.  His  father,  Carter  Scroggin,  was  a  native 
of  Tennessee,  and  removed  to  Logan  County, 
111.,  in  1827,  becoming  one  of  its  pioneers.  He 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Phoebe  Shelby,  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  ninth  in  or- 
der of  birth  in  a  family  of  ten  children,  seven  of 
whom  are  now  living,  but  he  is  the  only  icsident 
of  Macon  County.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent 
midst  play  and  work,  and  he  remained  at  home 
until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  in  his  twentieth 
year.  On  the  1st  of  January,  1857,  he  wedded 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


585 


Miss  Rebecca  Birks,  sister  of  John  V.  Birks,  of 
Decatur.  The  young  couple  began  their  wedded 
life  upon  land  which  Mr.  Scroggin's  father  gave 
him,  nnd  st'irted  out  for  themselves  with  a  capital 
of  about  $200.  There  they  resided  until  1864, 
when  they  came  to  Macon  County  and  our  subject 
purchased  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  28, 
all  raw  land,  except  about  five  acres  at  the  south- 
west boundary,  which  had  been  a  part  of  the  old 
Lincoln  Farm,  upon  which  Abraham  Lincoln  spent 
his  boyhood  days.  Mr.  Lincoln  had  made  it  a 
squatter's  claim,  but  had  never  entered  the  land 
from  the  Government. 

With  characteristic  energy,  Mr.  Scroggin  began 
the  development  of  his  property,  working  from 
early  morning  until  night  caused  him  to  end  his 
labors.  Owing  to  his  ceaseless  industry,  his  finan- 
cial resources  were  increased,  and  from  time  to 
time  he  has  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm, 
until  he  now  owns  one  thousand  acres  of  land,  all 
in  one  body.  He  has  fed  and  shipped  stock,  and  in 
1882  began  breeding  Hereford  cattle.  He  now  has 
a  herd  of  fifty  cows.  He  began  with  ten  cows,  in- 
cluding six  imported  ones.  He  has  frequently 
made  exhibits  of  his  stock  at  the  fat-stock  shows, 
and  at  one  time  had  on  exhibition  a  two-year-old 
weighing  seventeen  hundred  and  thirty  pounds. 
Mr.  Scroggin  is  an  excellent  judge  of  stock,  and  in 
this  line  of  business  he  has  met  with  excellent 
success.  Although  he  never  advertises,  even  in 
the  local  paper,  his  reputation  as  a  stock-breeder 
has  extended  so  widely  that  he  has  made  sales  all 
over  the  country.  The  farm  is  well  watered  by 
the  Sangamon  River  and  is  well  adapted  for  the 
purpose  for  which  it  is  used. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  three 
sons,  but  two  are  now  deceased:  James  Russell, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  and  Charles 
Shelb3-,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three. 
Neither  had  ever  fully  recovered  from  an  attack 
of  diphtheria  which  they  had  had  when  children. 
Rolla  is  a  farmer  and  aids  his  father  in  business. 
The  mother  of  this  family  suffered  a  stroke  of  par- 
alysis some  five  years  ago  and  has  never  yet  fully 
recovered.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scroggin  are  faith- 
ful members  of  the  Christian  Church,  take  an  act- 
ive part  in  its  work,  and  for  twenty  years  he  has 


served  as  Deacon.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of 
the  Democracy  and  his  party  finds  in  him  a  stanch 
advocate.  In  his  dealings  he  is  upright  and  hon- 
orable and  throughout  the  community  he  is  widely 
and  favorably  known. 


j?  EROME  R.  GORIN,  who  is  now  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  Decatur,  was  born  in  Hopkins- 
ville,  Christian  County,  Ky.,  October  12, 

1>  1817,  and  is  a  son  of  John  D.  and  Mattie 
(Thomas)  Gorin.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  during  his  boyhood  emigrated  to  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  attained  to  man's  estate.  In  the 
spring  of  1828,  he  came  with  his  family  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Vandalia,  then  the  capital  of  the  State. 
He  was  a  merchant  and  farmer,  and  was  also  for  some 
years  receiver  in  the  land  office.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  Vandalia  April  26,  1846,  in  the  fifty- 
sixth  year  of  his  age.  His  widow  survived  him 
for  thirty  years,  and  died  July  13,  1876,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-nine. 

In  1833  Jerome  Gorin  came  "to  Decatur,  where 
he  had  two  older  brothers  and  a  sister  living.  One 
brother,  Henry  M.,  was  for  many  years  Clerk  of 
the  Court,  but  left  the  office  in  1841.  Elvira,  who 
had  come  to  Decatur  in  1830,  married  Gen.  Isaac 
Pugh,  and  both  died  in  this  city  after  reaching  an 
advanced  age.  The  Gorin  family  numbered  eight 
children,  but  the  only  surviving  members  are 
Gladden,  now  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  and  Mrs.  Ma- 
ria Kirkman,  of  Winchester,  111. 

Our  subject  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  when 
he  came  to  Decatur.  Soon  after  he  began  clerk- 
ing, and  continued  to  serve  in  that  capacity  until 
1841.  During  the  succeeding  two  years  he.  stud- 
ied law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  before  Judge 
Treat  in  1842,  after  which  he  spent  one  winter  in 
Scotland  County,  Mo.  Returning  to  Decatur,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Judge  Charles  Emerson, 
and  later  with  Judge  Kirby  Benedict,  who  was  af- 
terward made  District  Judge  of  New  Mexico.  Mr. 


586 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Gorin  became  City  Clerk  and  Attorney  in  1860, 
and  held  that  office  for  four  years.  He  had  previ- 
ously served  for  some  time  as  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
He  next  formed  a  partnership  with  Judge  Arthur 
J.  Gallagher 4  which  connection  was  continued  until 
1861,  when  Mr.  Gorin  entered  the  bank  of  Milli- 
ken  &  Odor  as  its  Cashier.  The  bank  was  estab- 
lished in  1861,  and  though  he  formed  a  connec- 
tion with  it  he  continued  to  serve  as  City  Clerk 
and  Attorney.  After  about  four  years  he  became 
a  partner  in  the  bank,  and  continued  to  serve  as 
its  Cashier  until  1881,  when  he  retired  from  the 
business,  and  the  firm  of  Gorin  it  Bills  was  formed. 
They  engaged  in  banking  and  the  real-estate  and 
loan  business  for  two  years.  In  1883  the  bank  of 
Gorin  &  Dawson  was  established,  witli  our  subject 
as  President.  For  several  years  he  devoted  his  at- 
tention to  that  enterprise,  but  after  a  time  sold  out 
to  L.  B.  Casner,  and  a  year  later  it  was  merged 
into  the  Citizens'  National  Bank,  of  which  our 
subject  was  an  in  corporator  and  became  its  first 
President.  After  a  year  he  disposed  of  his  inter- 
ests, and  since  1892  has  not  been  in  active  busi- 
/ 

ness.  For  thirty  years  he  was  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  banking  interests  of  Decatur  and 
aided  in  establishing  two  of  the  leading  financial 
institutions  of  this^city. 

Mr.  Gorin  was  married  in  Decatur  April  1,  1845, 
to  Miss  Eleanor  D.  Fawcett,  who  was  born  in 
Virginia,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Re- 
becca Fawcett.  They  have  six  children:  Mary 
Emma,  wife  of  C.  C.  Middleton,  of  Dallas,  Tex.; 
Orville  B.,  Cashier  of  Milliken's  Bunk;  Ida  E., 
wife  of  W.  C.  Armstrong,  of  Decatur;  Jerome 
P.,  who  is  in  charge  of  a  patent  for  weaving 
carpets  in  New  York  City;  Mattie  A.,  at  home; 
and  Henry  Gladden,  who  at  this  writing  is  in  a 
railroad  oltice  in  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Mr.  Gorin  served  one  session  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature in  1856-57,  and  during  that  time  was  made 
disbursing  agent  of  the  Ft.  Ridgely  Wagon  Road, 
which  was  building  a  road   for   the    Government 
from  St.  Paul  and  Ft.   Ridgely   to  the   Missouri 
River.     During  that  time  he  had  an   office  in   St. 
Paul  for  about  a  year,  after  which  the  project  was    , 
abandoned.     Mr.  Gorin  has  been  an  active  member  • 
of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  many    I 


years,  and  since  1861  has  been  officially  connected 
with  it.  He  has  given  much  attention  to  Sunday- 
school  work,  has  served  as  President  of  the  State 
Sunday-school  Association,  was  on  the  executive 
committee,  and  for  ten  years  served  as  President 
of  the  County  Sunday-school  Association.  He  has 
also  taken  an  active  part  in  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association.  In  politics  he  was  formerly 
an  old-line  Whig;  he  then  for  many  years  voted 
with  the  Republican  party,  but  is  now  a  Prohibi- 
tionist. He  is  the  oldest  member  of  Macon  Lodge 
No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  which  he  joined  October  18, 
1841.  He  was  its  Master  for  seven  consecutive 
years,  until  elected  Grand  Master  of  the  State.  He 
was  High  Priest  of  Macon  Chapter,  and  Eminent 
Commander  of  Beanmanoir  Commandery  No.  9, 
K.  T.  In  1867  and  1868  he  was  Grand  Master  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  Illinois.  He  took  the  Thirty- 
second  Degree  of  Masonry  in  April,  1866,  in  the 
Consistory  Valley  of  Chicago.  Hehasgiven  much 
of  his  time  to  Masonic  work,  in  which  he  is  deeply 
interested.  He  organized  the  Commandery  in  Ol- 
ney,  111.,  January  19, 1865,  and  it  was  named  Gorin 
Commandery  in  his  honor.  They  had  a  three- 
days  session,  and  nineteen  Masons  were  made 
Knights  Templar.  Mr.  Gorin  has  been  prominent 
in  social  and  business  life,  and  perhaps  no  citizen 
of  Decatur  is  more  widely  or  favorably  known  in 
Illinois  than  he. 


JOHN    B.    CAMP,  one  of    Macon    County's 
practical   and    progressive  farmers  now  re- 
!    siding    in    Harristown    Township,  is  a  na- 
_     '    tive  of   Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Canton,  Fulton   County,  April    10,  1849.     His 
father,   George  W.  Camp,  was  also  born    in    this 
State,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Madison  County 
May  8,  1823.     In    1825    his    parents    removed   to 
Scott   County,  locating   near   Winchester,  and    he 
lived  upon  the  farm  with  his  grandfather,  George 
Camp.     This   farm    has  now  become  the  property 
of  the  grandson,  George  W.,  and   comprises   three 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


587 


hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.  He  was  one  of 
the  early  settlers  and  Indians  still  visited  the 
neighborhood  at  that  time.  George  W.  Catnp  was 
one  of  eight  children,  two  sons  and  six  daughters.1 
After  arriving  at  mature  years  he  wedded  Mary 
J.  Campbell,  who  was  born  in  January,  1845,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  John  B.  Campbell.  Her  father 
was  a  very  prominent  man,  several  times  served 
as  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  and  was  As- 
sociate Judge.  Mr.  Camp  was  a  practical  farmer 
and  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1880, 
since  which  time  he  has  lived  a  retired  life,  he  and 
his  wife  making  their  home  with  their  daughter. 
They  hold  membership  with  the  Christian  Church, 
and  in  politics  he  is  a  supporter  of  Republican 
principles. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  in  his  youth  acquired  an  excellent 
education,  the  privileges  of  the  public  schools  be- 
ing supplemented  by  a  two-years  course  in  Eureka 
College,  of  Eureka,  111.  To  his  father  he  gave  the 
benefit  of  his  services  until  1876,  when,  on  the 
loth  of  February,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Hattie  S.  Howsmon,  who  was  born  in  Lexing- 
ton, McLean  County,  111.,  March  24,1851.  Her 
parents,  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Howsmon,  removed 
from  Ohio  to  McLean  County  and  resided  upon  a 
farm  near  Lexington.  They  had  a  family  of  nine 
children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters.  Mrs.  Camp 
was  also  a  student  in  Eureka  College,  where  she 
remained  for  four  years.  By  her  marriage  she  has 
become  the  mother  of  three  children:  George  R., 
who  was  born  October  10,  1879;  Harry  II.,  born 
October  21,  1881;  and  Lou  Nora,  born  April  14, 
1884. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Camp  re- 
moved to  Macon  County,  locating  on  a  farm  two 
miles  south  of  Harristown,  where  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  land,  devoting  his 
energies  to  its  cultivation  and  to  stock-raising  un- 
till  1887.  He  then  removed  to  his  present  farm, 
which  comprises  five  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
valuable  land  and  is  one  of  the  desirable  places  of 
Macou  Count}'.  The  fields  are  well  tilled,  and  the 
man>-  improvements  on  the  place  indicate  the 
thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner.  He  also  en- 
gages in  breeding  Hereford  cattle  and  has  some 
tine  specimens  of  stock  upon  his  place, 


In  politics  Mr.  Camp  takes  quite  an  active  in- 
terest, votes  with  the  Democratic  party  and  is  a 
stanch  advocate  of  its  principles.  In  1886,  he  was 
elected  Supervisor  and  served  one  term.  He  and 
his  wife  hold  membership  with  the  Christian 
Church.  The  best  interests  of  the  community 
ever  find  in  him  a  friend,  and  public  enterprises 
calculated  to  promote  the  general  welfare  always 
receive  his  support.  His  word  is  as  good  as  his 
bond,  and  to  know  Mr.  Camp  is  to  respect  him. 


RS.  ELIZABETH  J.TRAUGHBER  is  num- 
bered among  Macon  County's  pioneer  set- 
tlers, and  has  the  high  regard  of  all  who 
know  her.  She  well  deserves  mention  in 
this  volume.  She  was  born  September  29,  1833,  in 
Mt.  Zion,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Alexander  W.  Bell, 
also  one  of  the  honored  early  settlers  of  this  com- 
munity. She  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  county,  and  the  days  of  her  maidenhood 
were  quietly  passed  under  the  parental  roof,  but 
on  the  8th  of  March,  1853,  she  left  home  and  gave 
her  hand  in  marriage  to  Robert  S.  Traughber.  Two 
children  were  born  of  their  union:  Henry  A.,  who 
married  Miss  Julia  Wilson,  daughter  of  Robert 
Wilson,  and  resides  in  Spokane,  Wash.;  and  William 
S.,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead  with  his 
mother,  on  section  6,  Mt.  Zion  Township. 

Mr.  Traughber  was  also  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  and  for  one  term  attended  school  in  Mor- 
gan County,  111.  After  the  breaking  out  of  the 
late  war.  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
troops,  enlisting  on  the  9th  of  August,  1862,  as  a 
member  of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Six- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry.  He  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Arkansas  Post,  and  was  aiding  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg  when  death  overtook  him  on 
the  steamer  "City  of  Memphis,"  February  7,  1863. 
His  remains  were  interred  at  Young's  Point,  near 
the  city  where  the  army  was  encamped.  He  was  a 
worthy  citizen  of  the  town  and  county,  was  a  kind 
and  indulgent  husband  and  parent,  and  his  death 


588 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


cast  a  gloom  over  his  family  which  years  have  not 
altogether  obliterated. 

Mrs.  Traughher  belongs  to  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  is  one  of  its  consistent 
and  honored  members.'  A  lady  possessed  of  many 
excellencies  of  character,  she  has  the  high  regard 
of  all  with  whom  she  has  been  brought  in  contact. 
Her  life  has  been  well  and  worthily  spent,  and  her 
friends  are  many. 


RS.  AMANDA  ALLEN,  who  for  many 
years  resided  in  Macon  County,  and  is 
well  known  to  many  residents  of  this  com- 
munity, was  born  in  Wood  ford,  Scott 
County,  Ky.,  on  the  29th  of  December,  1829.  Her 
parents  were  John  and  Anna  (Dougherty)  Risk. 
They  were  born,  lived  and  died  in  Virginia,  and 
were  worthy  representatives  of  highly  respected 
ancestors. 

Their  daughter  Amanda  spent  the  days  of  her 
maidenhood  under  the  parental  roof,  aiding  in  the 
labors  of  the  household  and  acquiring  her  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
years  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  David  S. 
Allen,  their  union  being  celebrated  on  the  16th  of 
September,  1845.  Mr.  Allen  was  born  near  George- 
town, Scott  County,  Ky.,  February  8,  1822,  and 
was  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Catherine  (Skillnian)  Al- 
len, who  was  born,  reared  and  married  in  Virginia, 
and  then  removed  to  Kentucky,  where  their  re- 
maining days  were  passed  as  valued  and  highly 
esteemed  citizens.  David  was  reared  in  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  lads,  and  was  earl 3'  inured  to 
the  labors  of  the  fields,  becoming  familiar  with 
agriculture  in  all  its  details.  At  the  age  of  twen- 
ty-three he  was  married,  after  which  he  continued 
to  superintend  his  father's  farm  for  ten  years,  or 
until  1855,  when  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune 
on  the  broad  prairies  of  the  West.  Emigrating  to 
Macon  County,  111.,  he  took  up  his  residence  on 
section  34,  lllini  Township,  where  he  made  his 
home  until  his  death.  When  he  located  upon  his 
land,  it  was  a  wild  and  unimproved  tract,  which 


had  been  entered  from  the  Government  only  a  short 
time  before.  Here  he  made  for  himself  and  fam- 
ilj-  a  comfortable  home,  and  his  name  was  honored 
throughout  the  community,  for  his  upright  life 
gained  for  him  the  respect  of  all.  He  carried  on 
general  farming,  raising  all  kinds  of  grain  and 
keeping  fine  herds  of  cattle,  horses  and  other  live- 
stock, both  feeding  and  shipping  for  local  and 
distant  markets.  In  his  business  career  he  met 
with  excellent  success,  and  accumulated  a  fine 
farm  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  an  elegant 
home  and  other  valuable  property. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Allen  was  a  Whig  in  early  life, 
and  on  the  organization  of  the  new  Republican 
party  he  joined  its  ranks  and  continued  to  sup- 
port it  until  his  death.  He  was  a  very  prominent 
and  active  member  of  the  Mtthodist  Episcopal 
Church,  with  which  he  united  at  an  early  age. 
For  many  years  he  served  as  Steward  of  the 
church,  and  gave  liberally  of  his  time  and  means 
to  build  a  house  of  worship  and  maintain  its  serv- 
ices. Oftentimes  lu  contributed  more'  than  half 
of  the  pastor's  salary.  All  benevolent  and  char- 
itable organizations  received  his  aid,  and  the  poor 
and  needy  found  in  him  a  friend.  He  proved  a 
blessing  to  the  community  in  which  he  resided, 
and  he  will  long  he  held  in  loving  remembrance. 
After  an  illness  of  three  months,  he  passed  away 
August  10,  1880,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  ceme- 
tery of  Harnstown. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  were  born  six  chil- 
dren. All  are  worthy  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  the  sons  are  stalwart  Republicans. 
Rhodes  Allen,  the  eldest,  was  born  Januarj'  19, 
1847,  and  after  a  three-years  attack  of  rheumatism 
died  in  1889.  Louisa  C.,  born  December  9,  1850, 
acquired  an  excellent  education  in  the  State  Normal 
and  State  University  of  Illinois,  and  afterward 
distinguished  herself  as  an  educator,  serving  as 
Superintendent  of  Schools  in  several  of  the  larger 
towns  of  Illinois.  She  is  now  the  wife  of  Dr. 
John  M.  Gregory,  who  for  many  3-ears  was  Presi- 
dent of  the. State  University  of  Illinois,  and  now 
resides  in  Washington,  D.  C.  They  have  one 
child,  Alleyne.  Henry  C.  married  Fannie  Moore, 
of  Kentucky.  They  reside  upon  a  farm  near 
Georgetown,  Ky.,  with  their  son,  James  Henry. 


• 


JOHN      Gooo 


MRS.    JOHN    GOOD 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


593 


Charles,  born  October  20,  1852,  died  July  6,  1880, 
only  six  weeks  before  liis  father's  death.  Bascom, 
born  June  16,  1859,  resides  in  Chicago.  He  is  mar- 
ried, and  has  two  children,  Louie  Talbot  and  Ar- 
thur Skillman.  Wright,  born  October  20,  1861, 
wedded  Mamie  Moffitt,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children,  Leonora,  David  Skill- 
man and  Marie.  Wright  is  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead, and  since  the  residence  with  all  its  contents 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  June,  1892,  he  has  erected 
thereon  a  I'ne  modern  dwelling,  complete  in  all  its 
appointments.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  en- 
terprising and  successful  agriculturists  of  the  com- 
munity. Mrs.  Allen,  the  mother  of  this  family, 
now  resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Gregory,  in 
Washington,  D.  C.  She  is  an  intelligent  and  re- 
fined lady,  and  her  sixty-four  years  rest  lightly 
upon  her.  Throughout  Mucon  County  she  has 
many  friends  who  will  be  glad  to  see  her  history 
in  this  volume. 


'OHN  GOOD,  one  of  the  progressive  and 
prominent  farmers  of  Hickory  Point  Town- 
ship, residing  on  section  32,  is  one  of  Ma- 
con  County's  honored  pioneers,  who  for 
more  than  half  a  century  has  been  identified  with 
its  history.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  inter- 
est in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the 
community,  and  his  name  is  inseparably  connected 
with  its  upbuilding  and  development.  As  he  is 
widely  known,  we  feel  assured  that  this  record  of 
his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our 
readers.  A  native  fef  York  County,  Pa.,  he  was 
born  near  Strinestown,  January  29,  1812,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Keller)  Good.  Their 
family  numbered  eleven  children,  but  only  three 
are  now  living,  namely:  John,  of  this  sketch; 
Daniel,  a  retired  farmer  of  Whitmore  Township; 
and  Rudolph,  who  is  living  a  retired  life  in  Indi- 
ana. Susan,  Christian,  Peter,  Elizabeth,  Jacob, 
Henry,  Nancy  and  Catherine  are  all  deceased. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  John  Good 
spent  his   early  youth.     For  about  three   months 

28 


during  the  year  he  attended  the  subscription 
schools,  to  which  he  had  to  walk  a  distance  of  two 
miles.  His  father  died  when  he  was  about  fifteen 
years  of  age,  and  lie  remained  on  the  old  home- 
stead with  his  mother,  carrying  on  the  farm,  until 
the  age  of  twenty-two.  That  year  witnessed  a 
change  in  his  occupation.  Going  to  Buffalo,  N. 
Y.,  he  commenced  working  at  the  shoemaker's 
trade,  having  served  a  two-years  apprenticeship, 
learning  the  trade  before  k-aving  home, and  during 
this  time  he  received  no  compensation  for  his  serv- 
ices. He  continued  to  follow  that  business  in 
Buffalo  until  1838,  when  he  determined  to  cast  in 
his  lot  with  the  pioneers  of  Illinois.  He  knew 
that  land  could  be  obtained  cheap  in  this  locality, 
and  thought  that  he  might  better  his  financial 
condition  by  taking  up  his  residence  here.  The 
trip  was  made  113'  water  and  stage  to  Shelbyville, 
111.,  whence  he  came  on  foot  to  Decatur.  During 
the  first  .season  he  worked  at  any  thing  he  could 
find  -to  dp  '  which  would  yield  him  an  honest  liv- 
ing'i  f-.Soo'n1  after  his  arrival  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  Whitmore  Town- 
ship, a  tract  of  timber  and  prairie  land,  upon  which 
there  were  no  improvements.  In  1839,  he  began 
its  development,  and  built  thereon  a  house,  which 
is  still  standing,  one  of  the  landmarks  of  pioneer 
days  that  yet  remain. 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1841,  Mr.  Good  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  Garber,  and 
in  the  same  year  he  sold  his  first  farm,  removing 
to  Hickory  Point  Township,  where  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  section 
32.  This  he  still  owns.  A  log  cabin  had  been 
built  upon  the  farm,  and  a  portion  of  the  land  had 
been  broken.  His  labors  soon  transformed  it  into 
a  tract  of  rich  fertility,  and  for  many  years  it 
yielded  him  a  good  income  and  was  his  place  of 
residence.  In  1885,  however,  he  removed  to  his 
present  farm,  which  comprises  two  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  well-improved  and  valuable  land. 
From  time  to  time  he  has  made  judicious  invest- 
ments in  farming  lands,  and  his  possessions  now 
aggregate  fifteen  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Of 
this  one  thousand  acres  lie  in  Macon  County,  and 
the  remaining  five  hundred  and  sixty  are  in  Kan- 
sas. 


594 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


By  the  first  marriage  of  our  subject  eight  chil- 
dren were  born:  Susan,  now  deceased;  Mary; 
Nancy,  also  deceased;  John  II.,  David,  Daniel,  Ja- 
cob B.,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  The  mother 
of  this  family  passed  away  March  21,  1859,  and  on 
the  1st  of  March,  1860,  Mr.  Good  wedded  Mrs. 
Sarah  Weltmer,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Stoffer,  and 
widow  of  Jacob  Weltmer.  by  whom  she  had  two 
children:  Elizabeth,  now  the  wife  of  David  Love, 
who  resides  in  Greenwood  County,  Kan.;  and  Ab- 
ram  J.  Weltmer,  a  farmer  of  Hickory  Point  Town- 
ship. Two  children  graced  the  second  marriage 
of  our  subject,  but  both  died  in  infancy.  The  fam- 
ily occupies  a  prominent  position  in  social  circles, 
and  their  friends  throughout  the  community  are 
many. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Good  has  been  a  lifelong  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party,  and  a  warm  advo- 
cate of  its  principles.  A  public-spirited  and  pro- 
gressive citizen,  his  aid  has  never  been  withheld 
from  any  interest  which  he  believes  is  calculated 
to  benefit  the  community.  lie  is  liberal  and  gen- 
erous and  has  given  freely  for  the  promotion  of 
the  county's  best  works.  He  has  met  with  remark- 
able success  in  life,  though  at  the  early  age  of  fif- 
teen years,  by  the  death  of  his  father,  he  was 
thrown  upon  his  own  resources,  and  since  that 
time  has  had  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
He  has  encountered  many  obstacles  and  diflicul- 
ties,  but  these  he  has  surmounted  by  his  energy 
and  determination,  working  his  way  onward  and 
upward  to  a  position  among  Macon  County's 
wealthy  agriculturists. 


,ANIEL  WH1TSEL,  a  retired  farmer  and 
stock  dealer  now  living  in  Decatur,  is  a 
native  of  Ohio.  Ross  County  is  the  place 
of  his  birth  and  the  date  is  April  4,  1823.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  John  Whitsel,  was  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  farmer  and  was  of  German  descent. 
The  father,  Samuel  Whitsel,  was  born  near  Gettys- 
burg, of  the  Keystone  State,  and  when  twenty 


years  of  age  emigrated  to  Ohio.  He  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Ruth  Grouse,  was  born  in 
North  Carolina.  They  became  the  parents  of  ten 
children,  the  following  of  whom  are  now  living: 
John,  Jeremiah,  Daniel,  and  Minerva,  widow  of 
James  Boggs,  of  Ohio.  The  father  of  this  family  died 
in  Ohio,  January  14,  1849,  in  his  sixty-eight  year. 
His  wife  survived  him  until  1864,  and  passed 
away  in  Ross  County,  Ohio.  She  was  born  Jan- 
uary 28,  1787,  and  was  therefore  seventy-seven 
years  of  age  when  called  to  the  home  beyond. 
With  the  Methodist  Church  she  held  membership. 

Daniel  Whitsel,  whose  name  heads  this  record, 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  in  Ohio.  He  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  and  in  the  old-fashioned  log  school  house, 
with  slab  seats,  he  conned  his  lessons  and  acquiri  d 
his  education.  After  his  father's  death  he  began 
farming  for  himself,  and  in  1855  came  to  Illinois, 
renting  a  farm  a  mile  and  a-half  northeast  of  De- 
catur. There  he  resided  for  three  and  a-half  years, 
after  which  he  removed  to  the  city,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  buying  and  selling  stock  for  about  twenty 
years.  In  the  spring  of  1870,  he  opened  a  meat- 
market,  doing  business  in  that  line  for  about 
twelve  years,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  a  retired 
life. 

Mr.  Whitsel  was  married  April  27,  1854,  to  Miss 
Eliza,  daughter  of  Nelson  and  Maria  (Hughes) 
Brown,  natives  of  Maryland.  Her  paternal  grand- 
father, White  Brown,  was  born  in  Delaware.  He 
owned  slaves  in  that  State,  but  set  them  all  free, 
and  afterwards  emigrated  to  Ross  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  followed  by  nearly  all  of  his  colored 
people,  who  desired  to  work  for  their  old  master. 
His  grandfather,  James  Brown,  was  born  in  1686, 
and  died  in  April,  1770,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four 
years.  James  Brown,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Dorchester 
County,  Pa.,  in  1710,  and  married  Priscilla  White, 
daughter  of  Judge  Thomas  White,  of  Maryland, 
and  died  in  1794,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 
The  maternal  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Whitsel  were 
John  and  Sarah  (Bass)  Hughes,  who  were  born, 
reared  and  married  in  Maryland.  They  became 
pioneer  settlers  of  Ohio,  where  the  grandfather 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


595 


died  when  quite  young.  His  wife  afterwards 
married  again,  and  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-nine  years. 

Nelson  Brown,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Whitsel,  was 
a  farmer  and  also  carried  on  a  woolen  mill  in  Ross 
County,  Ohio.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  in  stock- 
raising.  His  death  occurred  in  the  Buckeye  State, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  His  wife,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  survived  him 
sixteen  years,  and  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-four. Their  family  numbered  four  sons  and 
eight  daughters,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy, 
while  Louisa  died  in  her  eighth  year.  Ellen  and 
Sarah  are  also  deceased.  White,  James  and  Eliza 
are  still  living.  Rebecca  and  Elizabeth  have 
passed  away,  and  Allen  and  Alice  still  survive. 
White  married  Ellen  Cleveland  and  lives  in  Perry, 
111.  James  wedded  Sarah  Chenoweth,  of  Perry, 
and  resides  in  Wellington,  Kan.  Allen  married 
Miss  Kate  Mackey,  and  they  live  on  the  old  home 
in  Ohio,  which,  though  built  in  1836,  is  still  in  a 
good  state  of  preservation.  Alice  is  the  wife  of 
John  Throckmorton,  of  Ross  County,  Ohio. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitsel  were  born  eight 
children,  of  whom  Ella  and  Daniel,  the  eldest  and 
youngest,  are  now  deceased.  Brown,  who  married 
Myrtle  Sewell,  of  Indiana,  by  whom  he  has  two 
children,  Travis  and  Helen,  is  a  railroad  engineer 
and  lives  in  Chicago.  Adel  is  the  widow  of  Cyrus 
B.  Prescott,  of  Decatur,  who  died  March  28,  1893, 
leaving  two  children,  George  and  Cyrus.  Allen 
T.  married  Henrietta  Stafford,  of  New  York,  and 
they  reside  with  our  subject.  Sarah  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  Elwood,  of  Decatur.  Frank  II.,  who  wedded 
Rose  Grimes,  is  an  engineer  on  the  Wisconsin  Cen- 
tral Railroad,  with  headquarters  at  Waukesha. 
William  is  a  plumber  of  Lincoln,  Neb. 

The  Whitsel  family  is  one  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  this  community  and  its  members  are 
people  of  sterling  worth,  who  are  held  in  high 
regard  by  all  who  know  them.  Mr.  Whitsel  has 
long  been  identified  with  this  county  and  its  in- 
terests, and  does  all  in  his  power  to  promote  the 
public  welfare.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote 
for  Henry  Clay  in  1844,  and  supported  the  Whig 
party  until  the  organization  of  the  Republican 


party,  when  he  joined  its  ranks.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  City  Council  for  four  years,  and  served 
as  Commissioner  of  Highways  for  three  years. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
Mr.  Whitsel  is  living  a  retired  life,  enjoying  a 
well-earned  rest,  and  the  competence  which  he  has 
acquired  through  good  management,  perseverance 
and  industry  surrounds  him  with  all  the  comforts 
of  life. 


LEXANDER  W.  BELL,  a  retired  farmer 
and  honored  citizen  of  Mt.  Zion.  is  a  na- 
tive of  Tennessee.  He  was  born  in  Greene 
County,  May  22,  1812.  His  father,  James 
Bell,  was  a  native  of  East  Tennessee,  and  was  of 
German  descent.  On  the  5th  of  September,  1811, 
his  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Wilson  was  celebrated. 
His  death  occurred  in  Tennessee,  January  31, 
1828,  and  he  was  buried  in  Greene  County.  The 
family  numbered  seven  children:  Elizabeth,  who 
died  January  9,  1822, and  was  buried  in  Tennessee; 
William  W.  and  Nancy,  both  of  whom  died  and 
were  buried  in  Mt.  Zion  Township;  John  A.,  who 
was  interred  in  Lincoln,  111.;  Andrew  G.,  who 
was  also  buried  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery;  Eliza,  who 
was  laid  to  rest  in  Texas;  and  our  subject. 

During  his  youth  our  subject  came  to  Macon 
County  with  his  widowed  mother  and  her  family 
of  young  children  and  remained  with  her  until 
her  death.  The  family  were  then  scattered.  At 
that  time  Alexander  was  about  eighteen  years  of 
age.  He  has  since  been  dependent  upon  his  own 
resources,  so  that  whatever  success  that  he  has 
achieved  in  life  is  due  entirely  to  his  perseverance 
and  good  management.  He  was  married  Decem- 
ber 4, 1832,  to  Miss  Nancy  Brown,  a  native  of  East 
Tennessee,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
children:  PMizabeth  J.,  widow  of  R.  S.  Traughber, 
of  Mt.  Zion  Township;  Maiy  A.,  wife  of  B.  G. 
Henry,  of  Decatur;  Sarah  C.,  who  died  and  was 
buried  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery;  and  Nanc}'  M.,  wife 
of  W.  H.  Price,  of  Wheatland  Township.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died  September  13,  1846, 


596 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  was  buried  in  Ml.  Zion  Cemetery.  On  the 
15th  of  April,  1847,  Mr.  Bell  wedded  Mrs.  Mary 
Wilson,  widow  of  Allen  Wilson.  By  this  union 
were  born  four  children:  .James  M.,  who  resides  in 
Kansas;  Margaret  L.,  wife  of  George  Outten,  a 
resident  of  Ml.  Zion;  Martha  A.,  wife  of  J.  E. 
Davis,  of  Mt.  Zion;  and  Robert  A.,  who  died  in 
childhood.  Eliza  E.,  a  step-daughter,  is -the  wife 
of  A.  B.  Champion,  and  is  living  in  Mt.  Zion 
Township. 

Mr.  Bell  was  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  War 
and  participated  in  the  famous  battle  of  Stillman's 
defeat.  He  is  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  this 
county,  the  year  of  his  arrival  being  1825.  He 
has  suffered  all  the  hardships  and  privations  inci- 
dent to  frontier  life  and  has  borne  all  the  experi- 
ences that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  pioneer.  He  had 
no  school  privileges  and  in  consequence  is  self 
educated.  For  many  years  he  toiled  hard  and 
success  at  length  crowned  his  efforts.  He  has 
lived  an  exemplary  life,  and  has  been  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Mt.  Zion  for  sixty-three  years,  having  been 
one  of  thirty-five  members  who  organized  the 
church  in  the  year  1830.  Mr.  Bell  and  Mrs. 
Baker  are  the  only  ones  of  the  original  number 
now  living.  His  career  has  been  such  as  to  win 
him  universal  confidence  and  esteem  and  is  well 
worthy  of  emulation.  To  his  children  he  will 
leave  the  priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished 
name.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party. 


ABAN  CHAMBERS,  who  now  makes  his 
j  home  in  the  village  of  Cerro  Gordo,  where 
he  is  living  a  retired  life,  is  ranked  among 
Macon  County's  prominent  citizensand  isa  worthy 
representative  of  one  of  her  pioneer  families.  His 
career  has  been  a  busy  one,  and  as  the  result  of 
his  industry  and  good  management  he  can  now 
lay  aside  all  care  and  enjoy  a  well-earned  rest. 
Mr.  Chambers  was  born  in  Pendleton  County, 


Ky.,  April  20,  1823,  and  came  to  Macon  County 
with  his  parents  in  1836.  His  father,  James  Cham- 
bers, was  born  in  the  same  county  in  1791, and  was 
of  Irish  descent.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Nancy  Buoy,  was  born  in  Virginia,  of 
Scotcli  parentage.  Mr.  Chambers  served  as  asoldier 
in  the  War  of  1812.  On  leaving  his  native  State 
he  removed  with  his  family  to  Dearborn  County, 
Ind.,  where  they  remained  for  about  two  years, 
and  then  became  residents  of  Vermilion  County, 
III.  After  six  years  passed  there  they  came  to 
Macou  County,  and  here  spent  their  remaining 
days.'  Their  remains  were  interred  in  what  is 
known  as  Peck's  Cemetery,  near  the  Sangamon 
River. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  five  chil- 
dren, but  he  and  his  brother  Thomas  are  the  only 
ones  now  living,  James  R.,  Mary  and  Margaret 
having  passed  away.  Laban  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  when  eighteen  years  of  age  with  only  a 
young  man's  bright  hope  of  the  future  and  a  de- 
termination to  succeed,  and  he  has  succeeded.  He 
was  married  on  the  15th  of  December,  1854,  to 
Miss  Isabella  Stewart,  of  Virginia,  and  on  the  21st 
of  October,  1855,  there  was  born  unto  them  a 
daughter,  Mary  Ann,  their  only  child.  She  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  this  county,  and  on 
Christmas  Day  of  1872  she  became  the  wife  of  J. 
C.  Peck,  a  resident  farmer  of  Oakley  Township. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  a  family  of  five 
children:  Robert  Eugene,  William,  Charles  W., 
Josie  B.  and  Laban.  The  mother  was  called  to  her 
final  rest  April  30,  1886,  and  was  buried  in  Peck's 
Cemetery.  She  left  many  friends  to  mourn  her 
loss.  The  children  arc  all  still  with  their  father 
except  Robert  E.,  who  is  living  with  his  grandfa- 
ther in  Cerro  Gordo. 

Mr.  Chambers  of  this  sketch  has  always  made 
farming  his  life  work,  and  until  his  retirement 
from  active  life  carried  it  on  continuously  with 
the  exception  of  about  one  year's  time  spent  in 
the  service  of  his  country  in  the  Mexican  War. 
He  volunteered  in  1846, and  going  to  the  front  saw 
much  hard  service.  He  was  in  the  fourteen  days' 
siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  where  he  and  his  comrades 
suffered  severely  and  were  nearly  starved.  He  was 
also  in  the  famous  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  which 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


597 


cost  him  bis  right  arm.  He  was  under  the  com- 
mand of  Gen.  Taylor,  and  on  account  of  disability 
he  received  his  discharge  in  New  Orleans  in  1847. 
He  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party  since  it  came  into  existence  and  has  been  a 
stanch  advocate  of  its  principles.  He  has  served 
his  fellow-townsmen  in  different  official  rapacities, 
having  been  both  School  Director  and  Supervisor 
for  several  terms  each. 

Mr.  Chambers  is  a  man  of  high  character  and 
has  lived  an  upright  and  honorable  life.  Although 
now  retired  from  farming  he  still  is  the  owner  of 
about  four  hundred  acres  of  choice  land,  mostly 
in  Macon  County.  His  present  home  is  about  a 
mile  distant  from  his  farm,  in  the  village  of  Cerro 
Gordo,  where  lie  lives  quietly,  surrounded  by  the 
comforts  of  life  and  having  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  Ins  friends  and  neighbors, .to  which  he  is  justly 
entitled. 


f,' AMES  W.  BROWN,  deceased,  was  born  near 


Nashville,  Lincoln  County,  Tenn.,  October 
11,  1818,  and  was  a  son  of  Nathaniel  Brown, 
a  native  of  Ireland.  The  family  numbered 
seven  children.  Our  subject  was  born  and  reared 
upon  the  home  farm  and  in  his  youth  attended  the 
old-time  subscription  schools,  but  his  educational 
privileges  were  quite  limited.  lie  began  earning 
his  own  livelihood  when  sixteen  years  of  age  by 
splitting  rails  for  twenty-five  cents  per  day.  In 
1832  the  family  came  to  the  West,  making  the  jour- 
ney by  team,  and  located  in  Friends'  Creek  Town- 
ship, Macon  County.  The  father  rented  land 
from  the  Government  on  section  23,  nnd  all  lived 
in  true  pioneer  style,  experiencing  many  of  the 
hardships  and  difficulties  of  the  frontier. 

Upon  the  farm  where  his  father  had  first  loca- 
ted, Mr.  Brown  long  made  his  home.  Though  he 
had  many  obstacles  to  overcome,  he  was  industri- 
ous and  energetic,  and  his  untiring  labors  won  him 
success,  so  that  although  he  started  out  in  life 
empty-handed,  he  became  the  owner  of  four  hun- 


dred acres  of  valuable  land.  He  also  dealt  quite 
extensively  in  stock.  In  1887,  in  company  with 
S.  Gerber,  he  opened  a  bank  in  Argenta,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Brown  &  Gerber,  and  continued  this 
connection  until  his  death. 

Mr.  Brown  was  first  married  in  1838,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Mildred  Blount.  In  1856,  he 
wedded  Miss  Jane  C.  Me  Cann,  who  is  now  deceased. 
On  the  17th  of  December,  1869,  our  subject  was 
joined  in  wedlock  with  Elsie  M.  Ayers,  and  their 
union  was  blessed  with  a  family  of  four  children, 
namely:  Florence  E.,  wife  of  Dr. C.  F.  Childs,  who 
is  a  practicing  physician  of  Argenta;  EmmettF.; 
Orville  G.,  who  is  clerking  in  the  general  merchan- 
dise store  owned  by  his  mother;  and  Ma}'  E. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Brown  was  a  Democrat,  and  his 
fellow-citizens,  appreciating  his  worth  and  ability, 
elected  him  to  the  offices  of  Assessor,  Township 
Supervisor,  Township  Clerk,  School  Trustee  and 
School  Director.  He  was  a  Kn ight-Templar  Mason, 
and  was  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  man, 
who  took  an  active  interest  in  all  that  pertained 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community  and  its  upbuild- 
ing. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1849,  Mr.  Brown  started 
from  the  old  homestead  to  California.  There 
were  forty  wagons  in  the  colony-  and  our  subject 
was  made  captain  of  the  company.  The  journey 
was  made  overland  and  the  trip  consumed  six 
months.  On  reaching  his  destination,  he  engaged 
in  mining,  and  while  on  the  Pacific  Slope  he  helped 
to  build  the  golden  gate  at  San  Francisco.  He  re- 
mained in  California  until  1854,  when  he  returned 
to  Illinois  by  water.  From  that  time  forward  he 
was  prominently  connected  with  the  business 
interests  of  this  county.  He  was  a  man  for  whom 
the  people  had  the  utmost  respect,  and  it  was  amid 
the  sincere  sorrow  of  many  friends  that  he  was 
laid  to  rest  in  Cumberland  Cemeterv,  having 
passed  away  on  the  30th  of  March,  1892.  His  life 
was  one  well  worthy  of  emulation  and  he  left  to 
his  family  an  untarnished  record.  His  widow,  a 
most  estimable  lady,  still  survives  him  and  makes 
her  home  in  Argenta. 

Ernmett  F.  Brown  was  born  on  the  old  home- 
stead and  attended  the  district  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he 


598 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


went  to  Covington,  Ind.,  and  was  graduated  at 
that  place,  after  which  his  education  was  completed 
in  the  Gem  City  Business  College,  of  Quincy,  111., 
in  the  winter  of  1892.  He  was  born  March  30, 
1873,  and  on  his  twentieth  birthday  married  Miss 
Rosella  Williams.  He  is  now  cashier  in  Ger- 
ber  &  Sons'  Bank,  and  is  a  wide-awake  and  enter- 
prising young  man,  whose  future  career  will  no 
doubt  be  a  successful  one. 


,||  AMES  T.  WINSLOW,  one  of  Macon  Coun- 
ty's most  prominent  and  progressive  citi- 
zens, resides  on  section  15,  Illini  Township, 
where  he  carries  on  agricultural  pursuits. 
As  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known  throughout 
this  community,  we  feel  assured  that  this  record 
of  his  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our 
readers.  A  native  of  Merrimac  Count}',  N.  H., 
he  was  born  December  21,  1831.  He  comes  of  an 
old  family  of  English  origin  which  was  founded 
in  the  Granite  State  at  an  early  da}'.  His  father, 
Josiah  Winslow,  was  born  and  reared  in  New 
Hampshire,  as  was  the  lady  whom  he  married,  Miss 
Ruth  Tucker.  Her  father,  James  Tucker,  and  two 
of  his  brothers  were  among  the  first  settlers  of 
Merrimac  County.  Mr.  Winslow,  who  was  born 
in  1797,  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  followed 
that  pursuit  in  early  life,  but  afterward  engaged 
in  farming.  His  many  excellencies  of  character 
made  him  a  highly  respected  citizen,  and  when 
called  to  bis  final  rest,  in  1863,  his  loss  was 
mourned  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. In  the  Winslow  family  were  two  sons  and 
two  daughters,  who  grew  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood and  became  heads  of  families.  The  latter 
are  both  deceased.  The  brother  of  our  subject, 
Sherbun,  is  a  partner  of  ex-Governor  Tuttle,  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  an  extensive  manufacturer 
of  and  dealer  in  lumber,  with  headquarters  at 
Pittsfield.  N.  H. 

James  Winslow  lived  in  his  youth   in  Pittsfield, 


where  he  had  good  educational  advantages  in  the 
public  schools  and  in  the  Pittsfield  Academy.  Af- 
ter completing  his  studies,  he  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  which  he  followed  in  the  East  for 
about  twenty  years,  and  which  he  also  carried  on 
after  coming  to  Illinois.  He  first  emigrated  West- 
ward in  1857,  but  after  a  year  returned  to  New 
England,  and  worked  as  a  carpenter  and  joiner  in 
New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts  for  three  years. 
In  1861  he  again  came  to  Illinois,  and  made  a 
permanent  location  in  Macon  County,  where  he 
has  since  followed  farming. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  1868,  our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  Frances  Hall,  a  daughter  of  David  S.  and 
Abigail  (Grovener)  Hall,  the  former  a  native  of 
Vermont,  and  the  latter  of  Connecticut.  From 
Massachusetts,  he  removed  to  New  York,  locating 
in  Cayuga  County,  and  in  1855  lie  came  to  .this 
State,  locating  first  in  Morgan  County,  whence  he 
went  to  Sangamon  County.  Mrs.  Winslow  was 
born  in  Massachusetts,  hut  was  reared  -and  educa- 
ted in  this  State.  One  child  has  been  born  unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winslow,  Albert  He  was  a  young 
man  of  superior  mental  endowment,  and  when 
quite  young  manifested  a  great  liking  for  study. 
He  was  graduated  from  the  Dccatur  High  School, 
and  was  awarded  the  honors  of  his  class,  when 
fifteen  years  of  age.  He  manifested  a  great  taste 
for  mechanics,  and  when  at  home  was  always  con- 
structing some  mechanical  device.  After  he  had 
graduated  from  Decatur,  his  parents  sent  him  to  a 
mechanical  college  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  he 
displayed  marked  ability.  His  mind  seemed  to 
grasp  the  most  intricate  subjects,  and  to  see 
through  the  hidden  mysteries  of  mechanical 
science.  He  spent  a  year  and  a-half  at  that  insti- 
tution, when  from  close  and  hard  study  his  health 
failed  and  his  studies  were  discontinued. 

In  early  life,  Mr.  Winslow  voted  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic part}T,  but  in  1860  supported  Lincoln,  and 
has  since  been  a  stalwart  Republican.  He  has 
never  sought  or  desired  office,  however,  preferring 
to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  farm  and 
business.  His  first  purchase  of  land  consisted  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  prairie.  About 
1865,  he  located  upon  this  place,  and.  breaking  and 
fencing  the  tract,  he  transformed  it  into  rich  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


599 


fertile  fields.  The  farm  is  enclosed  within  a  neat 
and  well-trimmed  hedge  fence,  and  among  the 
many  improvements  to  lie  found  thereon  is  a  sub- 
stantial  residence  and  good  barns  and  outbuild- 
ings. All  of  the  varieties  of  select  fruits  are  there 
found,  together  with  a  fine  orchard  and  a  beau- 
tiful grove  of  walnuts.  Mr.  Winslow  himself 
planted  the  seeds,  and  the  trees  now  stand  a 
monument  in  green  to  his  labor.  From  time  to 
time  he  has  increased  his  possessions,  until  now 
four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  arable  land  pay 
a  golden  tribute  to  his  care  and  cultivation.  Mr. 
Winslow  has  been  a  resident  of  Mncon  County  for 
over  a  third  of  a  century,  and  is  now  numbered 
among  its  honored  early  settlers.  He  is  well 
known  throughout  the  community  as  a  man  of 
upright  character  and  sterling  worth,  and  he  and 
his  estimable  wife  have  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
all. 


r 

(j 


EORGE   M.    BARXKTT,  who  is  numbered 
7  among    the    prominent    farmers   of    Long 


Creek  Township,  resides  on  section  9, 
where  he  owns  and  operates  three  hundred  and 
seventy  acres  of  valuable  land,  constituting  one  of 
the  line  farms  of  the  neighborhood.  It  is  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  its  neat  and  thrifty 
appearance  denotes  the  careful  supervision  of  the 
owner.  The  fields  are  well  tilled,  the  buildings 
kept  in  good  repair,  and  all  the  accessories  of  a 
model  farm  are  there  found. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State. 
He  was  born  in  I^anenster  County  January  10, 
183.'?,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Barbara  (Mus- 
selam)  Barnett,  who  were  also  bom  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  were  of  German  descent.  They  used 
the  language  of  their  ancestors  during  the  greater 
part  of  their  lives.  In  1846,  they  came  with  their 
family  to  the  West,  forming  part  of  a  company  of 
forty-eight,  who,  with  twent3'-three  two-horse 
wagons  and  three  two-horse  buggies  made  the 
trip,  arriving  at  their  destination  after  a  journey 


of  six  weeks.  Reaching  Decatur,  Mr.  Barnett  set- 
tled with  his  family  in  the  Garver  settlement.  He 
purchased  partly  improved  land,  and  throughout 
the  remainder  of  his  life  devoted  his  energies  to 
its  cultivation.  He  died  on  the  old  homestead, 
and  his  wife,  who  survived  him  a  number  of  years, 
spent  her  last  days  with  her  children.  They  were 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  the  father 
was  a  successful  farmer.  Their  family  comprised 
the  following  children:  Jacob,  who  died  on  the 
old  borne  farm;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Good,  who  died  in 
Whitmore  Township;  Mrs.  Catherine  Eshelman,  a 
widow  living  in  CerroGordo;  George  M.;  David, 
a  traveling  man  of  Decatur;  John,  a  farmer  of 
Kansas;  and  Henry,  who  served  in  the  late  war  and 
now  follows  farming  in  Kansas. 

Our  subject  was  about  thirteen  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois.  Heat- 
tended  school  in  his  native  State,  and  in  this 
county  would  walk  three  miles  to  the  subscription 
schools,  where  his  education  was  completed.  His 
labors  promoted  the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm 
until  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when  he  be- 
gan working  in  his  own  interest,  and  for  six  years 
was  employed  as  a  farm  hand.  After  his  mar- 
riage, he  began  renting  land. 

On  the  12th  of  September,  1858,  in  Whitmore 
Township,  Mr.  Barnett  married  Miss  Samantha  Mc- 
Gee,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Norris)  Mc- 
Gee,  who  came  to  Illinois  from  Ohio  in  1841, 
when  Mrs.  Barnett  was  only  a  year  old.  He  spent 
his  remaining  days  in  Whitmore  Township,  and 
for  nearly  thirty  years  served  as  Constable.  He 
was  also  Deputy  Sheriff,  and  proved  a  faithful  and 
efficient  officer.  His  widow  is  now  living  in  De- 
catur. Mrs.  Barnett  has  spent  nearly  her  entire 
life  in  this  00111113-,  and  in  her  maidenhood  she  at- 
tended the  public  schools  and  assisted  in  the  du- 
ties of  the  household.  For  twenty-six  years  our 
subject  and  his  wife  have  resided  on  their  present 
farm,  and  their  home  was  blessed  with  eleven 
children,  namely:  Matilda  Jane,  wife  of  John  E. 
Rucker,  a  farmer  of  Long  Creek  Township;  Mollie 
E.,  wife  of  Daniel  A.  Good,  of  Stevens'  Creek; 
William,  who  is  in  the  mines  of  Colorado;  Ulysses 
Grant,  who  married  Bertha  Goodpasture,  and  car- 
ries on  agricultural  pursuits  in  this  community; 


600 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Etta,  deceased,  wife  of  Joseph  Reavis;  John,  a 
farmer  of  this  neighborhood;  Clara,  wife  of  Cas- 
sius  Ilolcoml),  of  Oakley  Township;  Ida,  Elsie, 
Frank  and  Irvin. 

Mr.  Barnett  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Fremont,  and  has  since  been  a  stalwart  supporter 
of  Republican  principles.  He  is  a  public-spirited 
and  progressive  citizen,  who  gives  liberally  in  sup- 
port of  churches  and  other  interests  calculated  to 
advance  the  best  interests  of  the  community,  and 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  factors  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  township.  His  business  career 
has  been  one  of  prosperity,  and  for  his  success  he 
deserves  great  credit,  as  it  has  all  been  achieved 
through  his  own  efforts,  and  is  the  just  reward  of 
arduous  labors.  In  addition  to  his  home  farm  he 
owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Ne- 
braska. 


J~j  OHN  H.  McKINLEY,  a  well-known  farmer 
of  Hickory  Point  Township,  residing  on 
section  12,  claims  Illinois  as  the  State  of 
'  his  nativity,  as  his  birth  occurred  in  Ma- 
con  County,  November  23,  1843.  His  father,  Sam- 
uel McKmley,  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio, 
and  was  of  Irish  descent.  Having  arrived  at  years 
of  maturity,  he  wedded  Anna  Foren,  who  was 
born  in  Alabama,  and  was  of  Irish  and  Scotch  line- 
age. He  made  his  home  in  the  Buckeye  State  un- 
til 1834,  when  he  came  to  the  West  with  his  par- 
ents, the  trip  being  made  by  team.  The  family  first 
located  in  De  Witt  County,  but  after  a  year  he  re- 
moved to  Decatur,  Macon  County,  and  began  learn- 
ing the  carpenter's  trade  with  E.  O.  Smith.  After 
his  term  of  apprenticeship  had  expired  he  contin- 
ued to  work  in  this  place  until  1857,  when  he  re- 
moved to  a  farm  in  Hickory  Point  Township, 
where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  unimproved  land.  There  he  resided  until  within 
a  few  years  of  his  death,  and  devoted  his  energies 
to  the  development  and  cultivation  of  his  land. 
He  was  quite  a  successful  business  man  and  be- 


came well-to-do.  He  was  also  a  public-spirited 
and  progressive  citizen,  and  manifested  a  com- 
mendable interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community.  Although  he  never 
sought  or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of 
public  ofliee,  he  took  quite  an  active  interest  in 
the  success  of  the  Republican  party,  whose  princi- 
ples he  warmly  advocated.  In  his  youth  he  and 
Gov.  Oglesby  were  warm  friends.  He  passed  away 
at  the  home  of  our  subject  October  15,  1892,  and 
his  remains  were  interred  in  Greenwood  Cemetery 
of  Decatur.  He  had  survived  his  wife  about  four 
years,  her  deatli  having  occurred  on  the  15th  of 
February,  1888. 

The  family  of  this  worthy  couple  numbered  ten 
children.  William  A.,  the  eldest,  enlisted  for  the 
late  war  in  August,  1861,  asa  private  of  Company 
A,  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  under  Col.  Oglesby, 
and  died  in  the  hospital  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  in 
February,  1863,  of  typhoid  pneumonia.  He  now 
sleeps  on  Southern  soil.  John  is  the  second  of 
the  family.  Emma  is  the  wife  of  John  Hammond, 
of  Arkansas.  Eugene  is  living  in  California.  Alice 
died  November  23,  1888.  Mary  E.  died  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1886.  Jennie  is  the  wife  of  C.  A.  Thrift,  a 
fanner  of  Hickory  Point  Township.  Edward  S. 
died  in  1889,  and  two  children  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  McKinley  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
born  on  the  site  of  the  Grand  Opera  House  of 
Decatur,  and  has  known  no  other  home  than  that 
of  Macon  County.  In  his  early  youth  he  attended 
the  city  schools,  and  after  removing  to  the  farm 
pursued  his  studies  iu  the  district  schools.  His  ed- 
ucation was  completed  in  Mt.Zion  Seminary,  of  Mt. 
Zion,  111.,  and  thus  having  acquired  a  good  knowl- 
edge, he  started  out  in  life  well  equipped  for  its 
battles.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  twen- 
ty-six years  of  age,  and  then  rented  a  part  of  the 
old  home  farm,  which  he  operated  for  four  years, 
lie  then  rented  the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and 
after  continuing  its  cultivation  for  eight  3'ears  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land. 
Additional  purchases  since  that  time  have  in- 
creased the  boundaries  of  his  farm,  until  it  now 
comprises  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich 
land.  In  connection  with  general  farming,  he  is 
engaged  extensively  in  stock-raising,  making  a 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


W.  W.  MASON. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


603 


specialty  of  breeding  cattle.  He  also  deals  in 
stock,  buying  both  hogs  and  cattle,  and  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  largest  stockmen  in  this  section 
of  the  county.  His  business  has  grown  from  a 
small  beginning,  but  now  it  yields  to  him  a  hand- 
some income.  His  success  has  been  well  merited, 
as  his  life  has  been  characterized  by  industry  and 
enterprise  and  straightforwardness  in  all  his  deal- 
ings. 

Since  attaining  to  man's  estate  Mr.  McKinley 
has  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  Republican  princi- 
ples, and  by  his  ballot  supports  its  men  and  meas- 
ures, but  he  has  never  sought  public  oilice  for  him- 
self. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  and  also  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  During  his  long  residence  in  Macon 
County  he  has  witnessed  much  of  its  growth  and 
development,  and  in  all  possible  ways  has  aided  in 
its  upbuilding. 

Mr.  McKinley  has  been  twice  married.  On  the 
29th  of  November,  1869,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Catherine  E.,  daughter  of  A.  C.  and 
Jane  Gher.  By  their  union  were  born  three  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  a  daughter:  El  wood;  Ada, 
wife  of  Del  Bartlett,  a  farmer  of  Hickory  Point 
Township;  and  Charles,  at  home.  The  mother  of 
this  family  was  called  to  her  final  rest  April  8, 
1879,  and  was  buried  in  Greenwood  Cemetery  of 
Decatur.  On  the  13th  of  January,  1881,  Mr.  Mc- 
Kiuley's  marriage  with  Miss  Laura  Weilepp  was 
celebrated.  Six  children  have  graced  this  union, 
namely:  James,  Esther,  Maud,  Walter,  Nellie  and 
Ethel.  The  parents  are  highly-respected  citizens 
of  the  community. 


rILLIAM  W.  MASON,  the  efficient  City 
Marshal  of  Decatur,  has  filled  the  position 
of  Chief  of  Police  for  nearly  eleven  years, 
and  has  been  connected  with  the  police  force  for 
thirteen  consecutive  years.  His  bravery  and  fear- 
lessness have  made  him  a  faithful  officer,  and  his 
prompt  performance  of  duty  has  led  to  his  fre- 
quent re-election. 


Our  subject  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of 
Illinois.  He  was  born  in  Sangamon  County  Octo- 
ber 6,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Isabella  Ma- 
son, the  former  a  native  of  England,  and  the  lat- 
ter of  Virginia.  When  young  people  they  emi- 
grated to  Sangamon  County,  where  they  were 
married.  The  mother  came  with  her  parents 
through  Vandalia,  then  the  capital  of  the  State, 
on  the  day  on  which  the  first  land  sales  were  ever 
held.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years,  at  his  home  in  Christian  County,  and  the 
mother  reached  the  age  of  eighty-four.  Their 
home  was  situated  a  mile  and  a-half  from  the  State 
capital.  Their  son  William  saw  the  first  engine 
which  ever  drew  a  train  in  this  State,  and  which 
ran  over  the  old  Springfield  &  Meredosia  Railroad. 
The  engine  breaking  down,  the  cars  were  hauled 
by  mules.  Mr.  Mason  also  recalls  the  days  of  the 
Mexican  War  and  the  assembl}'  of  the  soldiers  in 
Springfield.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  went  with 
his  parents  to  Christian  County,  his  father  pur- 
chasing a  large  tract  of  land,  which  at  his  death 
comprised  eight  hundred  acres. 

In  February,  1859,  William  Mason  started  for 
the  mountains  of  California  with  a  drove  of  cattle 
from  southwestern  Missouri,  but  about  the  time 
he  reached  Pike's  Peak  gold  was  discovered  there, 
and  that  termtnated  his  Westward  travels.  He 
spent  two  years  in  Colorado,  engaged  in  mining 
and  herding.  On  his  return  he  entered  the  Union 
army,  enlisting  August  15,  1861,  as  a  member  of 
Company  D,  Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry.  He 
became  First  Lieutenant  and  of  ten  commanded  the 
company.  His  first  Colonel  was  Charles  E.  Hovey, 
President  of  the  State  Normal,  of  Normal,  III., and 
the  Thirty-third  was  known  as  the  School  Teach- 
ers' Regiment.  The  troops  took  part  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Fredericktown,  Mo.,  and  Ironton,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1862,  after  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge, 
joined  Curtis  at  Batesville,  Ark.,  and  went  to 
Helena  on  the  famous  White  River  march.  In  the 
winter  of  1862  they  returned  to  Missouri,  and 
were  in  pursuit  of  Gen.  Marmaduke  until  after  the 
opening  of  spring,  when  the}'  marched  to  Vicks- 
burg,  Miss.  This  regiment  formed  a  part  of  the 
Thirteenth  Army  Corps,  with  McClellan,  and  was 
the  first  regiment  to  land  below  Grand  Gulf,  they 


604 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


taking  gunboats  that  had  run  the  blockade.  The 
command  was  in  nearly  all  the  actions  that  led  up 
to  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg.  Mr.  Mason  was  in 
charge  of  the  picket  guard  on  the  night  of  the 
surrender,  and  after  the  white  flag  was  exposed  he 
was  one  of  the  first  to  enter  Vicksburg,  g.  ing 
down  the  first  steamboat  that  made  the  trip.  Af- 
ter the  fall  his  regiment  participated  in  the  second 
battle  of  .Jackson,  and  in  the  Banks'  expedition 
and  the  Franklin  expedition  in  western  Louisiana. 
They  were  sent  to  New  Orleans  and  from  there  to 
Texas,  participating  in  the  capture  of  Ft.  Esper- 
anza.  While  stationed  at  Indianola,  Tex.,  the 
soldiers  veteranized  and  were  granted  a  furlough, 
when  Mr.  Mason  returned  to  his  home  on  a  visit. 
He  was  afterward  sent  to  Berwick  Bay,  La.,  where 
he  acted  as  Quartermaster.  Subsequently  he  was 
made  Assistant  Provost-Marshal  of  western  Loui- 
siana, with  headquarters  at  Brazier  City,  serving  as 
such  until  mustered  out  in  October,  1864.  While 
serving  as  Quartermaster  during  the  Texas  expedi- 
tion the  troops  were  often  without  food,  and  on 
one  occasion  he  had  nothing  to.  give  out  for  six 
days.  Mr.  Mason  was  in  all  the  engagements  of 
his  regiment.  He  stood  side  by  side  with  Joseph 
Fifer,  who  afterward  became  Governor  of  Illinois, 
and  was  with  him  when  he  was  wounded  at  Jack- 
son, Miss.,  and  was  also  present  when  the  Gover- 
nor's brother  George  was  killed  at  Ft.  Esperanza, 
Tex.;  while  the  Governor  was  with  Mr.  Mason's 
brother  Thomas,  who  was  killed  at  Coldwater, 
Miss. 

In  this  connection  we  take  pleasure  in  reverting 
to  some  of  the  earlier  scenes  of  our  subject's  career, 
inasmuch  as  they  were  intimately  connected  with 
President  Lincoln,  when  Mr.  Mason's  father  and 
Lawyer  Lincoln  were  neighbors  in  Sangamon 
County.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  favorite  among  the 
Mason  boys,  as  he  proved  himself  with  millions  of 
this  nation  since.  He  was  known  as  the  generdus 
and  kind-hearted  lawyer  by  the  boys,  because  he 
always  gave  them  a  dollar  for  hunting  his  horse, 
which  frequently  strayed  away  near  the  farm;  and 
while  lie  loved  Mr.  Lincoln,  yet  when  he  heard 
that  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the  United 
States  to  run  against  Mr.  Douglas,  whom  every- 
body then  knew  to  be  the  greatest  living  states- 


man, he  was  dumfounded,  because  he  considered 
Mr.  Lincoln  only  a  common,  kind-hearted  man. 
This  was  his  opinion  as  a  boy  of  seventeen  years. 

On  his  return  from  the  uriny  Mr.  Mason  went 
to  Christian  County,  where  he  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1867.  He  then  came  to  Dccatur  and  en- 
gaged in  the  livery  business  until  joining  the 
police  force.  On  the  20th  of  January,  1869,  he 
was  joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  L.  Shaw, 
of  Christian  County.  Two  children  were  born 
unto  them,  but  both  died  in  infancy.  Socially, 
Mr.  Mason  is  a  charter  member  of  Cu-ur  de  Lion 
Post  No.  17,  K.  P.,  and  in  politics  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. 

In  1880  Mr.  Mason  was  appointed  a  member  of 
the  police  force  of  Decatur,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  for  three  years,  when  he  was  made  City 
Marshal,  or  Chief  of  Police.  There  were  then  only 
eight  men  on  the  force,  including  himself.  Now 
there  are  eighteen,  including  four  merchant 
police.  There  are  two  police  stations,  and  their 
headquarters  are  in  the  new  court  house  that  lias 
recently  been  erected.  During  the  past  year  about 
one  thousand  arrests  were  made  and  five  thousand 
fines  collected.  Mr.  Mason  was  a  faithful  soldier 
of  his  countr}'  during  the  late  war,  and  is  alike 
true  in  times  of  peace.  He  conscientious^'  dis- 
charges every  public  and  private  duty,  and  has 
therefore  won  the  confidence  and  high  regard  of 
all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations  have 
brought  him  in  contact. 


t  NDREW  J.  VEECH,  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  3,  Oakley  Township,  is  a  native 
'/I  iil  of  Illinois,  having  been  born  in  Macon 
County,  April  13,  1836.  His  father,  Isaac 
Veech,  was  born  and  reared  in  Shelby  County, 
Ky.,  and  in  the  spring  of  1831  emigrated  to  this 
county,  becoming  one  of  its  honored  pioneers. 
He  first  located  on  section  11,  Oakley  Township. 
In  1823,  in  Shi-lby  County,  Ky.,  lie  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Bond,  and  unto 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


605 


them  were  born  six  children,  John,  George,  Mary 
Jane,  Martha,  Alexander  (who  died  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years), and  Andrew  J.  of  this  sketch.  The 
father  died  in  1864,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years, 
and  the  mother  departed  this  life  in  1883,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-nine.  Both  lie  buried  in  North 
Fork's  Churchyard.  They  were  of  Irish  descent. 
They  came  to  Macon  County  when  it  was  almost 
an  unbroken  wilderness,  and  knew  well  what  the 
trials  and  hardships  of  a  new  country  are,  for  they 
experienced  all  the  difficulties  that  come  to  front- 
ier settlers.  Mr.  Veech  was  the  first  white  man  to 
haul  a  loaded  wagon  up  the  Spangler  Bridge 
Hill. 

In  those  early  da}'s  school  privileges  were  lim- 
ited to  the  advantages  to  be  obtained  in  a  small 
log  schoolhouse,  and  our  subject  there  conned 
his  lessons  during  the  winter  months  when  a  young 
lad.  As  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  work,  he 
was  needed  to  aid  his  father  and  brothers  in  the 
battle  with  the  stern  realities  of  life.  He  has 
known  no  other  home  than  Macon  County,  and 
has  lived  in  this  community  an  upright,  honorable 
life. 

In  February,  1879,  Mr.  Veeeh's  marriage  was 
celebrated  with  Miss  Rebecca  J.  Heckle.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  when  a  young  man 
of  twenty-one  years  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Amer- 
ica, locating  in  Macon  County,  111.  He  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Hanks,  whose  father  was  a  cousin 
and  a  playmate  of  the  martyred  President,  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.  Unto  our  subject  and  his  estimable 
wife, have  been  born  six  children:  Minnie  E., Maud 
V.,  Esther  A.,  Murrill  L.,  Olie  A.  and  Gaines  R. 
The  family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken,  and  all 
are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  Veech  is  a  thorough  and  practical  farmer, 
and  is  the  owner  of  seven  hundred  acres  of  as 
fine  farming  land  as  can  be  found  in  Macon 
County.  Of  this  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
are  located  on  sections  10  and  11,  Oakley  Town- 
ship; one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  acres  on  section 
3;  forty  acres  on  section  4;  fifty-eight  acres  in 
Decatur  Township;  and  one  hundred  and  fifty 
acreson  section  3,  Oakley  Township.  On  this  last- 
mentioned  tract  he  resides.  His  home,  a  large 
brick  residence,  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  neigh- 


borhood. Upon  the  farm  are  good  barns  and  out- 
buildings and  a  fine  young  orchard  of  fruit  trees, 
just  coming  into  bearing.  These  include  thirty- 
five  pear  trees  of  a  fine  variety,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1894  he  intends  to  set  out  one  hundred  more 
choice  varieties  of  pear  trees.  He  also  has  such 
small  fruit  as  strawberries,  blackberries  and  rasp- 
berries in  abundance.  In  addition  to  his  other 
interests,  Mr.  Veech  engages  quite  extensively  in 
stock-raising  and  ships  from  two  to  four  carloads 
of  stock  each  year  to  Chicago  or  other  markets. 
In  his  political  views,  our  subject  is  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  liberal  in  relig- 
ious belief  and  is  an  honest  and  careful  business 
man,  who  has  the  confidence  of  all.  He  is  public 
spirited  and  enterprising,  warm  hearted  and  gen- 
erous, and  justly  merits  the  high  esteem  in  which 
he  is  held  by  his  friends  and  neighbors. 


OHN  W.  McDONALD,  who  is  engaged  in 
farming  in  Long  Creek  Township,  Macon 
County,  is  one  of  her  native  sons  and  was 
born  on  the  old  homestead  where  he  still 

^=^- 

resides,  on  section  20,  June  15,  1862.  Here  he  has 
always  lived,  with  the  exception  of  about  a  year, 
which  he  spent  in  Kansas  at  the  age  of  twenty-two. 
He  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  honored 
pioneer  families  of  the  county.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Nancy  L.  (Sisson)  McDonald,  the  former 
born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  the  latter  in  Wash- 
ington County,  Pa.  In  1854,  they  became  residents 
of  Decatur,  where  the  father  followed  his  trade  of 
milling.  He  afterwards  purchased  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  railroad  land  and  to 
its  improvement  and  further  development  devoted 
his  energies  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  days. 
His  death  occurred  in  1880,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight.  Further  mention  is  made  of  him  in  the 
sketch  of  Randall  F.  McDonald  on  another  page 
of  this  work. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  manhood.     No  event 


606 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  special  importance  occurred  during  his  youth, 
which  was  spent  in  the  fields  or  in  attendance  at 
the  public  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  where  his 
education  was  acquired.  He  early  became  familiar 
with  all  kinds  of  farm  work  and  to  his  father  gave 
the  benefit  of  his  services  until  the  deatli  ol  Mr. 
McDonald,  when  John  took  charge  of  the  home 
farm,  which  he  has  since  managed  and  operated. 
It  is  neat  and  thrifty  in  appearance,  the  fields  are 
well  tilled,  and  the  improvements  are  such  as  are 
found  upon  the  farm  of  a  practical  and  progress- 
ive agriculturist. 

In  1889,  in  Decatur,  was  celebrated  the  marriage 
which  united  the  destinies  of  Mr.  McDonald  and 
Miss  Jennie  Clark,  a  niece  of  Mr.  Hamilton  of  that 
city.  Her  parents  died,  leaving  her  an  orphan  at 
an  early  age,  and  from  her  seventh  year  she  lived 
with  her  uncle.  Two  children  grace  this  union, 
Edna  and  Essie.  In  the  circles  of  society  in  which 
they  move,  the  parents  are  held  in  high  regard. 
Both  arc  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  Mr.  McDonald  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic and  Odd  Fellows' lodges  of  Decatur,  having 
filled  all  the  chairs  in  the  latter  organization.  He 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Hon.  James  G. 
Blaine  and  has  since  been  a  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  In  the  community  in  which  his 
entire  life  has  passed,  he  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  and  has  man}'  warm  friends. 


'OHN  TOHILL,  who  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing on  section  9,  Mt.  Zion  Township,  is  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  in 
York  County  June  14, 1816,  but  did  not  long 
remain  in  the  Keystone  State,  for  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Fairfleld  County,  Ohio,  in  1819.  The 
family  is  of  Irish  origin.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, Lawrence  Tohill,  was  born  March  18,  1793,  in 
County  Derry,  Ireland.  He  was  married  Septem- 
ber 16,  1815,  to  Sarah  Baker,  whose  father  came  to 
Philadelphia  when  eighteen  years  of  age  and 
learned  the  stone-cutters'  trade.  After  leaving 


Pennsylvania,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tohill  remained  in 
Ohio  until  1838,  when  they  emigrated  Westward 
to  Crawford  County,  111.,  where  the  death  of  the 
father  occurred  on  the  10th  of  January,  1868. 
His  wife  died  in  the  same  county  February  30, 
1852.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children:  John, 
of  this  sketch;  Daniel,  who  died  in  childhood  and 
was  buried  in  Ohio;  Mary  Ann,  widow  of  John 
Wesley;  Noah  and  George,  both  of  whom  died  and 
were  buried  in  Crawford  County,  111.;  and  Sallie, 
who  died  in  childhood  and  was  buried  in  Ohio. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  John 
Tohill,  who  was  reared  to  manhood  under  the 
paternal  roof.  He  remained  at  home  until  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  when,  in  October,  1838,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  Springer,  of 
Fairfield  County,  Ohio,  a  relative  of  Congressman 
Springer,  of  Illinois.  The  young  couple  began 
their  domestic  life  in  Crawford  County,  this  State, 
and  there  resided  until  1864,  when  the}'  came  to 
Macon  County,  locating  on  section  9,  Mt.  Zion 
Township,  where  they  have  since  made  their  home. 
Mr.  Tohill  is  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  arable  land,  which  is  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  and  well  improved.  Indeed  it  is 
one  of  the  valuable  farms  of  the  township,  and 
its  neat  appearance  indicates  the  careful  supervis- 
ion of  the  owner. 

Thirteen  children  were  born  unto  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife,  as  follows:  Lewis,  who  is  now 
living  in  Crawford  County;  Noah,  who  resides  in 
Long  Creek  Township;  John,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; Mary,  wife  of  David  Booker,  who  lives  in 
Long  Creek  Township;  Lawrence,  a  resident  of 
Colorado;  Jonah,  who  makes  his  home  three  miles 
north  of  Long  Creek;  Martha  Jane,  at  home; 
George  W.,  who  is  located  in  Colorado;  Andrew  J., 
of  Crawford  County;  Eli,  of  Moultrie  County; 
Sarah  Ann,  wife  of  Levi  Ault,  of  Macon  County; 
Ellen,  wife  of  J.  I.  Winning;  and  Clara  Bell,  wife 
of  Lewis  Ashermann,  of  Moultrie  County.  Lewis 
and  Noah  were  soldiers  in  the  late  rebellion  and 
did  honorable  service  in  the  Union  arm}-  as  mem- 
bers of  the  Nineteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 

Mr.  Tohill  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life.  Idle- 
ness is  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature,  and  by  (>er- 
sistent  energy  and  enterprise  he  has  worked  his 


PORTRAIT  AND  liiOGRAPH'CAL   RECORD. 


607 


way  upward, overcoming  all  difficulties  in  his  path 
and  now  lias  a  competency  which  will  supply  his 
wants  in  his  declining  years.  He  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  has  been  identified  since  its 
organization.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of 
the  United  Brethren  Church.  The  cause  of  edu- 
cation finds  in  him  a  warm  friend  and  he  lias  at 
times  filled  the  oflice  of  School  Director.  The 
best  interests  of  the  community  always  receive  his 
hearty  support  and  co-operation  and  he  is  recog- 
nized as  a  valued  citizen  of  Mt.  /ion  Township, 
and  one  of  her  representative  farmers. 


eAPT.  O.  W.  THOMPSON, who  is  numbered 
among  the  enterprising  and  substantial  bus- 
iness men  of  Warrensburg.  and  among  the 
honored  and  early  settlers  of  Macon  County,  dates 
his  residence  here  from  1858.  He  is  a  native  of 
New  York,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Erie 
County,  in  1827.  His  father,  James  C.  Thomp- 
son, was  born  in  Manchester,  N.  H.  When  a  young 
man  he  left  the  Granite  State  and  went  to  west- 
ern New  York,  where  he  engaged  in  teaching  for 
a  number  of  years.  He  there  married  Miss  Iletti- 
ble  Gould,  also  a  native  of  Manchester,  and,  loca- 
ting on  a  tract  of  timber-land  about  eighteen  miles 
east  of  Buffalo,  he  cleared  and  opened  up  a  farm, 
and  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  a 
number  of  years.  Wishing  to  try  his  fortune  in 
the  West,  he  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1847,  and  be- 
came one  of  the  pioneers  of  McHenry  Count}-, 
where  lie  purchased  State  and  Government  land 
and  developed  a  farm  of  six  hundred  and  forty 
acres.  He  made  some  valuable  improvements  upon 
his  place,  and  became  one  of  the  leading  agricul- 
turists of  the  neighborhood.  His  death  there  oc- 
curred in  March,  1885,  and  his  remains  were  in- 
terred by  those  of  his  wife  in  Cold  Springs  Ceme- 
tery. She  had  passed  away  several  years  previous. 
Mr.  Thompson  took  an  active  part  in  local  politics 
and  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  number  of 


years.  Originally  he  was  a  Jackson  Democrat,  but 
became  identified  with  the  Republican  party  on  its 
organization,  and  frequently  served  as  delegate  to 
its  county  and  State  conventions. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  a  family  of  five  sons  and 
four  daughters,  and  with  the  exception  of  two 
sisters  all  are  now  living.  Mr.  Thompson  grew  to 
manhood  in  McIIenry  County,  and  his  education, 
acquired  in  the  common  schools,  was  supplemented 
by  several  terms'  attendance  at  the  Marcngo  Acad- 
emy. He  then  began  teaching  in  McIIenry  County, 
from  where  lie  came  to  this  county  with  his 
brother  when  a  young  man,  and  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Hickory  Point 
Township.  He  aided  his  brother  in  developing 
this  tract  in  the  summer,  and  in  the  winter  fol- 
lowed teaching. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  Capt. 
Thompson  sold  his  interest  in  the  farm  to  his 
brother  and  entered  the  service  of  his  country, 
valiantly  aiding  in  the  defense  of  the  Old  Flag 
until  honorably  discharged  after  the  close  of 
the  struggle,  September  30,  1865.  Returning  to 
this  county,  he  bought  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  raw  land  three  miles  west  of  War- 
rensburg, an'd  with  characteristic  energy  began  im- 
proving the  place,  draining  it,  building  fences,  etc. 
His  labors  made  of  it  one  of  the  fine  farms  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Thompson  continued  its  operation 
until  1887,  when  he  rented  his  land  and  came  to 
Warrensburg,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandising.  He  has  carried  on  business 
here  for  sixteen  years,  during  which  time  he  has 
built  up  an  extensive  trade  and  established  a  rep- 
utation for  fair  dealing  which  might  well  be  en- 
vied. He  has  also  an  improved  residence  prop- 
erty in  the  village. 

The  Captain  has  been  honored  with  a  number  of 
local  offices  of  trust,  in  all  of  which  he  has  dis- 
charged his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity. 
In  1889,  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  under  Pres- 
ident Harrison,  and  efficiently  served  in  that  oflice 
until  1893,  when  he  resigned.  He  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  in  1860  for  Abraham  Lincoln, 
whom  he  knew  personally,  and  has  supported  each 
candidate-  of  the  Republican  party  for  the  office 
since  that  time. 


608 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD, 


In  Median  icsburg,  III.,  April  10,  1866,  Capt. 
Thompson  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
G.,  daughter  of  James  W.  Langston,  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Sangamon  County.  She  is  a 
cultured  and  intelligent  lady,  and  prior  to  her 
marriage  engaged  in  teaching  school.  Unto  them 
have  been  born  the  following  children:  Harriet  M., 
wife  of  Rev.  Gilman  Cunningham,  a  minister  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  located  at  Hum- 
bolt,  111.;  Laura,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
years;  Lillian,  a  graduate  of  the  Normal  Institute 
and  now  successfully  engaged  in  teaching;  Ger- 
trude, a  teacher  of  music;  Flora,  who  is  attending 
the  High  School  in  Normal,  111.;  George,  who  at- 
tends the  Wesleyan  University  and  aids  his  father 
in  the  store;  Frank,  Clarence  and  Sherman.  The 
parents  are  prominent  and  active  members  of  the 
Waverly  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  give 
their  support  to  all  benevolences  and  interests  of 
the  church  which  are  calculated  to  upbuild  and 
benefit  humanity.  The  Captain  possesses  good 
business  and  executive  ability,  is  straightforward 
and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  is  public-spirited 
and  progressive,  has  led  an  upright  and  honorable 
life,  and  is  a  valued  citizen,  whom  Warrensburg 
could  ill  afford  to  lose. 


Jl 
I 


AMES  E.  HILL,  a  retired  farmer  now  resid- 
ing in  Decatur,  is  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneers  of  the  county,  having  for 
many  years  here  made  his  home.  In  fact 
he  claims  Macon  County  as  the  place  of  his  birth, 
which  occurred  in  Blue  Mound  Township,  April 
21,  1842.  He  is  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  nine 
children,  numbering  four  sons  and  five  daughters, 
of  whom  four  are  now  deceased.  His  parents  were 
Francis  G.  and  Rachel  (Wilson)  Hill.  The  father 
was  born  September  19,  1800,  in  Virginia,  and  when 
quite  young  went  with  his  parents  to  Tennessee, 
where  he  remained  until  twenty-seven  years  of 
age.  During  that  time  he  was  married,  and  in  Oc- 
tober, 1827,  he  came  with  his  wife  to  Illinois,  lo- 


cating in  Macon  County.  He  entered  land  in  Blue 
Mound  Township,  opened  up  a  farm  and  thereon 
made  his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
the  5th  of  June,  1885.  He  was  one  of  Macon 
County's  earliest  settlers  and  was  prominently 
identified  with  its  upbuilding  and  development 
for  many  years.  In  an  early  day  he  was  offered 
forty  acres  of  land  where  the  city  of  Decatur  now 
stands  for  a  horse.  The  enterprising  county  seat 
had  not  then  sprung  into  existence,  and  the  settle- 
ments throughout  the  entire  county  were  very 
few.  The  mother  ot  our  subject,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  Tennessee  and  was  of  Irish  extraction, 
died  in  this  county  in  1844,  when  our  subject  was 
only  about  a  year  old.  The  surviving  members 
of  the  family  are:  Caroline,  widow  of  M.  McDon- 
ald, of  Elwin,  111.;  Robert,  a  successful  agricultur- 
ist of  Edgar,  Neb.;  Margaret,  wife  of  W.  F.  Muir- 
heid,  a  farmer  of  Macon  County;  and  Hannah, 
wife  of  Josiah  Widick,  an  agricultuiist  of  Green- 
Held,  Mo. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when,  on 
the  13th  of  February,  1862,  he  was  married,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Elizabeth  Ellen  War- 
wick. She  was  born  May  16, 1846,  in  Macon  County, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Ira  Warwick,  an  honored  pio- 
neer of  this  locality.  Five  sons  and  three  daughters 
graced  their  union,  but  two  of  the  numberarenow 
deceased.  Ira  S.  owns  a  part  of  the  old  homestead 
which  his  grandfather  entered  in  1827,  and  fol- 
lows farming.  Rachel  L.  is  the  wife  of  C.  E. 
Ward,  a  carpenter.  Francis  G.  follows  farming  on 
the  old  homestead.  Anna  P.  is  the  wife  of  James 
E.  Cattle,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Macon  County. 
Charles  H.  and  Georgia  E.  are  still  at  home. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Hill  rented  a  part  of 
the  old  home  farm.  On  his  father's  death  he  in- 
herited a  portion  of  the  land  and,  purchasing  the 
remainder  of  the  other  heirs,  he  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  home.  To  its  cultivation  and 
further  improvement,  he  devoted  his  time  and  at- 
tention until  1892,  when  he  determined  to  lead  a 
retired  life,  and  came  to  Decatur,  where  he  is  now 
residing  in  the  entire  enjoyment  of  the  truits  of 
his  former  toil.  lie  still  owns  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  Blue  Mound  Township, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


609 


and  a  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in 
Clay  County,  Neb.,  besides  his  pleasant  residence 
in  this  city,  which  is  the  abode  of  hospitality. 
In  liis  political  views,  Mr.  Hill  is  a  Democrat.  He 
has  served  as  Assessor  of  his  township  for  one 
year,  and  as  School  Director  for  a  number  of 
years.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Hill  is  now  one 
of  the  oldest  native  citizens  of  Macon  County, 
and  is  a  worthy  representative  of  an  honored  pio- 
neer family.  During  his  fifty  years'  residence  here 
lie  has  watched  the  growth  and  development  of 
Macon  County,  has  seen  its  wild  land  transformed 
into  beautiful  homes  and  farms,  has  seen  its  thriv- 
ing towns  and  villages  spring  up, and  has  watched 
the  onward  inarch  of  progress  that  has  trans- 
formed Macon  County  from  an  almost  unsettled 
wilderness  to  one  of  the  leading  counties  of  this 
commonwealth. 


GEORGE  OILMAN  is  an  enterprising  agri- 
culturist of  Illini  Township,  residing  on 
section  29.  He  lias  made  his  home  here 
since  1868,  and  the  farm  which  lie  has  improved 
is  considered  one  of  the  best  in  the  county.  It 
comprises  two  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  and 
although  it  was  in  its  primitive  condition  at  the 
time  it  was  purchased,  it  has  been  transformed 
into  rich  and  fertile  fields,  which  yield  a  golden 
tribute  to  the  owner.  The  improvements  include 
a  neat  and  substantial  residence,  a  large  barn,  a 
granary  and  other  outbuildings,  together  with  the 
latest  machinery  and  a  good  orchard.  This  valu- 
able and  desirable  "place  it>  as  a  monument  to  the 
enterprise  and  progress  of  the  owner,  whose  pos- 
sessions have  all  been  acquired  through  unaided 
efforts. 

Mr.  Oilman  is  a  native  of  Maine.  He  was  born 
in  York  County  January  4,  1831,  and  his  parents, 
Josiah  P.  and  Betsy  (Hannaford)  Oilman,  were 
also  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  State.  The  father 


was  a  tanner  and  currier  by  trade,  and  also  a  shoe- 
maker, at  which  business  he  worked  for  many  years. 
From  Maine,  he  removed  to  New  Hampshire,  and 
the  year  1846  witnessed  his  emigration  Westward 
to  Marshall  County,  111.,  of  which  he  became  a  pio- 
neer settler.  lie  bought  land  in  La  Prairie  Town- 
ship, and  there  made  his  home  until  1868,  when  he 
sold  out  and  came  to  Macon  County.  In  Illini 
Township  he  opened  up  a  farm,  upon  which  he 
spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in 
1887.  His  first  wife  having  died  in  Maine,  Mr. 
Oilman  was  again  married,  in  Marshall  County,  to 
Mary  S.Sherman,  who  survived  him  three  years. 

George  Oilman  was  the  only  son  of  his  parents. 
He  accompanied  his  father  on  his  various  removals 
until  after  he  had  attained  to  mature  years,  and 
gave  to  him  the  benefit  of  his  services.  His  edu- 
cational privileges  were  afforded  by  the  Pine  Tree 
and  Granite  States.  He  began  farming  for  him- 
self in  Marshall  County,  and  afterwards  went  to 
Bureau  County,  where  he  bought  a  farm,  which  he 
operated  for  three  years.  Selling  out  in  1868,  he 
came  to  Macon  County,  and  in  company  with  his 
father  purchased  a-half  section  of  land,  the  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides.  The  land  was  then  un- 
improved, but  with  characteristic  energy  he  began 
its  development,  and  the  result  is  now  manifest  in 
his  handsome  property. 

October  8,  185(5,  Mr.  Oilman  returned  to  Great 
Falls,  N.  H.,  and  was  there  united  in  marriage  with 
Sarah  Goding,  a  native  of  Maine,  and  a  daughter 
of  Luther  Goding.  Her  grandfather,  Rev.  Will- 
iam Goding,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  preachers  of 
her  native  State.  Four  children  have  been  born 
unto  our  subject  and  his  wife:  G.  Fred,  a  represen- 
tative farmer  of  Illini  Township,  living  on  his 
grandfather's  old  homestead;  Bessie,  a  school 
teacher  of  recognized  ability;  Richard  E.  and 
Sadie  G.,  at  home. 

Mr.  Oilman  has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois  for 
forty-seven  years,  and  during  a-quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury has  made  his  home  in  Macon  County.  He 
has  gained  the  respect  of  all  with  whom  business 
or  social  relations  have  brought  him  in  contact, 
and  his  friends  throughout  the  community  are 
many.  With  the  Congregational  Church  he  holds 
membership.  His  wife,  who  was  also  a  member  of 


610 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  same  church,  was  called  to  her  final  rest  Au- 
gust 2o,  18U2,  and  her  death  was  widely  and  deeply 
mourned.  Mr.  Oilman  cast  his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  John  P»  Hale  in  1852,  and  was  a  suppor- 
ter of  the  Republican  party  for  a  number  of  years, 
but  since  1884  has  been  a  Prohibitionist,  his  views 
on  the  temperance  question  leading  him  to  make 
the  change  in  his  party  affiliations. 


AMES  H.  WIKOFF,  who  resides  on  section 
31,  Long  Creek  Township,  is  a  native  of 
Peoria,  111.,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
that  city,  September  23,  1848.  His  pater- 
nal great-gran dfather,  Peter  Wikoff,  was  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  and  died  in  the  Buckeye  State  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  lie  was  a  tailor 
by  trade  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812.  The  maternal  great-grandfather,  Peter 
Monfort,  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  was  a  hero 
of  the  Revolution.  He  followed  farming  through- 
out his  entire  life.  Removing  to  Ohio,  he  there 
spent  his  last  days,  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-one. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  Peter  Wikoff,  re- 
moved from  Ohio  to  Peoria  County,  111.,  and  there 
died  during  the  boyhood  of  James.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  carpenter  in  early  life.  He  married 
Gertrude  Monfort,  who  like  himself  was  a  native  of 
New  Jerse3',  and  the}1  became  the  parents  of  three 
children,  but  the  only  one  now  living  is  Peter  M., 
whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The 
mother  died  in  1831,  and  for  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Wikoff  chose  Miss  Louisa  Clemens,  who  became 
the  mother  of  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four 
daughters.  Sarah  is  the  wife  of  Lemuel  Wikoff, 
of  Maroa;  Mary  Ann,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
John  Graham;  William,  Jacob  and  James  are  the 
next  younger;  Rebecca  is  the  wife  of  Hiram  Est- 
linger,  of  Elmwood,  111.;  Helen  is  the  wife  of  John 
Berkett,  of  Elmwood;  and  Oscar  completes  the 
family.  Inl847,the  father  came  to  Illinois,  locating 
in  Trivoli,  sixteen  miles  from  Peoria,  where  his 


death  occurred  in  1861,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight 
years.  lie  was  a  member  of  the  Universalist 
Church.  His  second  wife  died  in  1887,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-two. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Peoria,  and  remained  with  his  mother  until  he 
began  learning  a  trade,  in  1856.  Coming  to 
Decatur,  he  learned  the  butchering  business  with 
his  brother,  and  worked  at  that  business  for  ten 
years,  being  in  Decatur  a  part  of  the  time,  in  Elm- 
wood  for  about  three  years,  and  in  Canton,  111., 
for  a  year  and  a-half.  On  the  23d  of  December, 
1875,  in  Decatur,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Cordelia  Casner,  a  daughter  of  L.  B.  Casner. 
She  was  born  on  the  farm  which  is  now  her  home 
and  was  educated  in  this  city.  A  short  time  after 
their  marriage  they  removed  to  the  farm  and  have 
here  lived  since  1876,  with  the  exception  of  a 
period  of  four  years.  That  time  was  spent  in 
Decatur  in  order  to  better  educate  their  children. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
four  children,  Jesse  L.,  John,  Peter  and  Clinty. 
All  were  born  and  reared  in  this  county.  The 
family  has  a  pleasant  home  in  the  midst  of  a  fine 
farm  of  three  hundred  acres,  which  yields  a  golden 
tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  cultivation  of 
the  owner.  Mr.  Wikoff  devotes  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  has  won 
success  in  this  line  of  business.  He  has  never 
sought  or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of 
public  office,  but  has  been  a  stanch  advocate  of 
Republican  principles  since  casting  his  first  Pres- 
idential vote  for  Gen.  Grant.  Socially,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Woodmen's  society. 


RADBURY.  CLARK,  who  for  many  years 
followed  farming  but  is  now  living  retired 
li!39)JE'  on  section  20,  I  Mini  Township,  was  born 
on  the  24th  of  October,  1821,  in  Belknap 
County,  N.  H.  The  Clark  family  was  originally 
of  Scotch  origin,  and  its  representatives  living  in 
this  country  formed  one  of  three  families  that  set- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


615 


tied  Barnstead,  N.  H.  The  father,  grandfather 
and  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  were  all 
named  Jonathan  Clark,  and  all  were  born  and 
reared  in  Belknap  Count}-.  The  father  spent  his 
entire  life  and  reared  his  family  in  Barnstead. 
His  death  occurred  in  1825,  when  Bradbury  was 
only  four  years  of  age.  His  wife  survived  him 
many  years  and  was  called  to  the  home  beyond  in 
1883,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  the  old  Granite  State,  and  remained  with 
his  mother  until  after  he  had  arrived  at  years  of 
maturity.  lie  then  located  upon  a  farm  near  the 
old  home,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  some  years.  It  was  in  1865  that  he  bade 
adieu  to  home  and  friends  in  the  East  and  came 
to  Illinois,  where  he  has  since  resided.  Locating 
in  Macon  County,  he  purchased  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres  of  land,  a  part  of  which  had  been  broken, 
and  to  its  cultivation  he  devoted  his  energies  for 
several  years.  He  was  successful  in  his  undertak- 
ings, and  with  the  capital  he  had  acquired  lie  after- 
ward purchased  an  additional  tract  of  eighty  acres, 
so  that  now  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  yield  to 
him  a  golden  tribute.  The  improvements  upon 
the  place  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and  en- 
terprise. In  connection  with  a  substantial  resi- 
dence there  are  other  improvements  and  a  good 
orchard.  The  place  has  been  thoroughly  tiled 
and  its  neat  and  thrift}'  appearance  attests  the 
careful  supervision  of  the  owner. 

Ere  leaving  his  native  State,  Mr.  Clark  was  mar- 
ried, in  1852,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Mary 
Proctor,  who  was  also  born  in  Belknap  County  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Proctor.  Five  children 
were  born  of  their  union,  four  of  whom  are  now 
living,  namely:  Anna  Belle,  wife  of  E.  L.  Roberts, 
a  resident  of  Bloomington,  111.;  Mary  J.,  wife  J. 
C.  Tucker,  of  Warrensburg,  whose  sketch  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  work;  and  Addie  F.,  wife  of  T. 
G.  Wilson,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead  and 
operates  the  farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  have  a 
daughter,  Irene  B.,  a  bright  little  girl  of  two  sum- 
mers. Mrs.  Clark  had  been  previously  married 
before  her  union  with  our  subject,  having  been 
the  wife  of  John  K.  Kaime,  by  whom  she  had  two 

29 


children,  one  living,  George  W.,  a  resident  of  Mc- 
Cook,  Neb.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  also  lost  two  chil- 
dren, one  who  died  in  infancy,  and  Emma  F.,who 
died  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 

Our  subject  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party 
but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to 
devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  in- 
terests and  the  enjoyment  of  home  life.  In  1888 
he  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife, 
who  died  on  the  28th  of  February,  and  was  in- 
terred in  Illini  Cemetery,  where  a  monument 
marks  her  last  resting-place.  Since  coming  to  this 
county  Mr.  Clark  has  prospered,  and  by  good 
management,  perseverance  and  industry,  he  has 
acquired  a  competence  which  now  numbers  him 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  community 
and  enables  him  to  live  a  retired  life. 


ILLIAM  H.  CARMEAN,  who  for  many 
years  was  connected  with  the  agricultural 
interests  of  Macon  County,  but  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  Decatur,  claims  Ohio  as  the 
State  of  his  nativit}-,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Picka way  County,  August  24,  1829.  His  grand- 
father, John  Carmean,  was  a  native  of  Holland  and 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  becoming  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  America.  Locating  in  Maryland,  he 
there  married  Nancy  Grayless,  a  native  of  that 
State.  They  became  pioneer  settlers  of  Ohio. 

James  Carmean,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  near  Baltimore,  Md.,  December  17,  1799,  and 
when  about  twelve  years  old  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Ohio.  He  acquired  a  limited  education 
in  the  subscription  schools,  and  throughout  his  en- 
tire life  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  em- 
igrated from  Ross  County  to  Marion  County,  and 
on  the  3d  of  July,  1849,  entered  Illinois.  On  the 
20th  of  June  he  lelt  Ohio,  and  after  thirteen  days 
located  in  Moultrie  County,  111.,  remaining  with 
his  mother's  brother  until  after  harvest.  In  the 
fall  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  on  section  25,  Long  Creek  Township,  Macon 


616 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


County,  and  began  the  development  of  the  farm 
which  he  operated  until  his  death.  He  passed 
away  March  10,  1888,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight 
years,  and  his  wife  died  June  13,  1878,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-five.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated 
February  22,  1820,  in  Pickaway  County,  and  the 
lady's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Miller.  She  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  removed  to  West  Vir- 
ginia and  later  to  Ohio.  Her  father,  Peter  Miller, 
was  born  in  Germany,  and  when  eight  years  of  age 
started  with  his  parents  to  the  I'nited  States.  His 
mother  died  on  the  voyage  and  was  buried  in  the 
ocean,  and  the  father  died  a  few  weeks  later. 
Peter  Miller  was  then  bound  out  to  a  Mr.  Brown, 
who  was  drafted  asasoldier  for  the  Revolutionary 
War.  and  who  offered  Mr.  Miller  his  freedom  from 
further  service  if  he  would  go  to  the  war  as  a  sub- 
stitute. This  Mr.  Miller  did. and  as  the  war  closed 
soon  afterward  he  was  mustered  out  and,  returning, 
married  Mary,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Brown. 

James  Carmean  and  his  wife  were  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  were  always 
prominent  in  church  work,  and  their  home  was 
headquarters  for  ministers.  In  politics,  he  was  a 
Whig  and  afterward  a  Republican.  The  children 
of  the  family  were:  Nancy,  who  died  in  childhood; 
Sarah,  wife  of  George  Q.  Baker,  of  Long  Creek 
Township;  John,  who  died  in  Ohio,  although  his 
home  was  in  Kansas;  Mrs.  Eliza  Jane  Sites,  who  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead;  William  Henry;  and 
Jacob,  who  died  in  infancy. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in  Ross 
and  Marion  Counties,  Ohio,  and  at  tbe  age  of 
twenty  came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois.  His 
school  privileges  were  meagre,  but  his  training  in 
farm  labor  was  not  limited,  for  as  soon  as  he  could 
handle  the  plow  he  began  to  work  in  the  fields. 
He  remaiped  at  home  until  twenty-four  years  of 
age  and  was  then  married,  April  10,  1853,  to  Mary, 
daughter  of  John  Scott.  She  died  April  16,  1865. 
Three  children  were  born  of  that  union,  but 
George  W.  is  the  only  one  now  living.  He  mar- 
ried Eliza  Gotl  and  resides  on  the  old  homestead. 

On  the  2d  of  November,  1865,  in  Long  Creek 
Township.  Mr.  Carmean  wedded  Mary  M.  (Davis) 
Spaulding.  a  native  of  Macon  County,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  Davis.  Her  first  husband,  John  Spaul- 


ding, who  was  a  native  of  Lake  County,  111.,  was 
a  soldier  of  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Six- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry,  and  died  at  Vick-sburg, 
leaving  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  Myers,  of  Long 
Creek  Township.  A  daughter  has  been  born  of 
the  second  marriage,  Grace,  wife  of  Henry  P. 
Clarke,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship. The  parents  hold  membership  with  Gnice 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Decatur,  and  have 
both  been  members  of  the  Methodist  Church  from 
early  childhood.  They  take  an  active  interest  in 
church  work,  and  the  cause  of  temperance  finds  in 
them  warm  friends.  Mr.  Carmean  is  a  member  of 
the  Good  Templars'  societ3',  and  his  wife  is  an  ar- 
dent worker  in  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance 
Union. 

Our  subject  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
John  C.  Fremont,  and  supported  the  Republican 
party  until  1884,  since  which  time  he  has  voted 
the  Prohibition  ticket.  When  he  began  business 
for  himself  lie  purchased  railroad  land,  which  he 
at  once  began  to  improve,  transforming  it  into 
one  of  the  best  farms  of  the  township.  He  carried 
on  farming  and  stock-raising  for  many  years  and 
was  very  successful  in  his  undertaking,  acquiring 
four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land,  a 
part  of  which  he  has  since  given  to  his  children. 
In  1891,  he  removed  to  Decatur  and  is  now  living 
retired  in  his  fine  and  attractive  home,  being  there 
surrounded  with  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the 
luxuries  of  life.  Honorable  and  upright  in  all  his 
dealings,  his  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond.  In  the 
development  of  the  county  he  has  aided,  woiking 
for  its  interests  in  all  possible  ways,  and  is  there- 
fore numbered  among  its  valued  citizens. 


AVI  D  L.  SCHROLL  is  now  living  a  retired  life 
in  Warrensburg,  III.,  enjoying  a  well-earned 
rest.  Since  the  fall  of  1865  he  has  been 
numbered  among  the  leading  and  influential  cit- 
izens of  the  community,  and  it  is  therefore  with 
pleasure  that  we  preseat  to  our  readers  this  record 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


617 


of  his  life  work.  A  native  of  Ohio,  lie  was  bom 
in  Ashland  County  December  24,  1840,  and  is  a  son 
of  David  Schroll,who  was  born  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.,  in  1812,  and  came  of  an  old  family  of  German 
origin  that  was  founded  in  the  Keystone  State  at 
an  early  day.  The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Nancy  Lehman.  She  too  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1812.  In  1832,  the  fam- 
ily emigrated  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Ashland  County, 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  forest  Mr.  Schroll  hewed 
out  a  farm.  I'pon  the  old  homestead  in  that  lo- 
cality he  lived  for  almost  half  a  century,  and  in 
1881  passed  to  the  home  beyond.  His  wife  survived 
him  for  about  three  years,  and  departed  this  life 
in  1884. 

Our  subject  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a 
family  of  six  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  of  whom 
reached  adult  age,  are  yet  living  and  are  now 
heads  of  families.  In  his  youth,  David  received 
good  school  privileges,  and  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  until  twenty  years  of  age.  The  country 
found  in  him  a  valiant  defender  in  her  hour  of 
peril.  He  enlisted  in  September,  1861,  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Forty -second  Ohio  Infantry,  and  served 
until  his  term  had  expired.  He  was  with  the  regi- 
ment in  all  its  engagements  except  when  ill  with 
the  measles.  In  an  engagement  near  Piketon,  Ky., 
the  troops  drove  the  rebels  from  the  h'eld.  They 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post,  the  t>iege 
and  capture  of  Vicksburg  and  the  battle  of  Jack- 
son, after  which  they  marched  to  New  Orleans. 
At  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  1864,  Mr.  Schroll 
was  honorably  discharged,  after  three  years  of 
service. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  our  subject  went  to  Indi- 
ana, where  he  worked  on  a  farm  until  the  autumn, 
when  he  came  to  Illinois.  In  the  spring  of  1866 
he  made  a  permanent  location  in  Macon  County. 
For  two  years  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month,  and  then  rented  land  for  two  years,  after 
which  he  bought  a  tract  of  fifty  acres,  half  of 
which  had  been  broken.  To  its  further  develop- 
ment and  improvement  lie  at  once  turned  his 
attention,  and  as  his  financial  resources  increased 
he  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm,  until  it 
comprised  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  all  of 
which  he  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 


In  December,  1869,  Mr.  Schroll  wedded  Miss 
Emma  Watkins,  a  native  of  this  State, and  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Sarah  Watkins.  One  daughter 
was  born  of  their  union,  Alice,  wife  of  George 
Faith,  who  carries  on  the  old  homestead.  They 
have  one  son,  David,  a  bright  little  boy  of  two 
years..  In  1872,  Mrs.  Schroll  died,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  Mr.  Schroll  wedded  Miss  Mary  Beall, 
daughter  of  Hillary  and  Jane  Beall,  pioneer  settlers 
of  Macon  County. 

In  politics  our  subject  was  formerly  a  Democrat, 
but  now  supports  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
Prohibition  party.  Himself  and  wife  are  members 
of  the  Warrensburg  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
in  which  he  serves  as  Trustee.  His  life  has  been 
in  keeping  with  his  profession,  and  his  upright, 
honorable  career  has  won  him  universal  confidence 
and  esteem.  In  1891,  he  left  the  farm,  and,  having 
built  a  substantial  and  pleasant  residence  in  War- 
rensburg, he  came  to  this  place,  where  he  is  now 
living  a  retired  life,  enjoying  the  rest  which  he 
has  so  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves. 


ARTIN  V.  LONERGAN,  M.  D.,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Casner,  and  is  a  well-known  citizen  of  the 
community,  was  born  on  the  4th  of  Feb- 
ruary,  1852,  in  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love.  His 
father,  Michael  Lonergan,  was  born  in  County 
Waterford,  Ireland,  there  learned  the  trade  of  car- 
pentering, and  when  a  young  man  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  Philadelphia.  In  that  city  he  married 
Margaret  Donahue,  a  native  of  County  Tipperary, 
Ireland,  who  came  with  her  parents  to  the  United 
States.  In  1856,  Michael  Lonergan  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Jacksonville,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade,  there  making  his  home  until  1870,  when  he 
sold  his  property  and  bought  a  farm  in  Sangamon 
County,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  dying 
in  1888,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  His  widow 
still  resides  on  the  old  homestead.  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  Church,  to  which  her  husband 


618 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


belonged.  He  was  a  Democrat  and  took  great  in- 
terest in  politics.  The  children  of  the  family  are 
Martin;  John,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead; 
Maurice  and  Maggie,  both  at  home;  and  two  who 
have  passed  away. 

The  Doctor  has  been  well  fitted  for  the  practical 
duties  of  life  by  a  liberal  education.  He  attended 
the  public  schools  of  Jacksonville  until  fourteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  entered  a  store,  but  after  a 
time  he  became  a  student  in  Whipple  Academy, 
and  subsequently  was  in  Brown's  Commercial  Col- 
lege. He  worked  in  a  store  during  the  daytime 
and  attended  school  at  night.  The  ambition  and 
pluck  thus  shown  by  the  boy  have  characterized  the 
business  career  of  the  man,  and  thus  made  his  life 
successful.  For  five  years  he  engaged  in  teaching 
school  in  Sangamon  County,  holding  a  first-grade 
certificate,  and  in  the  meantime  began  reading 
medicine  with  Dr.  David  Price,  of  Jacksonville. 
He  then  attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  Long 
Island  Hospital  College,  in  Brooklyn,  and  in  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  of  New  York. 
His  exchequer  then  being  greatly  diminished,  he 
again  taught  school  in  order  to  replenish  it,  and 
subsequently,  completed  his  course  of  medicine, 
graduating  in  1877.  Through  the  influence  of  his 
room-mate,  J.  A.  Dawson,  he  came  to  Casner  in 
March,  1878,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  prac- 
tice. His  mother-in-law  was  one  of  his  first 
patients.  From  the  beginning  his  patronage  has 
constantly  increased,  and  he  is  now  doing  a  large 
and  lucrative  business. 

On  the  14th  of  November,  1878,  the  Doctor 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Wilson, 
daughter  of  William  Wilson,  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  this  county.  She  was  born  and  reared  in 
Mt.  Zion  Township.  Their  union  has  been  graced 
with  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living, 
namely:  John  M.,  Ellis  C.  and  Bertha  May.  Bertie, 
the  eldest,  died  at  the  age  of  four  years.  Dr. 
Lonergan's  partnership  with  Mr.  Dawson  continued 
until  November,  1883,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  alone  in  business.  He  now  owns  a  good 
drug  store,  and  his  profession  nets  him  a  good  in- 
come. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Ionic  Lodge 
No.  312,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No.  12,  R. 
A.  M.;  and  Dacatur  Council  No.  21,  R.  <fe  S.  M.; 


all  of  Dc-catur;  and  is  Noble  Grand  of  Casner 
Lodge  No.  463,  I.  O.  O.  F.  The  Doctor  is  an  in- 
flexible adherent  of  the  Prohibition  party,  with 
which  he  has  been  identified  since  casting  his  first 
Presidential  vote.  Himself  and  wife  are  members 
of  the  United  Brethren  Church  and  take  an  active 
and  commendable  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to 
the  welfare  of  the  community  and  its  upbuilding. 


WJOIIN  Y.  BRADEN  has  for  many  years  Ix-en 
I  engaged  in  farming  on  section  26,  Hickory 
Point  Township,  and  is  numbered  among 
V  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  county.  He  is  a 
native  of  Tennessee,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Williamson  County,  near  Franklin,  on  the  22d  of 
March,  1818.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Nancy 
(Young)  Braden,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland, 
and  the  latter  of  South  Carolina.  Mr.  Braden  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade  and  also  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  a 
sailing-vessel  about  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  located  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  from  where 
lie  went  to  South  Carolina.  After  his  marriage 
he  removed  to  Kentucky,  and  later  to  Tennessee, 
coming  from  there  to  Macon  County,  III.,  in 
1829.  His  death  here  occurred  in  1834,  and  he 
was  laid  to  rest  in  Wheeler  Cemetery.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Democrat.  His  wife  survived  him  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  at  her  death,  in  1843,  her  re- 
mains were  interred  in  Greenwood  Cemetery. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  youngest  and 
only  surviving  child  of  the  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren. He  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  when,  with 
the  family,  he  came  to  Illinois.  Amid  the  wild 
scenes  of  frontier  life  he  was  reared  to  manhood, 
and  shared  in  the  hardships  and  trials  which  fall 
to  the  lot  of  the  pioneer.  As  the  family  was  in 
limited  circumstances,  and  there  were  none  but 
subscription  schools  in  the  neighborhood,  his  edu- 
cational privileges  were  quite  limited.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  after  his  father's  death,  in 
1834.  His  mother  was  again  married,  in  1836, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


619 


:n id  lie  then  started  out  in  life  for  himself  with 
nothing  but  a  pair  of  willing  hands  and  a  de- 
termination to  win  success. 

Mr.  Braden  began  by  working  as  a  farm  hand, 
receiving  $14  per  mouth  as  a  compensation  for  his 
services.  He  was  thus  employed  for  four  years, 
and  during  this  tune  spent  one  winter  in  Louisiana, 
chopping  cord  wood.  In  1839  he  began  farming 
for  himself  upon  rented  land.  He  made  his  home 
in  Decatur,  but  operated  the  land,  and  in  this  way 
he  acquired  some  capital,  which,  in  1848,  he  in- 
vested in  real  estate,  purchasing  eighty  acres  of 
the  land  on  which  he  now  resides.  It  was  then  a 
tract  of  wild  prairie,  upon  which  he  erected  a  small 
log  cabin,  15x15  feet,  making  it  his  home  for  two 
years.  It  was  then  replaced  by  a  more  commodi- 
ous frame  residence.  His  land  he  at  once  began 
to  improve,  transforming  the  raw  tract  into  rich 
and  fertile  fields.  The  boundaries  of  his  farm  he 
has  extended  until  it  now  comprises  two  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land,  all  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1840,  Mr.  Braden  mar- 
ried Miss  Laura  A.  Hunting,  a  daughter  of  Luther 
and  Pluube  A.  (Leonard)  Hunting.  The  lady  is  a 
native  of  Vermont,  her  birth  having  occurred  De- 
cember 12,  1819.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  a 
family  of  nine  children.  Sidney,  who  was  born 
November  15,  1840,  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  late 
war,  and  died  January  11,  1875,  from  the  result 
of  wounds  received  at  the  battle  of  Vicksburg; 
John  Edwin  is  a  farmer  of  Hickory  Point  Town- 
ship; Alzina  P.  died  September  13,  1863;  Jerome 
O.  is  living  in  Colorado,  where  he  follows  agricul- 
tural pursuits;  Thomas  J.  is  a  resident  farmer  of 
Whitniore  Township;  Mariette  died  April  11, 
1872;  Flora  A.  is  the  wife  of  William  L.  Bear,  of 
Hickory  Point  Township;  George  A.  carries  on  the 
home  farm;  and  Cora  A.,  the  youngest  of  the  fam- 
ily, is  the  wife  of  William  T.  Dillehunt,  a  farmer 
of  Decatur  Township. 

Mr.  Bradeu  takes  quite  an  active  interest  in 
political  affairs  and  votes  with  the  Democratic 
party.  He  has  been  honored  with  a  number  of 
public  offices  of  trust,  having  first  been  called  upon 
to  serve  as  Constable,  filling  that  position  for 
eight  years.  He  was  the  first  Supervisor  of  Hick- 


ory Point  Township,  and  for  six  years  held  that 
office.  For  the  long  period  of  twenty -six  years 
he  served  a"s  School  Treasurer,  and  for  thirteen 
years  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  also 
a  member  of  the  County  Board  of  Agriculture  for 
twenty-five  years.  In  the  various  positions  which 
he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill,  he  has  always  dis- 
cha'rged  his  duties  with  a  promptness  and  fidelity 
that  have  won  him  high  commendation  and  led  to 
his  repeated  elections.  With  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity he  has  held  membership  for  a  half-century. 
His  first  recollections  of  Decatur  are  of  a  hamlet, 
containing  six  log  cabins.  He  helped  to  organize 
his  township  and  lay  out  the  roads,  and  has  aided 
greatly  in  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the 
county  and  the  promotion  of  its  best  interests. 
Few  have  longer  been  residents  of  Macon  County 
than  Mr.  Braden,  who  for  sixty-four  years  has 
lived  within  its  borders. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1890,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Braden  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  their  fiftieth 
wedding  day,  or  golden  wedding,  when  two  hun- 
dred and  ten  guests  sat  down  to  dinner  with  them. 
They  were  the  recipients  of  a  number  of  handsome 
and  valuable  presents,  among  them  a  gold-headed 
cane  and  gold-mounted  umbrella. 


ROF.  JACOB  H.  CONRADT,  who  is  teacher 
of  natural  sciences  in  the  High  School  of 
Decatur,  and  one  of  the  well-known  in- 
structors of  the  State,  is  a  native  of  New 
York.  He  was  born  in  Rensselaer  County  on  the 
24th  of  October,  1847,  and  is  a  son  of  David  and 
Catherine  (File)  Conradt.  His  father  was  born  in 
the  Empire  State  in  1815,  and  the  greater  part  of 
his  active  business  life  was  spent  on  farms  in  New 
York  and  Michigan,  but  he  is  now  living  retired 
in  Paola,  Kan. 

The  Conradt  family  numbered  twelve  children, 
of  whom  our  subject  is  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth. 
Three  are  still  living,  but  he  is  the  only  one  who 
resides  in  Illinois.  The  first  ten  years  of  his  life 


620 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


were  spent  in  the  State  of  his  nativity, after  which 
he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal 
Westward.  The  family  located  in  Albion,  Mich., 
and  he  acquired  his  education  in  its  public  schools, 
and  in  the  State  Normal  School,  located  in  Ypsi- 
lanti,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the  Class  of 
'76,  having  pursued  the  teachers'  course  and  made 
a  specialty  of  the  study  of  Latin  and  the  sciences. 

Mr.  Conradt  began  teaching  in  1871,  and  paid 
his  own  way  through  the  Normal  School  with  the 
money  which  he  earned  as  a  teacher.  After  his 
graduation  he  became  principal  of  the  school  in 
Belleville,  Mich.,  and  acceptably  filled  that  posi- 
tion for  five  years.  The  succeeding  year  of  his 
life  was  devoted  to  his  duties  as  principal  of  the 
public  schools  of  Litchfleld,  111.,  which  he  left  to 
accept  the  position  of  special  teacher  of  the  sci- 
ences in  the  High  School  of  this  city.  The  Decatur 
school  had  made  application  to  the  Ypsilanti 
Normal  for  a  teacher,  and  Mr.  Conradt  was  rec- 
ommended to  them  as  being  specially  adapted  for 
scientific  work.  He  accepted  the  position  tendered 
him  and  entered  upon  his  duties  in  1881.  He 
found  poor  facilities — an  illy-equipped  laboratory 
in  a  gloomy  basement.  A  great  change  has  been 
wrought  under  his  direction,  and  the  Decatur 
High  School  is  now  said  to  be  the  finest  equipped 
school  for  scientific  work  in  the  State  outside  of 
Chicago.  There  are  four  hundred  pupils  enrolled 
in  the  school,  and  of  this  number  one  hundred  and 
seventy  are  taking  the  scientific  course.  Every 
facility  is  offered,  and  the  equipments  of  the  de- 
partment are  lacking  in  no  particular.  During 
three  years  of  the  High  School  course  special  at- 
tention is  given  to  sciences. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1871,  in  Albion, 
Mich.,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Conradt 
and  Miss  Frances  Robinson,  a  native  of  New  York. 
Two  children  have  been  born  of  their  union,  both 
sons:  Lewis  E..  who  is  a  student  in  the  dental  de- 
partment of  the  Michigan  University;  and  William, 
who  is  now  attending  the  High  School.  The  pa- 
rents are  members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  and 
are  prominent  people  in  the  community,  holding 
a  high  position  in  social  circles  where  true  worth 
and  intelligence  are  received  as  the  passports  into 
good  society.  During  the  summer  vacations,  Mr. 


Conradt  is  generally  engaged  in  institute  work,  as 
scientific  instructor.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  ed- 
ucators in  his  branch  in  Illinois,  and  his  reputa- 
tion is  well  deserved.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
State  and  National  Teachers'  Associations,  in 
which  he  takes  an  active  part. 


LBERT  LAWRENCE  COLLINS,  M.  D., 
who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine in  Decatur,  came  to  this  city  in  1890, 
and  has  since  been  engaged  here  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  profession.  He  is  a  native  of 
Ohio,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Holmes 
County  on  the  2d  of  July,  1860.  He  was  reared 
to  manhood,  however,  in  Illinois,  to  which  State 
he  came  when  six  years  of  age  with  his  parents. 
His  father,  Rev.  Alexander  Collins,  was  a  promi- 
nent minister  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and 
died  in  Westfield,  Clark  County,  111.,  in  1885.  He 
had  been  Presiding  Elder  of  that  district  for  sev- 
enteen years,  and  for  thirty-seven  years  his  life 
had  been  devoted  to  the  ministry.  He  passed 
away  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Pennsylvania.  His  friends  were  many 
and  his  death  was  deeply  mourned. 

Under  the  parental  roof  the  Doctor  spent  the 
days  of  his  boyhood,  and  his  early  education,  ac- 
quired in  the  common  schools,  was  supplemented 
by  a  partial  course  in  Westfield  College.  Wishing 
to  enter  the  medical  profession,  he  began  reading 
medicine  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Joseph  Hall, 
of  Westfield,  being  then  a  young  man  of  nineteen 
years.  In  September,  1881,  he  became  a  student 
in  the  Medical  College  of  Indiana,  located  in  In- 
dianapolis, and  after  pursuing  his  studies  for  two 
years  was  graduated  from  that  institution'  in 
March,  1883,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 

Dr.  Collins  began  practice  in  Isabel,  Edgar 
County,  111.,  and  in  1886  he  came  to  Macon 
County,  locating  iu  Mt.  ZIOH.  In  the  fall  of  1888 
he  received  a  commission,  issued  by  the  Mission- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


621 


ary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to 
go  to  Pekin,  China,  as  superintendent  of  the 
Methodist  Hospital.  lie  accepted,  giving  up  a 
fine  practice,  and  for  his  work  he  fitted  himself  by 
becoming  familiar  with  Chinese  customs.  Finally, 
however,  he  concluded  to  abandon  this  plan,  and 
after  an  interruption  in  his  practice  of  some 
months  lie  located  in  Niantic,  where  lie  remained 
for  a  short  time.  In  1890,  he  came  to  Decatur,  as 
before  stated. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1890,  Dr.  Collins  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Dr.  Naomi  Pierce,  also  a  medical 
practitioner.  A  sketch  of  her  life  appears  else- 
where in  this  work.  Our  subjuct  belongs  to  the 
Capital  District  Medical  Society,  the  Central  Illi- 
nois District  Medical  Society,  the  Esculapian  Med- 
ical Society,  and  the  Sy  den  ham  Medical  Society. 
He  is  the  medical  examiner  for  the  lodges  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Home 
Forum,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  these 
lodges.  He  served  as  delegate  to  the  head  camp 
in  Omaha  in  1892.  Although  the  Doctor's  resi- 
dence in  Decatur  has  been  of  short  duration,  he 
lias  already  succeeded  in  building  up  quite  a  prac- 
tice, which  is  constantly  increasing.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  in  social  as  well  as  professional  circles, 
and  is  a  gentleman  worthy  of  the  high  regard  in 
which  he  is  held. 


IttMU 


NGUS  L.  STEWART,  who  carries  on  gen- 
eral  farming  and  stock-raising  on  sections 
23  and  24,  Hickory  Point  Township,  is 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Ma- 
con  County,  his  residence  here,  which  dates  from 
1848.  covering  a  period  of  forty-five  years.  Dur- 
ing the  days  which  have  come  and  gone  since  his 
arrival,  he  has  witnessed  a  wonderful  transforma- 
tion. He  has  seen  the  once  wild  prairie  trans- 
formed into  rich  farms,  and  the  little  hamlets  grow 
into  thriving  towns  and  cities,  with  their  many 
industries  and  enterprises  and  all  the  improve- 
ments, inventions  and  conveniences  known  to  the 


civilized  world.  In  the  work  of  developing  the 
county  he  has  borne  his  part,  and  his  name  well 
deserves  enrollment  on  the  list  of  honored  pio- 
neers. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  born  near  Youngstown,  in 
Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  March  14,  1820,  and 
comes  of  an  old  family  of  Irish  origin,  which  in 
early  Colonial  days  was  founded  in  America. 
His  father,  Robert  Stewart,  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. His  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Catherine  Sinclair,  was  also  born  in  the  same 
State,  and  was  of  Scotch  descent.  This  worthy 
couple  had  a  family  of  eleven  children,  but  with 
the  exception  of  Angus  (who  is  the  third  in  order 
of  birth),  Catherine  and  Malvina,  all  are  now  de- 
ceased. They  were:  Alexander,  Armstrong,  Will- 
iam, James,  Eleanor,  Annie  M.,  Elizabeth  and  Mary. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  a  log  schoolhouse,  which  was  three  miles 
distant  from  his  home.  The  advantages  of  his 
youth  were  not  very  plentiful.  His  work  upon 
the  farm,  however,  was  not  meagre.  As  soon  as 
old  enough  to  handle  the  plow,  he  began  to  labor 
in  the  fields,  and  to  his  father  gave  the  benefit  of 
his  services  until  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
when  he  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month.  He  also  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  a  number  of  years,  both  in  Ohio 
and  Illinois.  In  1848,  he  bade  adieu  to  home  and 
friends  and  emigrated  Westward  with  the  hope  of 
improving  his  financial  condition.  The  journey 
was  made  by  team.  At  length  he  reached  Macon 
County,  111.,  and  located  in  Decatur,  where  he 
began  work  as  a  carpenter.  As  the  county  was 
then  becoming  quite  rapidly  settled,  there  was  a 
demand  for  his  services,  and  he  did  a  good  busi- 
ness in  that  line  until  1857,  when  he  determined 
to  resume  farming. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  married  in  1850,  the  lady  of 
his  choice  being  Miss  Mary  Krone.  Their  union 
was  blessed  with  thirteen  children,  who  in  order 
of  birth  were  as  follows:  Nettie;  Ida  and  Ruth, 
both  deceased ;  Mary;  David;  Robert;  Almoth,  de- 
ceased; Edward  O.;  Ray,  deceased;  Samuel; 
Frank;  and  Loa  and  Albert,  both  of  whom  have 
passed  away. 

When  he  came  to  Decatur,  Mr.  Stewart  had  no 


622 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


capital  save  about  $5  and  his  kit  of  carpenter 
tools,  but  he  was  ambitious  and  energetic  and  not 
afraid  of  work,  so  he  easily  secured  employment, 
and  as  the  result  of  his  untiring  labors  he  acquired 
enough  capital  with  which  to  purchase  land.  In 
1857,  he  entered  from  the  Government  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  sections  23  and 
24,  Hickory  Point  Township.  It  was  all  a  wild 
tract,  upon  which  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned 
or  an  improvement  made,  but  he  at  once  began 
plowing  and  planting,  and  in  course  of  time  rich 
harvests  rewarded  his  labors.  His  farm  now  com- 
prises one  hundred  and  eighty-two  acres  of  rich 
land,  which  yields  to  him  a  golden  tribute.  He  is 
a  self-made  man,  and  his  worth  and  ability  are 
widely  recognized  by  his  fellow-townsmeu,  who 
hold  him  in  high  esteem. 


EORGE  CONOVER,  a  member  of  the  bank- 
-,  ing  firm  of  Crocker  &  Co..  of  Maroa,  is  one  of 
the  wide-awake  and  progressive  citizens  of 
this  community,  being  prominently  identified  with 
man}-  of  its  leading  interests.  Such  men  as  our 
subject  have  been  the  leading  factors  in  the  up- 
building of  Maroa.  and  go  to  form  the  substantial 
element  which  is  now  the  main  support  of  the 
city.  Mr.  Conover  claims  Ohio  as  the  State  of  his 
nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Shelby 
County,  June  6,  1855.  The  family  name  was 
originally  written  Covenhoven,  but  has  been  con- 
tracted to  its  present  spelling.  The  grandfather, 
Timothy  Conover,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
and  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He  served  as  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812  and  reached  the  ripe  old  age 
of  four-score  years. 

Tylee  Conover  was  one  of  his  six  children.  He 
too  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  in  an  early  day 
followed  carpentering,  but  afterward  carried  on 
farming.  In  Ohio,  he  married  Hester  Ann  Bond, 
a  native  of  that  State,  and  in  1858  came  with  his 
family  to  Illinois,  locating  upon  a  farm  in  Logan 


County,  where  he  remained  until  1865,  when  he 
removed  to  Maroa.  That  year  he  built  the  steam 
flouring  mill  at  this  place  and  carried  on  milling 
until  1880,  when  he  sold  out  and  retired  from  ac- 
tive business  life.  In  1874  he  was  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  in  August,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-two.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church.  In  the  fall  of  1876  he  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mrs. 
Susan  Henry,  widow  of  John  Henry,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Deever. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  six  children,  but  Eliza  and 
Seth  are  now  deceased.  His  brothers  are  William 
H.  and  Governor.  His  sister,  Mar}'  Alice,  is  the  wife 
of  Warner  J.  Compton,  of  Maroa.  He  is  the  young- 
est of  the  family,  and  was  only  three  years  old 
when  with  his  parents  he  came  to  this  State.  Since 
the  age  of  ten  he  has  lived  in  Macon  County,  and 
the  greater  part  of  his  education  has  been  here 
acquired.  After  his  school  life  was  ended  he  be- 
came weigh-master  and  book-keeper  in  the  eleva- 
tor of  Emery  <fe  Compton,  with  whom  he  remained 
for  three  years,  and  subsequently  was  with  C.  F. 
Emery,  real-estate  and  loan  agent,  as  book-keeper 
from  1880  until  1888.  In  1884  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  his  employer,  and  they  engaged 
in  the  banking  business  under  the  firm  name  of  C. 
F.  Emery  &  Co.,  Mr.  Conover  serving  as  book- 
keeper. In  1888  the  bank  was  consolidated  with 
that  of  Crocker  &  Co.,  under  which  name  busi- 
ness is  now  carried  on.  In  February,  1889,  Mr. 
Crocker  and  Mr.  Conover  purchased  Mr.  Emery's 
interests  and  with  the  estate  of  John  H.  Crocker 
are  the  present  proprietors. 

On  the  1st  of  February,  1883,  Mr.  Conover  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mary  Sanderson,  daugh- 
ter of  Alexander  and  Ann  (Dent)  .Sanderson,  of 
Decatur.  Two  children  were  horn  unto  them,  Bes- 
sie May  and  Charles  Sanderson.  The  mother,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  died  June 
4,  1890,  and  on  the  28th  of  June,  1892,  Mr.  Con- 
over  wedded  Miss  Christina  H.  Sanderson,  a  sister 
of  his  former  wife.  She  too  holds  membership 
with  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  Mr.  Conover  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church. 

In  his  political  affiliations  our  subject  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  in  his  social  relations  is  connected 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


623 


with  Maroa  Lodge  No.  314,  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  owns 
two  hundred  and  fort}'  acres  of  good  land  in  South 
Dakota,  besides  his  comfortable  residence  in  Maroa, 
and  together  with  his  interest  in  the  bank,  he  owns 
an  interest  in  the  city  electric-light  plant.  In 
business  c-ircles  he  has  gained  high  regard,  and  in 
social  circles  he  and  his  wife  hold  enviable  posi- 
tions, having  won  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom 
they  have  been  brought  in  contact. 


J '"JOSEPH     RORK,   a    well-known    farmer   of 
Long  Creek  Township,  residing  on  section 
I    29,  was  born  in   1823,  in  Count}-  Kildare, 
Ireland,  fifteen  miles  from  the  city  of  Dub- 
lin.    His  parents,  John  and  Elizabeth   (Council) 
Rork,  were  both  natives  of  the  same  locality,  and 
were  farming  people.     They  held  membership  with 
the  Catholic  Church,  and  were    highly    respected 
by  all.     Seven  children  were  born  unto  them:  Ann, 
who  died  in  Ireland;  Joseph,  of  this  sketch;  James, 
who    died   in  Ireland;   Mary,  who   is   still  living 
in  that  country;    Elizabeth,  who  was  accidentally 
drowned  in  her  native  land;  Catherine,  who  died 
in  New  York;  and  John,  who  is  still  living  in  the 
Empire  State. 

Upon  the  home  farm  Joseph  Rork  was  reared  to 
manhood,  and  the  common  schools  afforded  him 
his  educational  privileges.  He  began  earning  his 
own  livelihood  by  working  as  a  farm  hund,  and 
was  thus  employed  in  his  native  land  until  he 
had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  decided  to  try 
his  fortune  in  the  New  World,  and  sailed  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York.  The  voyage  of  thirty -six 
days  was  a  very  stormy  one,  the  main  mast  being 
carried  away,  and  water  and  food  were  exhausted 
ere  reaching  port.  For  seven  years  Mr.  Rork  was 
employed  as  a  farm  hand  in  New  York,  remaining 
with  one  gentleman  during  all  that  period,  which 
indicates  faithfulness  and  trustworthiness  on  his 
part.  In  1854,  he  came  to  Illinois  and  cast  in  his 
lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  Macon  County.  He 
had  borrowed  155  to  bring  him  to  America,  and 


he  labored  assiduously  until  the  indebtedness  was 
paid  off,  working  for  seventy-five  cents  per  day. 

In  his  native  land,  our  subject  had  plighted  his 
troth  to  Miss  Ellen  Murray,  and  three  years  after 
his  emigration  .she  also  crossed  the  briny  deep, 
and  they  were  married  in  New  York.  Together 
they  came  to  the  West,  and,  purchasing  fifty-five 
acres  of  land  in  Blue  Mound  Township,  which  had 
not  then  been  organized,  began  life  in  Illinois.  In 
1865,  Mr.  Rork  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Long  Creek  Township — a  swampy,  unimproved 
tract — and  began  the  development  of  a  farm.  All 
of  the  improvements  upon  the  place  are  the  work 
of  his  hands,  and  are  monuments  to  his  busy  and 
well-spent  life.  He  has  erected  a  pleasant  resi- 
dence and  good  barns,  has  planted  trees,  and  made 
of  his  home  one  of  the  finest  farms  of  the  county. 
He  has  been  very  successful  in  his  undertakings, 
and  is  now  the  owner  of  six  hundred  acres  of  val- 
uable land,  which  yields  to  him  a  golden  tribute. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rork  have  been  born  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Joseph  C.,  who  is  mentioned  be- 
low; Curtis,  who  aids  in  the  operation  of  the  old 
home  farm;  and  Elizabeth,  who  became  the  wife  of 
James  Foley,  and  died  in  September,  1891,  leaving 
one  child.  All  were  reared  and  educated  in  this 
county,  and  are  worthy  members  of  society.  The 
parents  and  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  Mr.  Rork  cast  his  first  Presidential  ballot  in 
1860,supporting  Lincoln,  and  has  since  been  identi- 
fied with  the  Republican  party.  One  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  the  county,  he  has  witnessed  much  of  its 
growth  and  upbuilding,  and  has  ever  borne  his 
part  in  its  advancement.  He  has  the  high  regard 
of  all  who  know  him,  for  his  life  has  been  well 
spent. 

Joseph  C.  Rork,  the  son,  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  wide-awake  and  progressive  young  farmers  of 
Long  Creek  Township.  He  was  born  in  Blue 
Mound  Township  in  1859,  and  was  reared  upon 
his  father's  farm.  The  history  of  frontier  life  in 
Macon  County  is  familiar  to  him.  He  conned  his 
lessons  in  the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood, 
and  was  early  inured  to  the  arduous  labors  of  the 
farm.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  and  then  started  out  in  life  for 
himself. 


624 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mr.  Rork  married  Elizabeth  Dunn,  a  native  of 
this  county,  her  parents  being  then  residents  of 
Mt.  Zion  Township,  although  they  now  reside  in 
Decatur.  Their  union  was  celebiated  September 
9,  1884,  and  the  lady  died  January  31,  1890,  leav- 
ing two  children:  Willie,  born  July  7,  1885;  and 
Frank,  born  September  27,  1887.  On  the  25th  of 
February,  1892,  Mr.  Rork  was  joined  in  marriage 
with  Elizabeth  Breen,  a  native  of  Edgar  County, 
111.,  and  a  daughter  of  Patrick  and  Mary  Breen. 

Our  subject  is  a  successful  farmer,  and  now 
operates  four  hundred  acres  of  land,  which  he  has 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  which  is 
thereby  made  to  yield  to  him  a  ready  return  for 
his  labor.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  James  G. 
Blaine  in  1884,  and  still  exercises  his  right  of 
franchise  in  support  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
keeps  well  informed  on  all  questions  of  the  day, 
and  takes  an  active  and  commendable  interest  in 
everything  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  the 
community  in  which  his  entire  life  has  been  passed. 
Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  St.  Patrick's 
Catholic  Church. 


[,'AMES  K.  PECK,  a  leading  and  influential 
citizen  of  Oakley  Township,  who  follows 
farming  on  section  20,  is  a  native  of  Ohio. 
The  place  of  his  birth  is  in  Pickawa}' 
County,  and  the  date  is  March  8,  1844.  His 
father,  Daniel  Peck,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1810, 
and  was  of  German  descent.  In  May,  1833,  he 
married  Miss  Hettie  Rock,  and  in  1850  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  Macon  County,  111.,  settling  on 
a  farm  on  section  17,  Oakley  Township,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1870. 
His  wife  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1861.  Unto 
this  worthy  couple  were  born  twelve  children,  but 
Mar}-,  Isabel,  John,  Jacob,  Delilah  and  Isaac  are 
now  deceased.  The  parents  and  children  were  all 
buried  in  Peck's  Cemetery.  The  living  members 
of  the  family  are  Hanson,  Martha,  James  K.,  .lane, 


Catherine  and  George.  In  1868,  Mr.  Peck  was 
again  married,  Ins  second  union  being  with  Susan 
Leslie,  who  survives  her  husband  and  is  now  liv- 
ing in  Ccrro  Gordo. 

Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  six  summers  when 
with  his  parents  he  came  to  this  county.  Upon  the 
home  farm  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 
were  spent,  and  he  remained  with  his  father,  aid- 
ing in  the  labors  of  the  field,  until  1863,  when  he 
enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the  service  of  his  country. 
When  the  war  was  over  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged, in  August,  1865,  having  been  a  valiant 
defender  of  the  Union.  He  participated  in  the 
engagements  at  Resaca,  Big  Shanty,  Kenesaw, 
Jonesboro  and  Bentonville,  and  was  twice  hit  by 
a  bullet-shot  in  the  battle  of  Resaca,  but  was  not 
seriously  wounded.  For  some  time  he  was  Orderly 
of  the  division  ambulance  train,  and  at  length  was 
mustered  out  at  Little  Rock. 

Mr.  Peck  then  returned  home  and  remained 
with  his  father  until  his  death  in  1871,  when  he 
and  his  brother  Hanson  purchased  the  old  home- 
stead. Here  he  has  since  engaged  in  farming  and 
has  also  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  tile  near 
the  Sangamon  River  for  three  years.  He  has  been 
a  careful,  hard-working  business  man  and  has 
been  remarkably  successful  in  his  ventures.  One 
farm  after  another  he  has  added  to  his  possessions, 
until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  six  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  good  land,  all  of  which  lies 
in  Macon  County,  with  the  exception  of  eighty 
acres  in  Piatt  County.  His  home  farm  is  a  part 
of  the  old  homestead  which  his  father  first  pur- 
chased. It  is  pleasantly  located  and  is  supplied 
with  a  comfortable  residence  and  good  outbuild- 
ings. The  farm  is  well  watered,  and  there  is  an 
abundance  of  fruit  trees  and  berries.  Me  has  also 
dealt  quite  extensively  in  stock  and  this  branch 
of  his  business  has  yielded  him  a  good  income. 

In  1871,  Mr.  Peck  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sarah  Doyle,  who  died  about  a  year  later. 
October  8,  1877,  he  was  joined  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Margaret  Chambers,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Chambers,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  Three  children  graced  their  union:  Arthur, 
Russell  and  Margy  M.  The  mother  died  in  Octo- 
ber, 1891,  and  was  buried  in  Peck  Cemetery. 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


625 


Mr.  Peck  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church,  and  in  politics  has  been  identified  with 
the  Republican  party  since  its  organization.  He 
has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  but  has  at  different 
times  served  as  School  Director  and  Overseer  of 
Highways.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Post  No. 
210,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Cerro  Gordo.  He  is  a  social, 
genial  gentleman  and  his  friends  throughout  the 
community  are  many. 


JHOHN  P.  HOLMES,  who  resides  on  section 
9,  Harristown  Township,  has  lived  upon  his 
present  farm  since  1864.     He  is  a  native  of 
Indiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Tip- 

pecanoe  County,  August  6,  1853.  His  parents 
were  Archibald  and  Margaret  Holmes.  The  father 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  in  1864  he  came  to 
Macon  County,  111.,  locating  upon  a  farm  which  is 
now  the  home  of  our  subject.  It  then  comprised 
eighty  acres  of  land.  There  he  resided  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
four  years.  His  widow  still  survives  him,  and  is 
now  living  in  Kansas  with  her  daughter. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  only  member 
of  the  family  who  still  resides  in  Macon  County. 
No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
his  boyhood  and  youth,  which  were  quietly  passed 
upon  the  old  homestead  farm.  After  his  father's 
death  he  turned  his  attention  to  other  pursuits 
than  that  of  agriculture  and  embarked  in  mer- 
chandising. In  connection  with  I.  F.  Peck,  of 
Harristown,  he  opened  a  general  mercantile  estab- 
lishment, investing  a  capital  of  about  $2,000  in 
the  enterprise.  As  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Peck 
&  Holmes,  he  diligently  and  successfully  carried 
on  operations  for  eight  years.  The  firm  made 
money  during  that  time,  their  sales  amounting  to 
$25,000  per  year,  of  which  Mr.  Holmes  received 
$1,000  per  year  as  his  share  of  the  profits.  At 
length  he  determined  to  remove  to  the  farm,  and, 
having  acquired  some  capital,  he  bought  back  the 
old  homestead,  paying  $40  per  acre  for  the  same. 


He  also  added  to  this  two  hundred  acres,  for  which 
he  paid  about  $50  per  acre.  His  property  is  now 
one  of  the  finest  farms  of  the  community,  being 
well  improved  and  highly  cultivated.  In  the 
spring  of  1881,  Mr.  Holmes  brought  the  first  herd 
of  Hereford  cattle  to  the  county.  He  started  with 
three  cows  and  a  bull,  for  which  he  paid  $1,500. 
In  connection  with  the  breeding  of  fine  cattle  he 
also  raises  trotting  horses. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  1884,  was  celebrated  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Holmes  and  Miss  Clara  Reynolds, 
of  Chicago,  a  daughter  of  C.  F.  Reynolds,  formerly 
a  stock-shipper  of  Decatur.  However,  he  left 
Macon  County  some  twenty  years  ago  and  became 
a  commission  merchant  of  Chicago.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Holmes  have  been  born  two  children, 
Gertrude  and  Floyd.  Mrs.  Holmes  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church  and  is  a  most  estimable  lad y. 
Our  subject  ranks  among  the  leading  farmers  and 
stock-dealers  of  the  count)-,  and  well  deserves  to 
be  classed  among  the  self-made  men,  for  his  inde- 
fatigable labors  and  well-directed  efforts  have 
gained  him  a  comfortable  competency. 


AMUEL  WEAVER,  who  resides  on  section 
22,  Hickory  Point  Township,  is  one  of  the 
representative  farmers  and  most  extensive 
land-owners  of  Macon  County.  He  may 
truly  be  called  a  self-made  man,  his  possessions 
having  been  acquired  entirely  through  his  own 
efforts.  His  industry  and  good  management  gained 
for  him  prosperity,  which  is  the  just  reward  of  his 
labor. 

Mr.  Weaver  was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
near  Lancaster  City,  in  October,  1824.  His  father, 
Conrad  Weaver,  was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State 
and  was  of  German  descent.  Throughout  his  en- 
tire life  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming. 
His  death  occurred  in  1841.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Rebecca  Senseman,  survived 
him  for  many  years  and  passed  away  in  1862.  Of 
their  family  of  ten  children,  John  is  now  deceased; 


626 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Daniel  is  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Cumberland 
Count}',  Pa.;  Anna  Elizabeth  is  the  next  younger; 
Samuel  follows  in  order  of  birth;  Rebecca,  Fannie 
and  Lena  are  nil  deceased;  and  Mary  is  living  in 
Cumberland  County,  Pa. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, whose  boyhood  days  were  quietly  passed  upon 
the  home  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the  district 
schools,  where  he  acquired  his  education.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  after  the  death  of  his  father, 
which  occurred  when  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age.  He  then  began  learning  the  blacksmith's 
trade  in  Carlisle,  Pa.,  serving  a  two-years  appren- 
ticeship, during  which  time  he  received  no  com- 
pensation for  his  services  except  his  board  and 
clothing.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  re- 
turned to  the  farm  and  carried  on  the  homestead 
for  his  mother  for  a  period  of  six  years.  Hoping 
to  better  his  financial  condition  by  removing 
Westward,  in  the  fall  of  1850  he  started  by  team 
for  Illinois,  making  a  location  in  Macon  County. 

Ere  leaving  the  Keystone  State  Mr.  Weaver  was 
united  in  marriage,  in  1844,  with  Miss  Sarah  Sei- 
ler.  Unto  them  have  been  born  five  children  and 
the  family  circle  remains  unbroken.  The  eldest, 
Alfred,  aids  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm; 
Charles  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Hickory  Point 
Township,  on  the  land  where  our  subject  first  set- 
tled; Nancy  is  the  wife  of  John  Keister,  a  farmer 
of  Macon  County;  Catherine  is  the  wife  of  Jacob 
Lehman,  who  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
in  Hickory  Point  Township;  and  Susan  is  the  wife 
of  Asa  Grossman,  a  resident  farmer  of  Austin 
Township. 

On  coming  to  this  county  Mr.  Weaver  purchased 
one  hundied  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  section 
16,  Hickory  Point  Township,  an  unimproved  tract, 
which  he  immediately  began  to  develop.  There 
he  made  his  home  until  1864,  since  which  time  he 
has  resided  on  section  22.  His  home  farm  now 
comprises  six  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  good 
land,  and  in  connection  with  its  cultivation  he 
carries  on  stock-raising.  His  fields  are  well  tilled, 
and  in  his  pastures  is  a  good  grade  of  horses  and 
cattle.  He  has  substantial  buildings  upon  the 
place,  the  latest  improved  machinery,  and  all  the 
accessories  and  conveniences  of  a  model  farm.  As 


his  financial  resources  have  increased  he  has  made 
judicious  investments  in  land,  and  his  possessions 
now  aggregate  some  thirty-five  hundred  acres,  the 
greater  part  of  which  lies  in  Maeon  County,  al- 
though a  portion  of  it  is  in  Piatt  County.  Since 
the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  has  made  his  own 
way  in  the  world,  and  all  that  he  now  possesses 
sttinds  as  a  monument  to  his  thrift  and  industry. 
He  possesses  excellent  business  ability,  is  correct 
in  his  judgment  and  careful  in  his  investments. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has  held  the  office 
of  Commissioner  of  Highways.  He  always  takes 
an  active  interest  in  those  enterprises  calculated  to 
benefit  the  community. 


'RANCIS  A.  SITES,  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  25,  Long  Creek  Township,  is  an- 
other of  the  worthy  citizens  that  has  been 
furnished  to  Macon  County  by  Ohio.  He  was 
born  in  Fail-field  County  of  the  Buckeye  Slate, 
August  6,  1824,  and  is  of  German  descent.  His 
grandfather,  Peter  Sites,  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  in  1809  removed  to  Fairfield  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  followed  farming.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  was  a  Whig 
in  politics.  Frederick  Sites,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  the  Old  Dominion  in  1880,  and  at  the 
age  of  nine  went  to  Ohio,  where,  in  the  midst  of 
the  forest;  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  He  was  a  great 
reader,  and  although  he  was  educated  in  the  primi- 
tive log  schoolhouse,  with  its  mud  and  stick  chim- 
ney and  paper  windows,  he  became  a  well-informed 
man.  When  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  began 
driving  a  six-horse  team  in  the  winter  season, 
hauling  produce  and  salt  to  Philadelphia  and  Bal- 
timore, and  returning  with  dry  goods  for  the  mer- 
chants. He  followed  that  business  for  twenty-five 
years,  when,  the  railroads  being  built,  his  trade  was 
taken  from  him.  lie  lived  upon  the  same  farm 
for  nearl}'  a  century.  He  was  a  man  of  strong 
constitution  and  led  a  busy  and  useful  life.  lie 
cleared  acre  after  acre  of  timber  land  with  his  own 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


627 


hands  and  placed  a  large  farm  under  culuvation, 
successfully  cairying  on  agricultural  pursuits  and 
stock-raising. 

In  November,  1822,  Frederick  Sites  wedded  Mary 
Copp,  who  was  born  in  Greenbrier  County,Va.,  May 
1 1.  1804,  and  died  in  Fail-field  County,  Ohio,  June 
9,  1888.  She  lived  the  life  of  a  devoted  Christian, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  for  seventy-two  years.  Mr.  Sites  was  a 
member  for  seventy-live  years.  In  the  early  days 
church  services  were  held  in  their  home  and  they 
were  always  active  in  benevolent  work.  The  fa- 
ther passed  away  February  25,  1892.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  the  following  children:  Francis  A. .of  this 
sketch;  Eleanor,  who  died  in  Ohio;  Henry  F.,  who 
crossed  the  plains  to  California  and  there  died; 
Peter,  a  soldier  of  the  late  war,  living  in  Colum- 
bus, Ohio;  Samuel  and  Catherine,  both  deceased; 
George,  a  Methodist  minister  in  New  York  City; 
and  Mrs.  James  .C.  Belt,  who  resides  on  the  old 
homestead. 

Upon  the  old  farm  in  his  native  State,  our  sub- 
ject spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
and  in  his  earl}7  life  besides  his  labors  in  the  fields, 
he  also  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  On  at- 
taining his  majority  he  started  out  in  life  for  him- 
self and  for  a  time  ran  a  threshing-machine.  In 
1852  lie  arrived  in  Illinois  after  a  nine-days  jour- 
ney on  horseback,  and  began  raising  sheep  in 
Long  Creek  Township.  He  and  his  brother  each 
had  a  horse,  but  their  joint  capital  was  less  than 
$100,  so  they  bought  their  sheep  on  time  and  paid 
for  them  in  wool. 

Upon  the  farm  which  is  still  his  home,  Mr.  Sites 
was  married  in  1853  to  Miss  Eliza  Jane  Carmean, 
who  was  born  in  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  in  1826, 
and  with  her  parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1849. 
She  learned  to  spin  flax  and  wool  and  the  other 
duties  of  the  household  were  made  familiar  to  her, 
but  her  educational  privileges  were  limited.  For 
six  years  the  young  couple  lived  upon  the  Hale 
farm  and  then  returned  to  the  Carmean  homestead, 
where  Mr.  Sites  now  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
acres  of  rich  land  and  a  fine  home.  lie  devotes 
his  energies  to  general  farming  and  stock-raising, 
and  his  career  has  been  one  of  prosperity.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sites  have  no  children  of  their  own,  but 


have  adopted  several,  including  John  N.,  who 
came  to  them  at  the  age  of  nine;  Nancy  Jane 
Phipps,  now  the  wife  of  Stanley  Tucker;  George, 
who  operates  the  home  farm;  and  Grace,  who  is 
also  yet  upon  the  farm.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sites 
have  been  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  for  many  years  and  he  serves  as  Trustee. 
He  oust  his  first  vote  for  Henry  Clay, and  was  then 
a  Whig  until  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  has  since  been  identified. 
Through  his  own  unaided  efforts  he  has  achieved 
success  and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm,  while 
throughout  the  community  he  is  well  known  and 
highly  respected. 


l  OSEPHUS  ASH,  a  well-to-do  and  representa- 
tive farmer  of  Harristown  Township,  resid- 
ing on  section  8, claims  Indiana  as  the  State 

"JJ  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Tippecanoe  County  on  the  4th  of  March,  1845. 
His  parents,  Payton  and  Sarah  J.  (Oglesby)  Ash, 
were  both  natives  of  Virginia,  where  they  were 
reared  and  married.  On  leaving  the  Old  Dominion, 
they  emigrated  Westward  to  Indiana,  and  became 
early  settlers  of  Tippecanoe  County,  where  Mr, 
Ash  secured  raw  land  and  began  the  development 
of  a  farm.  From  that  time  on  he  was  one  of  the 
leading  agriculturists  of  the  community,  and  for 
many  years  he  made  his  home  in  Tippecanoe 
County,  passing  away  in  1885,  respected  by  all 
who  knew  him.  His  wife  survived  him  for  several 
years,  and  was  called  to  the  home  beyond  in 
January,  1892. 

Josephus  Ash  is  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth  in 
a  family  of  nine  children,  numbering  four  sons 
and  five  daughters,  all  of  whom  attained  to  years 
of  maturity.  Our  subject  grew  to  manhood 
under  the  parental  roof,  and  in  the  public  schools 
acquired  a  fair  English  education.  After  arriving 
at  man's  estate,  he  was  married,  November  7.  1866, 
to  Miss  Mary  A.  Powell,  who  was  born  in  Boone 
County,  Ind.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Hiram  Powell, 


628 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


one  of  the  pioneers  of  Indiana.  For  about  four 
years  after  their  marriage  they  remained  in  the 
Hoosier  State,  and  in  the  spring  of  1870  came  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  Macon  County,  where  Mr. 
Ash  purchased  eighty-six  acres  of  land.  There  was 
a  small  house  upon  the  place  and  the  land  was  par- 
tially improved,  but  lie  at  once  began  its  further 
development  and  has  now  transformed  it  into 
rich  and  fertile  fields,  which  yield  a  golden  tribute 
to  the  care  and  supervision  of  the  owner.  As  his 
financial  resources  were  increased  he  bought 
seventy-six  acres  adjoining,  and  afterwards  added 
another  eighty-acre  tract,  so  that  he  now  has  two 
hundred  and  thirty-two  acres.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ash  were  born  the  following  children:  Charlie; 
Eliza;  Oley  D.;  Jesse,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years;  Hiram  P.;  Myrtle,  wife  of  Abram  Birks,  a 
farmer  of  Harristown  Township;  and  Eva,  wife  of 
Sheldon  Parks,  of  Niantic  Township. 

The  parents  hold  membership  with  the  Christian 
Church  of  Harristown  and  are  active  workers  in 
its  interests.  In  politics  Mr.  Ash  is  a  stalwart 
supporter  of  the'  Republican  party  and  has  been  a 
warm  advocate  of  Us  measures  since  attaining  his 
majority.  He  has.  however,  never  been  an  aspirant 
for  official  preferment,  desiring  rather  to  devote 
his  time  and  attention  to  the  care  of  the  farm, 
which  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  township,  being 
supplied  with  all  necessary  buildings  and  all  the  con- 
veniences and  accessories  of  a  model  farm  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  As  a  citizen,  Mr.  Asli  is  public- 
spirited  and  progressive  and  does  all  in  his  power 
to  promote  the  best  interests  of  town  and  count}'. 


E  G.  HARNSBERGER  is  now  living 
a  retired  life  on  his  farm  on  section  19( 
Whitmore  Township.  He  there  owns  a 
valuable  property  and  is  numbered  among  the 
prosperous  agriculturists  of  the  community.  A 
native  of  Ohio,  he  was  born  near  Springfield, 
Clark  County,  on  the  3d  of  March,  1825,  and  is  a 
son  of  Jacob  and  Catherine  Harnsberger.  The 


family  is  of  German  origin.  Unto  his  parents  were 
born  ten  children,  as  follows:  Abraham,  now  de- 
ceased; Wesley,  a  retired  farmer  living  in  Iowa; 
Philip  A.,  a  resident  farmer  living  in  Clinton 
County, Ind.;  Conrad,  deceased;  Henry  M.,who  lives 
in  Sangamon  County;  George  G.;  Jacob  8.,  de- 
ceased; Poll}',  who  became  the  wife  of  Moses  Fudge, 
but  has  now  passed  away;  Liza,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Aaron  Blystone,  and  is  now  deceased,  as  is 
also  her  husband;  and  Barbara  J.,  wife  of  William 
Edwards,  of  Indiana. 

Our  subject  was  born  and  reared  upon  a  farm, 
and  his  educational  privileges  were  those  afforded 
by  the  subscription  schools,  to  which  he  had  to 
walk  long  distances.  His  mother  died  when  he 
was  a  little  lad  of  five  years,  and  by  his  father's 
death  he  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  fourteen. 
The  year  previous  he  had  begun  earning  his  own 
livelihood,  working  at  general  farm  labor  at 
twenty-five  cents  per  day. 

Mr.  Harnsberger,  who  had  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Clinton  County,  Ind.,  in  the  fall  of 
1829,  remained  in  the  Hoosier  State  until  the 
year  1839,  when  he  determined  to  seek  a  home 
and  fortune  in  Illinois  and  located  in  Sangamon 
County,  where  he  worked  at  farm  labor  until 
1844.  As  the  result  of  his  economy  and  industry 
during  that  period  he  accumulated  some  property, 
and  in  that  year  purchased  a  farm  near  Salisbury, 
Sangamon  County,  a  partially  improved  tract 
which  he  continued  to  cultivate  until  1865,  when 
lie  came  to  Macon  County  and  located  in  Whit- 
more  Township,  on  the  farm  which  is  now  his 
home.  He  purchased  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  acres  of  partially  improved  land,  but  its  pres- 
ent thrifty  and  neat  appearance  is  due  to  his  un- 
tiring labors.  He  carried  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  his  business  proved  a  successful 
one,  so  that  by  his  well-directed  efforts  he  gained 
a  competency  which  now  enables  him  to  live  a  re- 
tired life. 

On  the  14th  of  Match,  1850,  Mr.  Harnsberger 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  A.  Scott, 
and  by  their  union  were  born  five  children:  James 
J.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  livery  business  in  Cham- 
paign, 111.;  Belle,  wife  of  H.  O.  Acom,  of  Mont- 
gomery County,  Kan.;  William  H.,  an  attorney- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


629 


at-law  now  employed  in  the  Pension  Department 
in  Washington,  D.  C.;  John  A.,  who  died  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1867,  and  Minnie,  wife  of  D.  L.  Ilaidy. 
who  resides  on  the  old  homestead  with  our  subject. 
Mr.  llarnsberger  i<Ta  public-spirited  and  enter- 
prising citizen,  who  gives  his  support  to  all  worthy 
interests  calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit  or 
advance  the  general  welfare.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stanch  Prohibitionist, and  the  cause  of  temperance 
finds  in  him  a  warm  friend.  He  has  served  his 
township  as  [Supervisor  for  two  terms,  was  Road 
Commissioner  for  a  number  of  years, and  has  held 
all  the  school  offices.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  as  was  his  wife,  who  de- 
parted this  life  September  5,  1890,  and  was  laid  to 
rest  in  Greenwood  Cemetery,  of  Decatur.  The 
path  of  Mr.  Ilarnsberger  was  not  a  flowery  one  in 
early  life.  Starting  out  for  himself  a  poor  boy, 
only  thirteen  years  of  age,  he  had  many  hardships 
and  difficulties  to  encounter  and  trials  to  over- 
come, but  his  persistent  energy  and  diligence  have 
been  the  foundation  upon  which  his  success 
rested. 


eHARLES  8.  BULLARD,  a  well-known  farmer 
of  I  Mini  Township,  residing  on  section  14, 
is  prominently  identified  with  the  agricul- 
tural interests  of  Macon  County,  and  is  numbered 
among  her  honored  pioneers,  his  residence  here 
dating  from  1859.  He  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Morgan  County  July  6, 
1843.  His  father,  William  C.  Bullard,  was  a  native 
of  New  Hampshire.  His  parents  having  died  when 
he  was  a  small  child,  he  was  brought  by  an  uncle 
to  Morgan  County,  this  State,  in  1832,  when  twelve 
years  of  age.  He  there  met  and  married  Miss 
Margaret  L.  Patterson,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and 
a  daughter  of  William  Patterson.  Mr.  Bullard  be- 
came a  contractor  and  builder  and  carried  on  bus- 
iness in  Jacksonville  for  a  number  of  years.  In 
1859,  he  came  to  Macon  County,  and  bought  the 
tract  of  land  on  which  our  subject  now  resides. 


When  it  came  in  to  his  possession  it  was  raw  prairie, 
but  his  labors  soon  made  of  it  rich  and  fertile 
fields.  Upon  the  farm  which  he  there  developed 
the  father  made  his  home  until  his  death  in  1864. 
Ills  wife  survived  him  for  nineteen  years,  when  she 
was  called  to  the  home  beyond,  in  1883. 

Unto  that  worthy  couple  were  born  nine  chil- 
dren, five  sons  and  four  daughters,  and  with  one 
exception  all  reached  adult  age.  William,  who 
enlisted  for  the  late  war  as  a  member  of  the  Eighth 
Illinois  Infantry,  gave  his  life  in  defense  of  the 
Union  at  the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson;  Eliza  died  at 
the  age  of  fourteen ;  Charles  is  the  third  in  order  of 
birth;  John  died  in  1864;  James  is  married  and  re 
sides  with  his  family  in  Decatur;  Frances,  widow 
of  George  Watkins,  makes  her  home  in  Hickory 
Point  Township;  Margaret  P.  is  the  wife  of  John 
Beall,  of  Illini  Township;  Warner  T.  is  a  farmer  of 
this  community;  and  Effie  is  the  wife  of  William 
S.  Black,  who  lives  near  Defiance,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Bullard  spent  the  first  sixteen  years  of  his 
life  in  the  county  of  his  birth,  and  then  came  with 
the  family  to  Macon  County.  He  too  was  a  loyal 
soldier,  joining  the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  E, 
One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  in 
July',  1862.  He  went  South  with  his  regiment,  en- 
gaging in  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post  and  the  siege 
and  capture  of  Vicksburg.  His  brigade  ran  the  block- 
ade down  the  Tennessee  River,  and  participated  in 
the  engagement  at  Missionary  Ridge  and  after- 
wards went  to  the  relief  of  Burnside  at  Knoxville. 
He  was  under  fire  at  the  battles  of  Kenesa-w  Moun- 
tain and  Atlanta,  and  his  last  engagement  was  at 
Jonesboro.  Although  he  participated  in.  many 
hard-fought  battles,  he  escaped  without  wounds, 
and  was  discharged  at  Camp  Butler  in  May,  1865, 
after  nearly  three  years  of  faithful  service. 

Immediately  returning  to  his  home,  Mr.  Bullard 
look  charge  of  the  old  farm,  which  he  operated  for 
several  years.  He  was  married  in  Piatt  County, 
September  23,  1868,  to  Miss  Eliza  Willard,a  na- 
tive of  Morgan  County,  and  a  daughter  of  A.  C. 
Willard,  who  came  to  this  county  when  Mrs.  Bul- 
lard was  a  maiden  of  twelve  summers.  Tlr.ce 
children  came  to  bless  the  home:  Clara,  now  the 
wife  of  Prof.  J.  E.  Underwood,  of  Warrensburg; 
Maggie  and  Lenora,  both  at  home.  After  his  mar- 


630 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


riagc  our  subject  rented  land  for  several  years,  and 
subsequently,  purchasing  the  interest  of  the  other 
heirs  in  the  old  homestead  farm,  he  again  took  up 
his  residence  at  the  old  place,  in  1884.  The  farm 
which  has  so  long  been  his  home,  and  which  pleas- 
ant memories  and  associations  have  made  very 
dear  to  him,  is  valuable  and  desirable  property, 
well  improved  and  highly  cultivated.  In  addition 
to  farming,  Mr.  Bullard  is  the  Vice-President  of 
and  a  stockholder  in  the  Warrensburg  Butter  and 
Cheese  Factory. 

The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  commu- 
nity and  its  members  rank  high  in  social  circles. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Bullard  supports  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Prohibition  party,  and  the  cause 
of  temperance  finds  in  him  an  earnest  advocate. 
Himself  and  wife  arc  faithful  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  take  an  active 
interest  in  all  the  means  that  that  organization 
puts  forth  for  the  upbuilding  of  morality. 


AMUEL  TROUTMAN,  who  carries  on 
general  farming  and  stock-raising  on 
section  29,  Hickory  Point  Township,  where 
he  owns  and  operates  two  hundred  and 
eleven  acres  of  good  land,  is  also  a  grain-dealer 
of  Bearsdale.  A  native  of  Indiana,  he  was  born 
near  Rochester,  Fulton  County,  on  the  1st  of  March, 
1843,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Mary  (Bruce) 
Troutman.  The  father  was  born  in  Kentucky  and 
is  of  German  lineage.  He  is  still  living  and  makes 
his  home  in  Mitchell  County,  Kan.  His  wife  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  in  March,  1876.  Their  fam- 
ily numbered  eight  children,  as  follows:  Elizabeth^ 
who  married  J.  H.  Cox,  of  Whitman,  Kan.;  Jos- 
eph W.,  who  died  November  22,  1884;  Samuel,  of 
this  sketch;  Phebe,  wife  of  Jeremiah  Miller,  of 
this  county;  Levi,  who  died  October  25,  1875; 
Jacob;  Julia;  and  John. 

Our  subject  was  reared  to  manhood  upon  a 
farm  and  attended  the  district  schools,  where  he 
acquired  a  good  English  education.  The  year 


1856  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Mncon  County, 
whither  he  came  with  his  parents  when  a  lad  of 
thirteen.  He  was  still  upon  the  home  farm  at  the 
time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war.  Prompted 
by  patriotic  impulses,  he  enlisted  in  1862,  when 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  was  elected  Corporal. 
He  was  mustered  into  service  at  Decatur,  as  a 
memberof  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  going  to  the  front  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Chickasaw  Bayou.  He  af- 
terward took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Harris 
Bluff,  Arkansas  Post,  Grand  Gulf  and  Raymond. 
He  was  all  through  the  siege  of  Vicksbuig,  and 
after  the  surrender  of  that  cit3r  he  went  to  Jack- 
son, Miss.,  from  where  he  was  transferred  to 
Paducah,  Ky.,  where  he  was  made  Ward  Master  in 
general  hospitals,  Nos.  1  and  2,  at  that  place.  In 
all  his  service,  Mr.  Troutmau  was  never  wounded 
or  taken  prisoner,  but  was  always  found  at  his 
post  of  duty  and  did  much  arduous  service  for  the 
Union  cause.  When  the  war  was  over  he  was 
honorably  discharged  in  Springfield,  111.,  June  9, 
1865. 

Mr.  Troutman  immediately  returned  to  Macon 
County,  and  during  the  succeeding  two  years  was 
engaged  at  farm  labor  in  the  employ  of  others. 
He  then  began  farming  for  himself,  and  has  since 
followed  the  occupation  to  which  lie  was  reared. 
He  now  owns  a  fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
nineteen  acres,  which  yields  to  him  a  good  return 
for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows  upon  it.  He  also 
carries  on  stock-raising  and  has  a  good  grade  of 
horses,  cattle  and  hogs  upon  his  place.  He  is  also 
a  grain  and  stock  dealer  of  Bearsdale,  and  owns  a 
grain  elevator  at  that  place. 

The  lady  who  now  bears  the  name  of  Mrs. 
Troutman  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Elizabeth 
A.  Bear,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Martha  (Bowman) 
Bear.  The  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife, 
which  was  celebrated  January  10,  1867.  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children:  Ella,  who  died  October 
30,  1868;  Mary  E.  and  Frank  S.,  who  are  still 
with  their  parents.  The  Troutman  household  is  a 
hospitable  one  and  the  members  of  the  family  have 
many  warm  friends  throughout  the  community; 
The  parents  hold  membership  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  Mr.  Troutman  belongs  to 


-5- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


633 


the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Although  he 
has  never  been  an  olflce-seeker,  he  takes  quite  an 
active  interest  in  politics  and  always  votes  with 
the  Republican  party,  the  principles  of  which  he 
warmly  advocates.  He  is  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive, and  lias  been  a  successful  business  man. 
In  all  his  dealings  he  is  upright  and  honorable,  and 
has  therefore  gained  the  confidence  and  good-will 
of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


1  OSEPH  RITNER  MOSSER  was  a  native  of 
New  Cumberland,  Cumberland  County,  Pa., 
where  he  was  born  February  24,  1837.  His 
father  was  the  Rev.  Joseph  Mosser,  who 
passed  away  at  a  ripe  old  age  a  few  years  ago,  and 
lies  at  the  side  of  his  wife  in  Greenwood  Cemetery. 
Mr.  Mosser,  when  but  fifteen  years  of  age,  be- 
gan teaching  school  in  Pennsylvania,  and  from 
1852  was  self-supporting.  He  came  to  Decatur 
from  Ins  native  State  thirty-five  years  ago,  arriv- 
ing here  April  1,  1856.  On  his  arrival  in  Decatur 
he  soon  secured  a  position  as  teacher,  and  for  sev- 
eral years  had  charge  of  the  Sulphur  Springs 
School  near  Mt.  /ion,  eight  miles  southeast  of  De- 
catur, which  distance  he  thought  nothing  of  walk- 
ing to  and  from  his  school.  Subsequently  he  was 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Decatur,  teach- 
ing in  the  old  brick  building  still  standing  at  the 
corner  of  North  Broadway  and  Sangamon  Streets, 
and  also  at  the  Church  Street  School,  in  the  Sec- 
ond Ward. 

During  a  brief  period  preceding  1861,  our  sub- 
ject was  connected  with  the  Haworth  general 
store  on  North  Morgan  Street,  and  shortly  after- 
ward he  became  connected  with  the  old  Illinois 
State  Chronicle,  then  located  over  the  Boston  Store, 
and  which  was  published  by  William  J.  Usrey.  In 
1862,  when  Mr.  Usrey  enlisted,  Mr.  Mosser  and  B. 
K.  Hamsher,  who  was  then  a  compositor  in  the 
office,  leased  the  Chronicle  and  published  the 
weekly  paper  for  a  year.  In  1863  Capt.  Usrey  re- 
turned home  and  took  charge  of  the  paper,  when 

30 


Mr.  Mosser  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Cass,  pub- 
lisher of  the  Decatur  Gazette,  and  was  his  book- 
keeper and  local  editor  for  a  while,  or  until  the 
consolidation  of  the  Gazette  with  the  State  Chron- 
icle. 

August  1,  1867,  Mr.  Mosser  and  W.  M.  Stanley 
founded  the  Decatur  Weekly  Republican  in  the  old 
building  that  then  stood  on  the  site  of  the  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  the  Linn  &  Scruggs  Dry- 
Goods  and  Carpet  Company.  In  October,  1867, 
Mr.  Stanley  retired,  and  was  succeeded  by  B.  K. 
Hamsher,  and  the  publication  of  the  Republican 
was  conducted  by  Mr.  Hamsher  and  Mr.  Mosser 
from  that  time  up  to  October,  1890,  when,  on  ac- 
count of  failing  health,  Mr.  Mosser  sold  his  half- 
interest  in  the  establishment  to  Hon.  W.  F.  Cal- 
houn.  In  1872  Hamsher  &  Mosser  started  the 
Republican.  From  1867  up  to  the  time  of  his  re- 
tirement in  1890,  a  period  of  twenty-three  years, 
Mr.  Mosser  was  prominently  identified  with  the 
business  interests  of  Decatur,  and  that  he  was 
faithful  to  the  city  and  the  welfare  of  its  people 
his  spotless  record  will  attest.  He  was  ever  quick 
to  uphold  the  right  and  condemn  the  wrong,  and 
while  he  rejoiced  with  the  people  in  their  successes 
and  joys,  he  also  sympathized  with  them  as  a 
brother  and  friend  in  their  sorrows  and  times  of 
adversity.  No  man  in  the  community  enjoyed  a 
larger  personal  acquaintance  in  the  city  and 
county  than  Mr.  Mosser.  He  was  generally  hon- 
ored for  his  noble  attributes  as  a  man,  and  for  his 
scholarly  attainments.  In  him  every  honest  man 
had  a  true  friend. 

While  our  subject  was  not  an  official  leader  in 
the  political  affairs  of  Macon  County  and  the  city, 
he  ever  took  an  active  personal  interest  in  all  that 
affected  the  welfare  and  advancement  of  the  Re- 
publican party.  lie  was  present  at  all  party  con- 
ferences of  importance,  and  with  his  pen  in  the 
columns  of  the  Republican  presented  the  principles 
of  Republicanism  effectively  in  many  an  exciting 
campaign,  aiding  in  no  small  measure  in  securing 
the  victories  which  came  year  after  year;  and 
while  he  was  an  earnest  and  hard  worker  in  the 
party  ranks,  he  never  sought  political  preferment, 
and  steadily  refused  to  be  a  candidate  for  any 
office. 


634 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


When  Gen.  John  M.  Palmer  was  the  Republican 
Governor,  from  1868  to  1872,  Mr.  Mosser  was 
the  Pardon  Clerk  in  the  Governor's  office.  In 
1872  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Republican 
Convention,  held  at  Philadelphia,  when  Gen. 
Grant  was  renominated  for  the  Presidency.  In 
May,  1880,  he  was  the  Secretary  of  the  Repub- 
lican State  Convention  held  at  Springfield,  when 
Senator  Cullom  was  nominated  for  Governor. 
Two  years  before  his  term  of  office  expired,  Gov- 
ernor Oglesby  appointed  Mr.  Mosser  State  Printer 
Expert,  which  position  he  resigned  in  the  spring 
of  1889.  Besides  these  positions  he  had  at  an 
early  date  been  officially  identified  with  the  Illi- 
nois Press  Association,  was  President  of  the  Deca- 
tur  Republican  Campaign  Clubs,  and  was  fre- 
quently chosen  to  serve  as  Chairman  at  township 
and  county  conventions. 

Mr.  Mosser  died  February  1.  1891,  leaving  one 
daughter,  his  only  child,  Mrs.  Maggie  Robinson, 
wife  of  A.  S.  Robinson.  Our  subject's  wife,  Sarah 
Jane  (Beistline)  Mosser,  died  in  Decatur,  January 
8,  1874.  Mrs.  Mosser  was  interred  in  Greenwood, 
and  by  her  side  rests  the  remains  of  her  husband. 
Mr.  Mosser  was  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children, 
only  three  of  whom  survive. 


ON-  THOMAS  N.  LEAVITT,  a  recognized 
leader  in  business  and  political  circles  of 
Macon  County,  is  a  resident  of  Maroa,  and 
||j)  is  now  serving  as  Representative  of  the 
State  Legislature  from  the  Forty-first  District  of 
Illinois.  His  public  career  has  made  him  widely 
known  throughout  the  State  as  well  as  in  this 
community,  and  we  feel  assured  that  many  will 
receive  this  record  of  his  life  with  interest.  He 
was  born  in  Rockingham  County,  N.  H.,  October 
6,  1838,  and  is  a  grandson  of  Thomas  Leavitt,  a 
leading  and  influential  citizen  of  the  Granite  State, 
who  served  as  Representative  and  Senator  in  the 
General  Assembly.  His  brother  was  one  of  the  he- 
rocs  of  the  Revolution.  The  grandfather  followed 


farming  throughout  his  life,  and  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-five  years.  The  family  is 
of  Scotch  descent. 

Anthony  B.  Leavitt,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  wholesale  fish  merchant  in  Boston  for  many 
years  and  afterward  followed  carpentering  in  Peo- 
ria.  He  came  from  New  Hampshire  to  Illinois  by 
wagon  in  1844, and  remained  in  Peoria  until  1819, 
when,  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold,  he  went 
to  California,  where  he  died  the  following  year. 
His  widow  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight  and  makes  her  home  with  her  children  in 
Henry,  111.  Mr.  Leavitt  was  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  to  which  his  wife  also  belongs.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Fannie  F.  Lamprey,  was 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  was  of  English 
descent.  By  their  union  were  born  four  children, 
the  eldest  of  whom  is  our  subject.  Hannah  Fran- 
ces is  the  widow  of  William  Finney,  of  Marietta, 
Ohio, and  makes  her  home  in  Henry,  111.  John  F. 
resides  in  the  same  place.  Fannie  E.  married  T. 
H.  Abbott,  and  after  his  death  wedded  J.  C.  Kings- 
ley,  who  is  also  deceased.  She  makes  her  home  in 
York,  Neb. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  six  years 
of  age  when  with  his  parents  he  came  to  Illinois. 
He  was  reared  in  Peoria  and  Marshall  Counties 
and  acquired  his  early  education  in  Henry,  taking 
a  collegiate  course  in  the  Northern  Illinois  Institute. 
He  was  reared  to  farm  life,  and  continued  to  carry 
on  agricultural  pursuits  until  the  early  summer  of 
1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Sixty-sixth 
Illinois  Infantry,  known  as  Burgess'  Sharp  Shoot- 
ers. He  enlisted  at  Corinth  and  served  for  three 
years,  and  was  wounded  in  the  siege  of  Atlanta, 
being  struck  on  the  top  of  the  head  with  a  ten- 
pound  shell.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Corinth  and 
Resaca  and  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  saw  much 
hard  service. 

Ere  going  to  the  war,  Mr.  Leavitt  was  married, 
October  31,  1858,  to  Catherine  A.,  daughter  of 
Moses  and  Salina  (Stauffer)  C.-owell.  One  child 
was  born  unto  them,  Clara  F.,  now  the  wife  of 
James  F.  Harris,  of  Maroa. 

Returning  to  his  family  in  Maroa  at  the  close  of 
the  war,  Mr.  Leavitt  has  here  since  made  his  home. 
For  two  years  he  engaged  in  farming,  then  oper-. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


635 


ated  a  corn-shelter  and  threshing-machine  for  three 
years,  after  which  lie  opened  a  grocery  in  connec- 
tion with  A.  D.  Wysong  under  the  firm  name  of 
Wysong  &  Leavitt.  That  connection  continued 
two  years,  when  our  subject  sold  out  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  H.  B.  and  I.  N.  Smith  under  the 
style  of  Smith  Bros.  &  Leavitt.  After  seven  years 
he  again  sold  out,  and  spent  one  summer  in  the 
West.  Returning  to  Maroa,  Mr.  Leavitt  purchased 
the  lumber-yard  of  Lowe  &  Russell,  which  he  still 
owns.  In  1881  lie  added  a  stock  of  implements, 
and  in  1892  the  business  was  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  the  Leavitt  &Oglevee  Company.  They 
have  an  extensive  business  and  several  branch 
houses.  In  Maroa  they  handle  lumber  and  imple- 
ments, in  Clinton  they  have  a  hardware  and  imple- 
ment store,  and  in  Weldon  and  Cisco  they  deal  in  im- 
plements. Mr.  Leavitt  is  President  of  the  company, 
and  under  his  able  management  business  has  been 
so  conducted  that  a  large  and  flourishing  trade 
rewards  his  efforts.  He  is  also  President  of  the 
State  Bank  of  Clinton. 

Mr.  Leavitt  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  he  belongs  to  Maroa  Lodge 
No.  454,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Maroa  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.; 
and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T.,  of  I)e- 
catur.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Royal  Lodge  No. 
109,  K.  P.,  and  was  the  first  Chancellor-Comman- 
der. In  politics  he  was  a  stalwart  Republican  and 
one  of  the  leaders  of  his  party.  Pie  served  for 
seventeen  years  as  Postmaster  of  Maroa,  in  1890 
was  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and 
was  ChairmaH  of  the  Republican  County  Central 
Committee  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1892  he 
became  candidate  for  the  office  of  Representative, 
and  in  the  primaries  received  the  unanimous  vote 
of  his  own  township  and  carried  all  the  districts 
of  Decatur.  Having  been  elected,  he  is  now  ably 
serving  as  Representative.  He  is  making  an  effort 
to  extend  the  time  of  chattel  mortgages  in  the 
State,  and  the  bill  which  he  introduced  has  had  a 
second  reading.  In  connection  with  his  other  in- 
terests, Mr.  Leavitt  owns  the  Maroa  Tile  Works, 
besides  his  home  and  other  city  property.  He  is 
a  man  of  most  excellent  business  ability.  By  care- 
ful attention  to  all  details,  by  able  management 
and  strict  and  honorable  dealing  he  has  become  a 


wealthy  citizen.  He?  was  a  valiant  and  faithful 
soldier  during  the  late  war,  has  proved  himself  an 
efficient  officer,who  acts  for  the  best  interests  of  his 
constituents,  and  to  every  public  and  private  trust 
he  is  alike  true. 


OHN  T.  MARKLEY,  who  is  now  practically 
living  a  retired  life  on  his  farm  on  section 
14,  Long  Creek  Township,  was  born  in  York 
County,  Pa.,  November  21,  1830.  His  grand- 
father, Nicholas  Markley,  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tion and  was  one  of  Washington's  soldiers  at  Val- 
ley Forge.  During  the  struggle  he  was  wounded. 
He  was  a  miller  by  trade  and  died  at  the  close  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  leaving  three  children: 
John,  who  died  in  Ohio;  Samuel,  father  of  our 
subject;'  and  Mary,  deceased. 

Samuel  Markley  was  born  in  York  County,  Pa., 
November  24,  1803.  He  was  a  mechanic  by  trade 
and  also  followed  farming,  owning  a  small  tract 
of  land.  He  was  married  in  1826  to  Mary  E. 
Bowers,  who  was  born  in  1806,  and  was  of  German 
and  French  descent.  She  died  in  her  eighty-third 
year.  Unto  them  were  born  the  following  chil- 
dren: Catherine,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fourteen; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  D.  N.  Baker,  of  York  County, 
Pa.;  Frederick,  who  served  throughout  the  war 
and  is  now  a  farmer  and  carpenter  of  Van  Wert 
County,  Ohio;  Henry  C.,  a  blacksmith  of  York 
County,  Pa.;  Samuel,  who  served  for  three  years 
as  provost  guard  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  and  is  now  a 
farmer  of  York  County;  and  John  T. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  the  family.  He  was 
reared  under  the  parental  roof,  and  in  the  winter 
acquired  his  education  in  the  subscription  schools. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  began  learning  the  wag- 
on-maker's trade,  serving  an  apprenticeship  of  a 
year  and  a-half  in  Dauphin  County,  Pa., receiving 
only  his  board  in  compensation  for  his  services. 
He  then  followed  his  trade  and  worked  on  rail- 
road bridges.  When  twenty-two  years  of  age  he 
went  to  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1854.  He 


636 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


then  returned  to  his  native  State,  after  which  he 
carried  on  a  wagon  and  plow  shop  in  Kalida,  Put- 
nam County,  Ohio,  until  October,  1868,  when  he 
removed  to  Decatur.  The  following  spring  he  lo- 
cated upon  his  present  farm  of  eighty-five  acres, 
which  has  been  transformed  under  his  cultiva- 
tion into  one  of  the  best  tracts  of  land  in  this  lo- 
cality. 

In  York  County,  Pa.,  Mr.  Markley  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Harriet,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Lydia  Starr.  Her  father  died  in  the  Keystone 
State,  but  her  mother  came  West  and  spent  her 
last  days  in  Decatur.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mark- 
ley  have  been  born  the  following  children:  Clara, 
wife  of  Henry  Houseworth,  a  farmer  of  Cherokee 
County,  Kan.;  Alice,  deceased,  wife  of  N.  S.  Gripe, 
of  the  same  county;  Clayton  R.,  who  married  Ella 
Wheeler,  daughter  of  Hiram  Wheeler,  and  is  a 
farmer  and  mechanic  of  Long  Creek  Township; 
and  Samuel  B.,  who  was  born  in  this  State  and 
now  has  charge  of  the  home  farm,  thus  relieving 
his  father  of  its  care. 

In  politics  Mr.  Markley  first  supported  the  Amer- 
ican party,  then  voted  for  Bell  and  Everett,  after- 
ward for  Lincoln,  and  has  since  been  a  Repub- 
lican. His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  North  Fork 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  They  are  peo- 
ple of  sterling  worth,  and  their  man}'  friends  hold 
them  in  high  esteem.  Mr.  Markley  is  a  self-made 
man,  who  by  his  own  efforts  has  risen  from  an 
humble  position  to  one  of  affluence,  and  for  his 
success  in  life  he  deserves  great  credit. 


\l ENRY  S.  CULP,  an  energetic  and  prosper- 

"vb  ous    farmer    living   on    section    8,    Illini 


Township,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Auglaize  County  June 
20,  1851.  His  father.  James  A.  Gulp,  was  born 
in  Ross  County,  and  after  arriving  at  years  of 
maturity  he  married  Ann  Crouse,  who  was  born 
in  the  same  locality.  Subsequently  they  removed 
to  Auglaize  County,  where  Mr.  Culp  purchased 


and  operates  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his  under- 
takings and  now  owns  about  one  thousand  acres 
of  valuable  land,  his  success  having  been  achieved 
through  his  good  management  and  perseverance. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  a  family  of 
eight  children  who  grew  to  mature  years,  including 
six  sons  and  Lwo  daughters.  Jerome,  George  \V., 
John  W.  and  II.  S.  are  all  substantial  farmers  of 
Macon  County.  Theodore  carries  on  agricultural 
pursuits  in  Van  Wert  County,  Ohio,  and  Jacob  is 
living  near  his  father.  Susan,  wife  of  Nels  Bow- 
slier,  and  Emma  J.,  wife  of  Nelson  Beeler,  both 
reside  in  Auglaize  County. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood  in 
the  county  of  his  nativity  and  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  its  public  schools.  Throughout  his  life  he 
has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  assisted  his 
father  until  after  he  had  attained  his  majority,  and 
then  began  farming  for  himself.  It  was  in  1870 
that  he  came  to  the  West  and  located  upon  the 
farm  which  is  still  his  home.  He  purchased  one 
hundred  acres  of  land,  of  which  nearly  the  entire 
amount  was  in  its  primitive  condition.  It  was 
unfenccd  and  untilled,  so  that  the  handiwork  of 
Mr.  Culp  is  shown  in  the  neat  and  thrifty  appear- 
ance of  his  farm  and  the  many  excellent  improve- 
ments to  be  found  thereon.  The  entire  place  is 
surrounded  by  a  well-trimmed  hedge  fence.  There 
are  good  liarns,  a  carriage  and  tool  house  and  a 
pleasant  residence,  which  is  the  abode  of  hospital- 
ity, and  which  is  pleasantly  located  four  miles 
from  Warrensburg. 

Returning  to  Ohio  after  beginning  his  prepara- 
tions for  a  home,  Mr.  Culp  was  married,  January 
10,  1875,  Miss  Alice  R.  Stinebaugh,  a  native  of 
the  Buckeye  State,  becoming  his  wife.  They  have 
two  children:  Ferdinand  L.,  aged  eighteen  years; 
and  Delia  May,  aged  fourteen  years.  The  parents 
intend  that  they  shall  be  liberally  educated,  and 
both  are  now  stud3'ing  music.  They  lost  one  son, 
Melvin  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

In  connection  with  his  other  possessions.  Mr. 
Culp  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  val- 
uable and  well-improved  land  in  Piatt  County, 
together  with  two  lesidences  in  Decatur.  Him- 
self and  wife  are  consistent  and  faithful  mem- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


637 


bers  of  the  Warrensburg  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  His  fa- 
ther was  an  old-line  Whig- and  voted  for  William 
Henry  Harrison,  and  he  and  his  six  sons  voted  for 
Benjamin  Harrison.  Our  subject  has  never  been  an 
office-seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  his  business  interests.  In  the  line  of 
general  farming  he  lias  met  with  success.  It  proved 
a  fortunate  day  for  him  when  he  came  to  Illinois, 
as  his  career  here  has  been  a  prosperous  one,  and 
he  has  become  the  owner  of  a  valuable  property. 


OHN  A.  MYERS,  who  for  many  years  has 
been  identified  with  the  upbuilding  and 
Progress  of  Macon  County,  now  owns  and 
_  operates  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-two  acres  on  section  36,  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship. He  was  born  on  the  Taylor  Farm,  on  section 
35,  March  18,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  Myers. 
His  grandfather,  Abraham  Myers,  emigrated  from 
Germany,  his  native  land,  to  South  Carolina,  and 
thence  to  Kentucky,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days.  He  had  a  brother  who  was  killed  at  Ft. 
Moultrie  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  a  son  who 
was  killed  in  Missouri  in  an  Indian  raid.  Jacob 
Myers  was  born  in  Daviess  County,  Ivy.,  in  1802. 
Although  his  school  privileges  were  quite  limited 
he  acquired  a  good  practical  education  through 
business  experience  and  contact  with  the  world. 
In  1829,  he  emigrated  Westward  to  Illinois,  and 
after  journeying  for  six  weeks  arrived  at  his  des- 
tination in  Macon  County.  He  settled  on  section 
35,  Long  Creek  Township,  in  the  midst  of  an 
unbroken  wilderness,  and  entered  land  from  the 
Government.  There  he  built  a  log  cabin,  which 
still  stands,  one  of  the  mementos  of  pioneer  days. 
From  time  to  time  he  kept  adding  to  his  possess- 
ions, until  at  his  death  he  owned  one  thousand 
acres  of  land.  It  was  in  18o4  that  he  was  called 
to  the  home  beyond.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Wood,  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  went  with  her  parents  to  Moultrie 


Count}',  III.  She  died  in  1846,  when  our  subject 
was  only  nine  years  of  age.  Her  children  were: 
Joseph,  who  was  killed  on  the  railroad  at  Long 
Creek;  John  A.;  Mary  A.,  wife  Amos  T.  Davis,  of 
Decatur;  James  W.,  deceased,  who  served  through- 
out the  war  as  a  member  of  the  Twentieth  Illinois 
Infantry;  and  Sarah  C.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen/ After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Myers 
wedded  Mrs.  Melinda  (Widick)  White,  a  nativeof 
Christian  County.  The}'  had  a  daughter,  Nancy 
L.,  who  died  in  Decatur.  The  parents  were  both 
faithful  and  earnest  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Myers  was  a  Democrat. 

The  only  educational  privileges  afforded  our 
subject  were  those  that  could  be  obtained  in  the  old 
subscription  schools,  which  convened  in  a  log  house. 
He  early  became  familiar  with  all  kinds  of  farm 
work,  and  after  the  death  of  his  father  he  worked 
by  the  month  in  sawmills  and  on  different  farms 
in  this  locality.  Arriving  at  man's  estate,  he 
chose  as  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  jour- 
ney, in  1861,  Miss  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Valentine 
and  Maiy  Hartman.  She  was  born  in  Pickaway 
Count}',  Ohio,  and  came  to  Illinois  about  1854. 
The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon 
a  part  of  the  Myers  estate,  where  Mr.  Myers  has 
since  resided.  In  1872,  his  wife  died,  leaving 
three  children:  Charles  W.,  a  farmer  of  Oneida 
County,  Iowa,  who  married  Eveline  Davidson; 
Jennie  E.,  wife  of  Charles  Witlings,  of  Decatur; 
and  Nelson,  who  married  Estella  Gough,  and  op- 
erates the  home  farm. 

For  his  second  union,  Mr.  Myers  chose  MissEffie 
Hartman,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife.  The  wedding 
was  celebrated  in  1879,  and  unto  them  has  been 
born  a  daughter,  Ruth,  who  is  now  a  year  old. 
They  have  a  pleasant  home  and  many  warm  friends 
throughout  the  community  where  they  have  so 
long  resided.  Fifty -six  years  have  passed  since 
Mr.  Myers  was  born  in  this  county,  and  in  this 
long  period  he  has  aided  materially  in  the  advance- 
ment of  the  best  interests  of  the  county.  He  has 
long  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church.  He 
cast  his  first  vote  for  President  in  1860,  supporting 
Douglas,  and  has  since  been  identified  with  the 
Democratic  party.  He  has  often  served  as  dele- 
gate to  his  party  and  has  filled  the  offices  of  Town- 


638 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ship  Clerk,  Supervisor,  Commissioner  of  Highways 
and  School  Director.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Odd  Fellows'  society  of  Casner.  Mr.  Myers 
is  recognized  as  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  iu- 
tegritj',  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  his 
life  to  our  readers. 


J1  OSEPH  S.  TAIT,  who  now  carries  on  farm- 
ing on  section  28,  South  Macon  Township, 
I  and  who  is  also  engaged  quite  extensively 
'  in  stock-raising,  is  numbered  among  the 

early  settlers  of  Macon  County,  and  has  the  honor 
of  being  one  of  her  native  sons.  He  comes  from 
a  pioneer  family,  his  parents,  James  D.  and  Susan 
(Spangler)  Tait,  having  here  located  at  an  early 
day.  A  sketch  of  their  lives  appear  elsewhere  in 
this  work.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Decatur, 
March  28,  1843,  and  when  he  was  a  lad  of  seven 
summers  his  parents  removed  to  a  farm,  upon 
which  he  remained  until  he  had  attained  his  ma- 
jority. The  common  schools  afforded  him  his  ed- 
ucational privileges. 

After  arriving  at  man's  estate,  Mr.  Tait  rented 
land  and  began  farming  for  himself.  After  a  few 
years,  he  purchased  land  in  Hickory  Point  Town- 
ship, where  he  made  his  home  until  1882,  when  he 
removed  to  Decatur.  After  two  years  spent  in 
the  county  seat,  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which 
he  now  resides,  in  1884,  and  has  since  made  his 
home  in  South  Macon  Township.  As  a  compan- 
ion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey,  he  chose  Mar- 
tha E.  Dillehunt,  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Mar- 
tha Dillehunt,  a  record  of  whom  is  found  else- 
where in  this  work.  The  union  of  our  subject 
and  his  wife  was  celebrated  January  24,  1871,  and 
unto  them  were  born  four  children,  but  only  three 
are  now  living:  Daniel  W.,  Benjamin  F.  and  Su- 
san E.,  who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 

In  1879,  Mr.  Tait  embarked  in  the  manufacture 
of  the  Tait  check-rower  in  Decatur,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Tait  Brothers  &  Co.  This  machine  is  the 


invention  of  his  brother,  F.  B.  Tait.  Our  subject 
continued  business  in  that  line  for  about  four 
years,  when,  in  1883,  he  sold  his  interest  to  A.  W. 
Conklin.  He  now  owns  one  of  the  best  farms  in 
the  town  of  South  Macon,  comprising  four  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  highly  cultivated  land. 
He  raises  considerable  stock,  making  a  specialty  of 
breeding  Polled-Angus  and  Durham  cattle  and 
Percheron-Norman  horses.  His  farm  adjoins  the 
corporation  limits  of  Macon  and  is  supplied  with 
all  modern  conveniences  and  accessories.  The 
owner  is  accounted  one  of  the  prosperous  agricul- 
turists of  the  county,  and  to  this  position  he  has 
attained  through  his  own  untiring  and  well-di- 
rected efforts.  He  began  life  for  himself  with  no 
capital  save  a  young  man's  bright  hope  of  the  fu- 
ture, but  perseverance  and  good  management  have 
stood  him  instead  of  fortune,  and  have  been  the 
stepping  stones  on  which  he  has  arisen  to  a  place 
among  the  wealthy  citizens  of  the  community. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy, 
and  is  now  acceptably  serving  as  School  Trustee 
of  his  township.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
South  Macon  Lodge  No.  362,  M.  W.  A.,  and  him- 
self and  wife  are  members  of  the  Universalist 
Church.  This  worthy  couple  have  by  their  many 
excellencies  of  character  won  the  warm  regard  of 
all.  and  in  social  circles  they  hold  an  enviable  po- 
sition. 


RS.  VIRGINIA  GREENFIELD,  who  re- 
sides on  section  6,  Long  Creek  Township, 
is  a  native  of  Wythe  County,  Va.  Her 
father,  John  Flora,  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  in  that  State  wedded  Mary  Ott,  who 
was  of  Dutch  and  Irish  descent.  In  1829  he  came 
with  his  family  to  Illinois,  reaching  his  destina- 
tion in  the  latter  part  of  December.  He  moved 
his  family  and  effects  in  four  wagons  drawn  by 
horses,  and  at  length  reached  John's  Hill.  De- 
catur had  just  been  laid  out,  and  Springfield  was 
a  market  at  that  time.  Mi.  Flora  entered  land 
from  the  Government,  and  in  a  log  cabin  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


639 


family  lived  in  true  pioneer  style,  dressing  in 
buckskin  and  wearing  coonskin  cap?.  Their  beds 
were  made  on  poles  inserted  between  the  logs,  and 
clapboards  were  placed  upon  these.  There  were 
thirteen  children  in  the  family,  hence  the  house- 
hold was  a  large  one.  In  Virginia  the  father 
owned  a  saw  and  grist  mill,  but  after  coining  to 
the  West  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  be- 
came well-to-do,  and,  although  he  had  served  in 
the  Revolutionary  War  and  was  granted  a  pen- 
sion, he  would  never  draw  the  money. 

The  members  of  the  family  were  Sarah  and 
Henr3r,  who  died  in  this  county;  Katie,  on  the 
old  homestead;  Cynthia  and  David,  both  de- 
ceased; Eleanor,  who  died  in  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship; Polly,  deceased;  Mary  Ann;  Rhody;  Jona- 
than, a  farmer  who  died  in  Arkansas;  Israel,  who 
died  in  Urbana,  Ohio;  Cyrena,  who  died  near  Ma- 
con;  Jackson,  who  died  in  this  county;  Isaac, 
who  died  in  Virginia;  and  Mrs.  Greenfield.  About 
1825,  David,  Henry  and  Cynthia  came  to  Illinois, 
and  in  1829  the  rest  of  the  family  joined  them. 
This  was  the  winter  before  the  deep  snow.  They 
suffered  all  the  experiences  and  hardships  of  pio- 
neer life,  having  to  go  to  Springfield  and  St.  Louis 
to  trade,  and  they  ground  their  hominy  by  scoop- 
ing a  hole  in  the  end  of  a  log  and  making  a  sweep 
to  pound  the  corn. 

Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Querry,  sister  of  Mrs.  Green- 
field, was  born  in  Virginia  January  4,  1810,  and 
remained  at  home  until  her  marriage  in  October, 
1830,  when  she  became  the  wife  of  George  W. 
Querry,  a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion  and  a  car- 
penter by  trade.  He  died  on  his  farm  in  this 
county  some  eighteen  years  ago.  Their  children 
were  Lucretia  J.,  wife  of  John  Shaffer,  of  Blue 
Mound  Township;  Louisa  Ann;  Armena  Maranda 
and  John  Wesley,  who  died  in  childhood;  Mrs. 
Rosanna  Terry,  of  Arkansas;  William,  of  Ren- 
wick,  Iowa;  James,  who  died  in  1861 ;  Angeline,  de- 
ceased, wife  of  George  Martin;  Emeline,  deceased; 
Virginia,  wife  of  Jack  Booker,  of  Blue  Mound; 
and  Joseph,  who  married  Clara  Frey  and  oper- 
ates the  home  farm  for  his  mother.  Joseph  has  a 
little  daughter,  Nellie  May.  Mrs.  Querry  is  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  as  was 
her  husband.  For  sixty-four  3'ears  she  has  made 


her  home  in  this  county,  and  has  been  an  eye- 
witness of  all  the  changes  that  have  transformed 
it  from  an  unbroken  tract  of  land,  uninhabited, 
into  one  of  the  best  counties  of  the  State. 

Mrs.  Virginia  Greenfield,  who  is  numbered 
among  Macon  County's  pioneer  settlers,  was  not 
quite  five  years  of  age  when  she  came  with  her 
parents  to  Illinois.  At  that  time  Indians  were 
still  living  in  the  neighborhood.  The  long  prairie 
grass  waving  in  the  wind  looked  like  the  undula- 
tions of  the  ocean.  There  were  wild  deer,  wolves 
and  all  kinds  of  game  that  were  used  for  food. 
Mrs.  Greenfield  attended  the  subscription  schools 
for  a  short  time,  and  became  familiar  with  all  the 
ways  of  the  household,  learning  to  spin  and  weave 
and  care  for  a  home.  She  remained  with  her  par- 
ents until  their  death,  caring  for  them  in  their 
old  age  as  they  had  done  for  her  in  her  childhood. 
In  February,  1851,  she  became  the  wife  of  Am- 
brose Greenfield,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  when  a 
young  man  came  to  Illinois,  and  in  Decatur  en- 
listed for  the  Mexican  War.  His  wife  now  re- 
ceives a  pension  in  recognition  for  his  services. 
They  continued  to  reside  upon  the  old  Flora 
homestead,  where  their  marriage  was  celebrated, 
and  Mr.  Greenfield  carried  on  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  He  was  an  industrious  and  enterprising 
man,  a  good  citizen  and  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  politics  he  was 
a  supporter  of  the  Democracy.  He  passed  away 
June  22,  1890,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greenfield  were  born  the 
following  children:  Martha  Ellen,  who  became  the 
wife  of  David  Chamberlain,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years,  leaving  one  daughter,  Minnie, 
who  was  reared  by  her  grandmother,  but  is  now 
married;  Drusilla  Jane,  who  was  the  wife  of  Ring- 
gold  Martin,  of  Missouri,  and  died,  and  her  two 
children,  Bertha  Ella  and  George  A.,  are  living 
with  Mrs.  Greenfield;  Mathias  C.,  who  operates  the 
home  farm;  Sabra  Ann,  wife  of  J.  S.  Vowel, a  farmer 
of  Mt.  Zion  Township;  John  William,  a  farmer  of 
Dade  County,  Mo.;  Walter,  who  married  Elsie 
Myers  and  follows  farming;  and  Charles,  who 
completes  the  family.  The  children  were  all  born 
and  reared  upon  the  old  homestead  and  have  been 
provided  with  good  educational  advantages.  The 


POxtTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ily  is  one  highly  respected  and   widely  known 

oughout  the  community.     Mrs.  Greenfield  has 

a  life  in   harmony  with  her  professions,  and 

many  excellencies  of  character  have  won  her 

love  and  esteem  of  all. 


^R  ARCUS  L.  GOURLEY  is  an  enterprising 
\\\  and  progressive  farmer  of  Hickory  Point 
Us  Township,  now  residing  on  section  35, 
where  he  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  seventy- 
)  acres,  pleasantly  located  two  and  a-half  miles 
the  north  of  Decatur.  He  is  a  native  of  Ten- 
see.  He  was  born  in  Carter  County,  April  19, 
!1,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Nancy  (Morgan) 
urley.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Scotland, 
I  the  mother  was  of  German  descent.  Charles 
urley  was  educated  in  Edinburg,  becoming  a 
il  engineer  and  Government  surveyor.  He  was 
»an  of  more  than  average  intelligence  and  abil- 
,  and  in  the  community  where  he  made  his 
ne  lie  was  recognized  as  a  prominent  citizen. 
ii]e  fording  a  river  on  horseback  in  Tennessee, 
1837,  he  was  drowned.  The  mother  died  the 
lowing  year  and  thus  at  the  age  of  seven  our 
)ject  was  left  an  orphan.  In  the  family  were 
en  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  is  Mar}-;  Har- 
t  and  William  are  both  deceased;  Marcus  is  the 
tt  younger;  David  died  at  the  battle  of  Chuks 
jss  Roads,  Tenn.,  during  the  late  war,  and  was 
pied  on  the  battlefield;  Charles  M.  and  Lavina 
nplete  the  family.  William  was  also  a  soldier 
the  late  war  and  held  the  rank  of  Captain  of 
mpany  C,  Thirteenth  Tennessee  Cavalry.  He 
s  killed  in  Marion,  Va.,  and  his  remains  were  in- 
red  at  the  scene  of  the  conflict  which  cost  him 
life. 

After  the  death  of  his  parents,  Marcus  Gourley 
ed  with  an  aunt  until  sixteen  years  of  age, 
.en  he  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood.  His 
ucational  privileges  were  quite  limited  and  few 
vantages  of  any  kind  were  afforded  him.  He 
ured  work  on  a  farm  at  16  per  month,  and  was 


thus  employed  for  about  five  years,  when  he  be- 
gan renting  land  in  Tennessee.  There  he  carried 
on  farming  until  1856,  when  he  emigrated  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  upon  a  rented  farm  in  Sangamon 
County,  near  Springfield,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  1868.  He  then  purchased  a  farm  in  that 
county,  to  the  development  and  cultivation  of 
which  he  devoted  his  energies  until  1882,  when 
he  came  to  Macon  County,  locating  in  Illini 
Township,  near  Harristown.  He  purchased  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres,  but  in  1883  removed  to  his  present 
farm  in  Hickory  Point  Township.  It  is  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved  and  is 
considered  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  commu- 
nity. 

Ere  leaving  his  native  State,  Mr.  Gourley  was 
married,  in  1852,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss 
Julia  A.  Edens,  and  unto  them  were  born  three 
children.  Two,  however,  are  now  deceased.  La- 
vina died  in  infancy;  and  John  E.  died  on  the 
llth  of  April,  1890.  Martha  is  now  the  wife  of 
Butler  Simpson,  a  farmer  of  Niautic  Township, 
Macon  County.  The  mother  of  this  family  was 
called  to  her  final  rest  September  11,  1887,  and 
her  remains  were  interred  in  Boiling  Springs 
Cemetery,  where  a  monument  has  been  erected  to 
her  memory. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Gourley  is  a  Republican,  but 
has  never  been  an  office-seeker.  When  he  landed 
in  Illinois,  he  had  only  fifty  cents,  and  a  wife  and 
two  children  depending  upon  him  for  support, 
but  he  possessed  energy  and  enterprise  and  a  de- 
termination to  win  success  if  possible.  He  worked 
hard  in  those  early  years  and  as  the  result  of  his 
labor  he  has  acquired  a  handsome  competence, 
which  he  has  justly  merited. 


fi'SAAC  JENNINGS,  who  resides  on  section  4, 
Oakley  Township,  is  numbered  among  Ma- 
/(l  eon  County's  honored  pioneers,  his  residence 
here  covering  a  period  of  forty  years.  He  has 
therefore  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  and  de- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


velopinent  of  the  county,  has  watched  the  prog- 
ress and  advancement  made,  and  has  seen  its 
wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful  honies  and 
farms,  while  hamlets  have  grown  into  thriving 
towns,  and  progress  has  been  carried  steadily  for- 
ward. Mr.  Jennings  was  born  in  Somerset  Coun- 
ty, N.  J.,  July  10,  1825,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin 
and  Sarah  (Drake)  Jennings,  of  that  State.  His 
father  held  the  offices  of  Constable  and  Justice  of 
the  Peace.  He  was  a  Whig  in  politics  and  a  great 
admirer  of  Henry  Clay.  Himself  and  wife  were 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  They  had  a  fam- 
ily of  four  children:  Isaac;  Augustus  T.,  of  Rail- 
way, N.  J.;  Jacob,  of  Plain  field,  N.  J.;  and  Maria 
F.,  of  Colorado.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife 
Mr.  Jennings  was  again  married,  and  a  son,  Ben- 
jamin M.,  now  of  St.  Louis,  was  born  of  that  union. 

The  early  youth  of  our  subject  was  quietly 
passed  upon  the  home  farm,  and  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  mechanic, 
serving  a  four-years  term,  and  since  that  time  he 
has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world.  He  followed 
his  trade  in  New  Jersey  until  1850,  when  he  de- 
cided to  try  his  fortune  in  Illinois  and  located  in 
Morgan  County.  Three  years  later  he  went  to  De- 
catur,  where  he  worked  as  a  mechanic  until  August, 
1862,  when  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of  Com- 
pany B,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. When  the  company  was  organized  he  was 
made  First  Sergeant.  The  first  engagement  in 
which  he  participated  was  the  battle  of  Arkansas 
Post,  and  there  he  was  wounded  in  the  hand  and 
head  by  a  piece  of  shell  and  sent  to  the  hospital 
in  Memphis.  When  he  rejoined  his  regiment,  he 
was  made  Commissary-Sergeant,  and  served  as 
such  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated 
in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  battle  of  Cham- 
pion Hills,  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  went  with 
Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea.  At 
Washington  he  participated  in  the  Grand  Review 
and  was  mustered  out  at  Camp  Butler  in  July, 
1865,  after  three  years  of  arduous  and  faithful 
service. 

Returning  to  Decatur,  Mr.  Jennings  then  worked 
at  his  trade  until  the  spring  of  1866,  when  he 
was  elected  and  served  as  Street  Commissioner  for 
a  year.  In  1867  he  was  City  Marshal,  in  1868 


and  1869  was  Coroner,  and  in  1872,  and  ag 
in  1876,  filled  the  office  of  Sheriff.  In  these 
rious  positions  he  discharged  his  duties  wit! 
promptness  and  fidelity  that  won  him  high  ci 
mendation.  His  first  Presidential  vote  was  c 
for  Zachary  Taylor,  and  he  supported  the  W 
party  until  1856,  since  which  time  he  has  bee 
wai'm  advocate  of  Republican  principles.  He 
taken  a  prominent  part  in  political  work  an< 
acquainted  with  many  of  the  leading  men  of 
party.  Gov.  Oglesby  and  Mr.  Jennings  can 
the  two  rails  into  the  convention  which  stai 
the  boom  for  Lincoln.  Socially,  he  is  a  men 
of  Decatur  Post  No.  1,  G.  A.  R. 

Mr.  Jennings  has  been  twice  married.  In  Jf 
sonville,  III.,  he  wedded  Miss  Caroline  Hun 
who  was  born  and  reared  in  Morgan  County, 
died  in  Decatur  May  4,  1888.  Unto  them  v 
born  two  children:  Mrs.  F.  W.  Hayes,  of  Deca 
whose  husband  controls  the  opera  house;  am 
F.,  a  farmer  of  Long  Creek  Township.  For  his 
ond  wife  Mr.  Jennings  chose  Miss  Ellen  M.  Hawk 
daughter  of  Rodney  C.  Hawkins  and  a  nativ 
Vermont.  They  have  one  child,  Isaac  How; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jennings  are  highly  respected  pec 
of  this  community,  and  their  friends  are  man}' 


AXTER  W.  DAVIDSON,  a  retired  far 
\  of  Mt.  Zion,  now  enjoying  a  well-ear 
rest  after  many  years  of  arduous  labor, 
the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illiii 
He  was  born  in  White  County  on  the  13th  of  1 
ruary,'1813,  and  in  1830  came  to  Macon  Cou 
with  his  parents,  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Mi 
Davidson.  His  father  was  born  in  South  Caro 
in  1774,  and  died  in  1844.  His  wife,  who 
also  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and  was  of  Sco 
Irish  descent,  passed  away  in  1843.  Both  lie  1 
ied  in  Mt.  /ion  Cemetery.  Their  family  numb( 
ten  children:  John,  Andrew,  Sail}',  Nancy,  Elea 
Elizabeth;  Cynthia,  who  died  and  was  buriei 
Mt.  Zion  Cemetery;  Polly,  who  was  burieo 


642 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Moultrie  County;  Margaret,  who  was  buried  in 
Ettingham  County,  111.;  and  Baxter  W.,  of  this 
sketch. 

When  our  subject  came  to  this  county  in  1830 
it  was  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness,  containing 
few  white  settlers.  The  nearest  neighbors  were  miles 
apart,  and  the  schools,  if  there  were  any,  were  primi- 
tive in  character,  affording  but  limited  advantages, 
so  that  our  subject  had  no  chance  for  an  education; 
but  he  wns  a  strong  and  willing  young  man  and 
worked  faithfully  at  home,  helping  his  father  and 
mother  in  the  arduous  task  of  rearing  and  caring 
for  a  large  family  in  a  new  country,  away  from 
the  friends  of  their  youth,  and  almost  away  from 
civilization.  With  them  he  remained  until  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  when  an  important  event  in 
his  life  occurred,  his  marriage  witli  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Harbaugh,  of  Kentucky.  Seven  children 
were  born  of  their  union,  as  follows:  David  L., 
now  a  practicing  physician  of  Button  Valley,  Mo.; 
John  A.,  a  stock-farmer  of  Brown  County,  Kan.; 
Marion  R.,  a  lawyer,  and  now  County  Judge  of 
Piatt  County;  Arminda,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  N.  Fun- 
ston,  a  Methodist  minister  of  the  South  Kansas 
Conference;  Calvin  L.,  who  died  and  was  buried 
in  Shelby  County;  Naomi,  wife  of  Austin  Hostet- 
ter,  of  Anderson  County,  Kan.;  and  Francis  M., 
who  died  and  was  buried  in  Kansas.  All  of  the 
children  were  educated  in  Macon  County,  and  most 
of  them  engaged  in  teaching  sehool.  In  1867  the 
mother  of  this  family  died  and  was  laid  to  rest  in 
Mt.  /ion  Cemetery.  On  the  29th  of  April,  1869, 
Mr.  Davidson  was  again  married,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Lavina  Lash.  They  became  the 
parents  of  one  child,  Cora  George,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Throughout  his  business  career,  Mr.  Davison 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming,  and  although 
lie  has  left  his  farm,  he  still  owns  one  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  acres  of  land,  one  hundred  of 
which  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  while 
the  remaining  thirty-seven  acres  are  timber-land. 
Since  attaining  his  majority  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party  and  warmly  advocates 
its  principles.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor 
of  his  township  for  two  years,  was  Treasurer  for 
twelve  years,  and  Road  Commissioner  for  several 


years,  discharging  his  public  duties  with  a  prompt- 
ness and  fidelity  that  won  him  high  commendation. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  so- 
ciety, and  himself  and  wife  hold  membership  with 
the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  in  which  he 
has  been  an  Elder  for  several  years.  They  have  a 
comfortable  and  pleasant  home  in  Mt.  Zion,  where 
they  have  resided  for  the  past  twenty  years.  They 
are  highly  respected  citizens  of  the  community 
and  have  the  warm  regard  of  all  who  know  them. 


EORGE  T.  FARRON,  a  practical  and  pro- 
gressive  farmer  residing  on  section  9, 
Friends'  Creek  Township,  claims  Indiana 
as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in  Jeff- 
erson County,  near  Madison,  on  the  4th  of  April, 
1848,  and  comes  of  a  family  of  Irish  and  English 
origin.  His  father,  William  Farron,  was  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  after  attaining  to  mature  years 
wedded  Eliza  Dunn,  by  whom  lie  had  a  family  of 
five  children,  namely:  Eliza,  wife  of  James  E.  Mc- 
Clelland, a  resident  farmer  of  Jefferson  County, 
Ind.:  George,  of  this  sketch;  William  H.,  who  car- 
ries on  agricultural  pursuits  in  Macon  County; 
Martha  J.,  wife  of  Samuel  Lukins,  of  Decatur;  and 
Joseph,  a  farmer  of  Jefferson  County,  Ind. 

When  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  about  six  years, 
his  father  removed  to  Greensburg,  Ind.,  and  then 
lived  in  various  places  until  George  was  a  youth 
of  fourteen.  At  that  time  our  subject  started  out 
in  life  for  himself,  and  has  since  been  dependent 
upon  his  own  exertions.  He  began  working  on  a 
farm  by  the  month  and  was  thus  employed  for 
seven  years,  or  until  he  had  attained  his  majorit\'. 
The  year  1869  witnessed  his  removal  to  Morgan 
County,  111.,  where  he  remained  for  two  years, 
working  on  a  farm.  In  1871  he  came  to  Macon 
County,  locating  in  Maroa  Township,  where  he 
carried  on  farming  in  connection  with  his  father 
and  brother  for  six  years.  From  1877  until  1892, 
he  operated  rented  land,  and  then  with  the  capital 
which  he  had  acquired  purchased  the  farm  on 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


643 


which  he  now  resides,  comprising  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  arable  land  on  section  9,  Friends' 
Creek  Township. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Farron 
occurred  on  the  1st  of  February,  1877,  when  was 
celebrated  his  marriage  with  Miss  Triphena  Grady. 
Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  seven  children, 
as  follows:  Ollie  M.,  Ida  M.,  Joseph  R.,  Janette, 
Maud  (who  died  on  the  9th  of  June,  1889),  Nellie 
J.  and  Grace.  The  family  is  one  widely  and  fav- 
orably known  in  the  community. 

The  Farron  home  is  a  pleasant  residence  and  the 
place  is  supplied  with  many  modern  conveniences 
and  accessories.  The  well-tilled  fields  indicate 
the  careful  supervision  of  th'e  owner  and  yield  to 
him  a  golden  tribute.  A  good  grade  of  stock  is 
found  upon  the  farm,  including  fine  cattle  and 
hogs.  Mr.  Farron  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life, 
devoting  his  time  exclusively  to  his  business  in- 
terests. He  votes  with  the  Republican  part}',  but 
has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  political  preferment. 
He  holds  membership  with  the  Methodist  Church, 
and  is  a  friend  to  all  interests  calculated  to  pro- 
mote moralit}'  and  aid  in  the  general  welfare  of 
the  community. 


,AVID  A.  MAFFIT,  who  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  business  as  an  ice  dealer  in  De- 
catur,  is  numbered  among  the  prominent 
and  influential  citizens  of  Macon  County. 
His  name  is  inseparably  connec'ted  with  the  history 
of  this  city,  and  its  upbuilding  and  development 
are  due  in  no  small  measure  to  his  enterprise.  He 
resides  in  Riverside,  a  suburb  of  Decatur, and  was 
there  born  December  28,  1848.  He  is  one  of  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  are  now  living.  The  father, 
Robert  Mafiit,  was  a  native  of  Ireland.  After  com- 
ing to  this  country,  he  married  Elizabeth  Miller, 
and  from  York  County,  Pa.,  they  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1838,  locating  in  Piatt  County,  near  Mon- 
ticello.  After  a  year  they  took  up  their  residence 


where  our  subject  now  makes  his  home.  The 
father  died  in  January,  1862,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
two  years,  and  his  wife  passed  away  July  18,  1883. 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  lie  had  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  for  $1,000,  now  owned  by  his 
son  David.  It  was  a  mill  site,  and  the  father  re- 
built a  saw  and  grist  mill  upon  it,  following  mill- 
ing during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  mill 
was  operated  fora  number  of  years,  when  it  was 
abandoned.  A  part  of  the  old  gristmill  is  still 
standing,  and  is  now  used  as  a  barn  by  our  subject. 
This  was  one  of  the  first  mills  in  the  county. 
People  came  from  the  surrounding  country  for  a 
distance  of  fifty  miles  to  have  their  wheat  made 
into  flour.  As  the  process  was  slow  and  cus- 
tomers many,  they  would  camp  out  near  the  mill 
and  wait  to  take  their  flour  home  with  them. 

David  Matfit  was  a  lad  of  thirteen  years  at  his 
father's  death.  His  education  was  acquired  in 
the  district  schools,  supplemented  by  one  term  in 
the  city  schools.  Throughout  his  earlier  life  he 
worked  in  the  mill,  until  it  was  abandoned,  in 
1865,  when  he  became  tin  ice  and  milk  dealer.  He 
carried  on  the  latter  business  for  about  twelve 
years,  since  which  time  he  has  engaged  exclusively 
in  dealing  in  ice,  in  connection  with  his  real-estate 
business.  He  began  with  only  about  twenty  loads 
of  ice,  but  in  1892  he  sold  over  seven  thousand 
tons,  and  in  the  present  year  will  probably  dispose 
of  ten  thousand.  The  business  has  constantly  in- 
creased, until  it  has  now  assumed  extensive  pro- 
portions. In  summer  he  employs  from  ten  to 
twenty  men,  and  in  the  winter  season  from  sixty 
to  one  hundred. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  1878,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Mafiit  and  Miss  Flora,  daugh- 
ter of  William  J.  Usery,  the  pioneer  newspaper 
man  of  Decatur.  Her  birth  occurred  on  the  site 
of  the  Grand  Opera  House.  Four  children  grace 
their  union:  Robbie,  who  is  now  in  his  four- 
teenth year;  Leslie,  a  maiden  of  eleven;  Georgia, 
aged  eight;  and  Marguerite,  the  youngest  of  the 
family. 

For  the  past  five  years,  Mr.  Maffit  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  real-estate  business.  He  laid  out  the 
Amman  &  Maffit  Addition  to  the  city,  comprising 
nine  acres,  and  the  Amman  Addition  of  six  acres. 


644 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


He  has  also  bought  and  sold  other  tracts,  includ- 
ing five  acres  which  he  bought  for  §1,200  and  sold 
in  nine  months  for  $3,000.  Riverside  Park  lies 
largely  on  his  laud,  and  thirty-five  acres  of  this  are 
comprised  within  the  eighty-acre  tract  which  his 
father  purchased  on  coming  to  the  county.  Mr. 
Maftit  takes  an  active  interest  in  politics  and  votes 
with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  now  serving 
his  eighteenth  year  as  Commissioner  of  Highways, 
having  been  repeatedly  re-elected  to  that  office. 
The  Board  now  consists  of  himself,  C.  M.  Caldwcll 
and  Charles  Wheeler.  He  holds  membership  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  is  a  Knight  Templar. 
His  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  this  locality  and 
those  who  have  known  him  from  his  boyhood  are 
numbered  among  his  stanchest  friends,  a  fact 
which  indicates  an  honorable  career.  His  life  has 
been  a  busy  and  useful  one,  idleness  being  utterly 
foreign  to  his  nature.  He  has  given  to  all  his 
interests  his  personal  supervision,  and  in  the  legit- 
imate channels  of  business  he  has  acquired  a  hand- 
some property. 


family. 


H.  EYMAN  is  a  leading  agriculturist  of 
Illim  Township.  He  resides  on  section 
32,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a  good 
farm,  the  old  homestead  of  the  Eyman 
There  he  was  born  on  the  28th  of  March, 
1857,  and  in  consequence  has  the  honor  of  being 
one  of  the  native  sons  of  Macon  County.  The 
great-grandfather,  Abraham  Eyman,  was  a  native 
of  Virginia,  and  became  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Si.  Clair  County,  111.  There  his  son  Abraham  was 
born  January  6,  1803,  and  Capt.  Lewis  J.  Eyman, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  the  same 
counly  July  2,  1827.  Abraham  Eyman,  Jr.,  mar- 
ried Clarissa  McGuire,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  in  1856  removed  with  his  family  to  Macon 
County,  where  he  opened  up  a  farm.  During  his 
last  years  he  lived  a  retired  life  in  Harristown,  his 
death  occurring  on  the  20th  of  April,  1891. 
Capt.  Eyman  was  reared  to  manhood  in  St. 


Clair  County,  and  on  coming  to  Macon  County  in 
1856  made  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  securing  the  same  with  a  land  warrant 
which  he  had  received  for  services  in  the  Mexican 
War.  Transforming  the  raw  prairie  into  a  good 
farm,  he  engaged  in  its  cultivation  for  several 
years.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  he 
enlisted  in  the  service  and  raised  a  company  in 
this  county.  He  was  commissioned  Captain  of 
Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois 
Infantry,  and  was  killed  in  one  of  the  first  battles 
of  the  war,  laying  down  his  life  on  the  altar  of  his 
country  January  11,  1863,  at  Arkansas  Post.  He 
was  twice  married.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  Sarah  Stookey,  he  married  Mrs.  Martha  D. 
Green,  widow  of  John  L.  Green,  of  Sangamon  Coun- 
ty, and  a  daughter  of  Henry  Geiger,  an  honored 
pioneer  of  this  State.  Mrs.  Eyman  still  survives 
her  husband  and  resides  with  her  elder  son,  A.  H. 
Her  younger  son,  E.  O.  Eyman,  is  a  successful  bus- 
iness man  of  Galesbutg,  111. 

After  her  husband  went  into  the  service,  Mrs. 
Eyman  removed  to  Median icsburg,  111.,  where  she 
resided  for  several  j-ears.  In  1873,  she  went  to 
Eureka,  Woodford  County,  in  order  to  provide 
her  children  with  better  school  privileges,  and  in 
Eureka  College  our  subject  acquired  a  good  edu- 
cation. After  completing  his  studies  he  was 
united  in  marriage,  October  24,  1877,  with  Miss 
Sarah  F.  Arnold,  a  most  estimable  lady,  and  a 
daughter  of  J.  W.  Arnold,  of  Eureka.  She  is  a 
native  of  McLean  County,  111.,  was  educated  at 
Eureka  College  and  is  a  cultured  lady.  In  the 
spring  of  1878, -Mr.  Eyman  returned  with  his  wife 
to  the  old  homestead  farm,  which  he  operated  for 
ten  years.  The  following  year  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining  the  old  place, 
where  he  has  successfully  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  has  to-day  one  of  the  best  improved 
farms  in  Illini  Township.  The  fields  are  well 
tilled  and  all  the  accessories  and  conveniences  of 
a  model  farm  are  there  found.  His  home,  a  beau- 
tiful and  substantial  residence,  is  heated  by  a  fur- 
nace, and  is  tastefully  furnished  and  supplied  with 
all  the  comforts  that  go  to  make  life  worth  the  liv- 
ing. It  is  also  the  abode  of  hospitality,  where  all 
friends  are  sure  to  secure  a  hearty  welcome. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


645 


In  local  elections,  Mr.  Eyman  is  independent, 
supporting  the  man  whom  lie  thinks  best  qualified, 
but  at  Presidential  elections  he  has  cast  his  vole 
for  every  nominee  of  the  Republican  party  since 
depositing  his  first  ballot  for  James  A.  Garlield. 
Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Ilarrislown 
Christian  Church, and  are  highly  respected  people, 
who  hold  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles. 
Mr.  Eyman  has  passed  nearly  his  entire  life  in  his 
native  county,  and  an  honorable  and  useful  ca- 
reer has  gained  for  him  the  good- will  and  confi- 
dence of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact. 


Ji  OHN  RAU,  who  carries  on  general  farming 
'  on  section  7,  Austin  Township,  is  a  well- 
i  known  citizen  of  this  community,  and  it  is 
_  '  with  pleasure  that  we  present  to  our  read- 
ore  this  record  of  his  life.  He  has  the  honor  of  be- 
ing a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Logan  County  on  the  6th  of  January,  1856. 
He  is  a  son  of  Christian  Ran,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Germany,  and  after  arriving  at  man's 
estate  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rachel 
Gritz,  who  was  also  a  native  of  that  country.  In 
1850,  they  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends  and 
sailed  from  the  Fatherland,  across  the  broad  At- 
lantic to  America. 

In  the  family  were  eleven  children,  namely:  John, 
Lizzie,  Charlie,  William,  Sophia,  Henry,  Christ, 
George,  Annie,  Lillie  and  Mollie.  The  two  last- 
named  are  still  at  home  with  their  parents.  Mr. 
Ran  is  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  but  lias  been  engaged 
in  farming  for  the  past  twenty-five  years,  during 
which  time  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Macon 
County. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  State,  lie 
was  reared  to  manhood  under  the  parental  roof, 
and  remained  at  home  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He  has  always  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming,  and  is  now  the 


owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  arable 
land,  constituting  one  of  the  best  farms  in  this 
neighborhood.  It  is  all  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation, is  divided  into  fields  of  convenient  size 
by  well-kept  fences,  is  supplied  with  good  build- 
ings and  none  of  the  accessories  or  equipments  of 
a  model  farm  are  lacking.  The  place  is  neat  and 
thrifty  in  appearance  and  shows  the  passer-by 
the  careful  supervision  of  the  owner. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Rau  oc- 
curred February  1,  1877,  when  was  celebrated 
his  marriage  with  Miss  Rachel  Davison.  who  came 
to  Illinois  with  her  parents  when  a  maiden  of  ten 
summers.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with  a 
family  of  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, namely:  Pearl  A.,  Emma  J.,  Robert,  Roscoe 
C.  and  Orville.  The  family  circle  yet  remains  un- 
broken by  the  hand  of  death,  and  the  children  are 
still  with  their  parents. 

By  his  ballot,  Mr.  Rau  supports  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  has  been  identified  since  at- 
taining his  majority,  but  public  office  has  no  at- 
tractions for  him.  Himself  and  wife  are  consis- 
tent and  useful  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  They  are  people  of  sterling  worth,  and 
their  man}-  excellencies  of  character  have  made 
them  honored  citizens  of  this  community. 


TRAVER,  who  is  now  living  a 

retired  life  in  Decatur,  is  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  State.  York  County  is  the  place 
of  his  birth  and  the  date  is  November  5,  1834. 
His  parents,  David  and  Sarah  (Ballets)  Travel1, 
were  also  born  in  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was 
a  shoemaker  by  trade.  In  the  family  were  nine 
children,  of  whom  two  died  in  childhood.  Four 
of  the  number  are  still  living.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth  and  the  only 
one  residing  in  Illinois,  lie  remained  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  his  birthplace  until  twenty-six  years  of 
age.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  became  an  appren- 


646 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tice  to  the  trade  of  man  ufacturing  crockery  ware  and 
served  a  three-years  term.  His  educational  priv- 
ileges were  those  afforded  by  the  common  schools, 
and  after  attaining  his  majority  he  engaged  in 
teaching  for  three  years.  In  1860,  he  came  to  De- 
catur  and  established  the  crockery  business  on  a 
small  scale,  doing  nearly  all  the  work  alone,  but 
his  trade  increased  and  ere  the  seven  years  had 
expired  in  which  he  carried  on  that  trade  he  was 
compelled  to  hire  several  assistants.  His  next 
venture  was  as  a  manufacturer  of  drain  tile.  In 
1868,  he  secured  a  plant,  and  hiring  about  fifteen 
employes  carried  on  business  along  that  line  for 
some  time.  He  also  opened  a  branch  business  in 
Harristown  (which  he  conducted  for  five  years), 
one  in  Kenney,  another  in  Atwood  and  still  an- 
other in  Mendota.  He  did  a  business  of  about 
840,000,  and  employed  some  forty  men.  For  a 
time  he  was  associated  with  George  Stair  and 
Robert  Sipe  in  carrying  on  the  branch  businesses. 
After  some  years,  however,  he  closed  up  his  fac- 
tories one  by  one  and  in  1889  sold  out  all  of  his 
interests  in  that  line.  He  had  been  quite  success- 
ful and  had  acquired  a  handsome  competency  as 
the  result  of  his  well-directed  efforts. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1861,  in  this  city,  Mr. 
Travel-  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ann 
Eliza  Sipe,  whom  he  had  known  in  York  County, 
Pa.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  one  son, 
Charles  8.,  who  formerly  aided  his  father  in  busi- 
ness, and  is  now  traveling  in  Europe. 

Since  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Traver  has 
been  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party  and 
warmly  advocates  its  principles.  Socially,  he  was 
connected  with  ihe  Masonic  fraternity.  He  has  al- 
ways devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  business  affairs,  and  his  enterprise  and 
perseverance  have  brought  him  a  well-merited 
success.  He  has  dealt  considerably  in  farm  lands, 
and  now  owns  two  good  farms  in  Macon  County, 
also  one  in  Moultrie  County  and  a  fourth  in  Piatt 
County.  He  erected  the  factory  occupied  by  the 
United  States  Wire  Mattress  Company  and  the  ad- 
join ing  machine  shop,  and  has  other  city  property, 
including  the  building  at  the  corner  of  Wood  and 
South  Main-  Streets  and  his  elegant  residence, 
which  was  erected  in  1889,  He  has  ever  been  a 


public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen  and  does 
all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  best  interests  of 
Decatur  and  aid  in  its  upbuilding.  The  years 
which  he  devoted  to  his  business  brought  him  in 
an  ample  return  that  now  enables  him  to  live  are- 
tired  life.  His  long  residence  in  the  county,  cov- 
ering a  period  of  a  third  of  a  century,  has  made 
him  widely  known,  and  his  sterling  worth  has 
gained  him  many  friends. 


J'lACOB  W.  MAJOR,  one  of  the  well-to-do 
I  citizens  of  Macon  County,  who  is  now  liv- 
ing retired  in  Warrensburg,  has  lived  a 
busy  and  useful  life,  and  now  in  his  declin- 
ing years  can  rest  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits 
of  his  former  toil,  knowing  that  this  respite  has 
been  well  earned.  A  native  of  Ohio,  he  was  born 
in  Harrison  County  December  20,  1826,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Edith  (Webb)  Major.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  and  when  a 
young  man  emigrated  to  Harrison  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  met  and  married  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
Webb,  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  an  extensive 
farmer  of  that  county.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Major  cleared  a  tract  of  land  and  developed  a 
good  farm.  After  engaging  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  a  number  of  years  in  Harrison  County, 
he  removed  to  Franklin  County  and  bought  a 
farm  near  Columbus,  where  he  passed  his  remain- 
ing days,  his  death  occurring  about  1858.  His 
wife  survived  him  for  some  years,  and,  coming  to 
Illinois,  made  her  home  with  her  sons  in  Macon 
County,  where  she  died  about  1881. 

In  Harrison  Count}',  Ohio,  Jacob  Major  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  Through  the 
summer  season  he  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  field, 
and  in  the  winter  months  attended  the  common 
schools,  thus  acquiring  a  good  English  education. 
He  remained  with  his  father  until  he  had  attained 
to  man's  estate,  and  then  spent  about  two  years  in 
farming  with  an  uncle,  after  which  he  rented  land 
aiid  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  in  his  own  in- 


PORTRAIT  ANT)  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


647 


terest  for  several  years.  At  length  he  purchased 
one  hundred  acres  of  timber-land,  and  locating 
upon  the  same  began  the  development  of  a  farm. 
Beneath  the  sturdy  strokes  of  his  axe  the  trees  fell, 
and  as  the  ground  was  cleared  he  plowed  and 
planted  the  land  until  fertile  fields  yielded  to  him 
a  golden  tribute. 

On  the  10th  of  February.  1848,  in  Harrison 
County,  Ohio,  Mr.  Major  wedded  Miss  Rachel 
Worley,  a  native  of  that  county,  and  a  daughter 
of  Wesley  Worley.  Their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  seven  children:  John  W.,  who  is  now  mar- 
ried and  is  a  substantial  farmer  of  this  county; 
Susan,  deceased,  who  was  the  wife  of  August  Stein; 
Martha,  who  resides  with  her  father  in  Warrens- 
burg,  and  is  the  widow  of  Malvin  Beall,  who 
died  leaving  a  little  son,  Jesse,  a  bright  boy  of 
four  years;  George,  who  is  married  and  follows 
farming  in  Macon  County;  Maria,  the  wife  of 
Andrew  Moore,  of  lluller  County,  Neb.;  Cyrus, 
an  agriculturist  of  this  county;  and  Taylor,  who 
is  married  and  follows  farming  in  Piatt  County. 
They  also  lost  a  daughter  in  infancy.  The  mother 
passed  away  January  26,  1887,  and  her  remains 
were  interred  in  Jllini  Cemetery,  where  a  monu- 
ment marks  her  last  resting-place.  She  was  a 
most  esteemed  and  worthy  lady  and  died  deeply 
mourned  by  many  friends. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Major  came  with  his  family  to  Ma- 
con  County  and  located  in  Illini  Township,  where 
he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw 
land.  After  improving  it  for  a  few  years  he  ad- 
ded an  additional  tract  of  sixty  acres.  The  raw 
prairie  was  transformed  into  rich  and  fertile  fields, 
a  pleasant  home  was  built,  and  all  the  accessories 
of  a  model  farm  were  added.  This  property  was 
sold  two  years  ago,  when  our  subject  purchased  a 
fine  residence  in  Warrensburg  and  has  since  made 
his  home  here. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Major  first  affiliated  witli  the 
Democracy,  but  in  I860  he  joined  the  ranks  of 
the  Republican  party,  with  which  he  continued  to 
vote  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  now,  however, 
a  supporter  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Pro- 
hibition party.  He  has  never  been  an  office-seeker, 
though  he  was  elected  and  served  one  term  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  when,  content  with  that 


honor,  he  declined  all  further  public  preferment. 
He  and  his  daughter  are  faithful  and  leading 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with 
which  he  united  when  seventeen  years  of  age.  His 
life  has  been  one  which  has  gained  him  the  re- 
spect of  all.  He  has  been  true  to  every  trust, 
straightforward  in  all  business  dealings,  and  lias 
made  the  Golden  Rule  the  motto  of  his  life.  Mr. 
Major  has  many  friends  and  few,  if  any,  enemies. 
In  his  declining  years  he  can  look  back  over  the 
past  with  no  regret,  for  a  life  of  usefulness  and 
truth  should  bring  nothing  but  pleasant  memories. 


UGUST  STEIN,  who  owns  and  operates 
three  hundred  acres  of  arable  land  on  sec- 
tion 26,  Maroa  Township,  was  born  in 
Germany  on  the  8th  of  April,  1838,  and 
a  son  of  Lewis  and  Louisa  (Osthof)  Stein,  na- 
tives of  the  same  country.  This  worthy  couple 
had  a  family  of  seven  children,  six  sons  and  a 
daughter,  the  eldest  of  whom  is  August.  He  was 
followed  by  William;  Charlie,  who  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Nashville,  Tenn..  and  sleeps  on  the 
Southern  battlefield;  Lewis,  Henry,  John,  and  Au- 
gusta, wife  of  Adam  Sibert. 

Mr.  Stein  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  eleven 
years  of  his  life  in  the  Fatherland  and  then  came 
with  his  parents  to  America.  The  voyage  across 
the  Atlantic  was  made  in  a  sailing-vessel,  which, 
after  eleven  weeks  and'  three  days  spent  on  the 
briny  deep,  dropped  anchor  in  the  haibor  of  New 
Orleans.  The  famil3'  made  a  location  in  St.  Glair 
County,  111.,  where  our  subject  was  reared  to  man- 
hood amid  the  wild  scenes  of  frontier  life.  lie  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  twenty-seven  years 
of  age,  and  on  leaving  home  came  to  Macon 
County,  in  1865.  He  took  up  his  residence  in 
Illini  Township,  where  he  began  farming  for  him- 
self, and  where  he  made  his  home  until  1885.  At 
that  time  he  removed  to  Kansas,  where  he  spent 
one  year,  which  satisfied  him  that  he  preferred.  I11U 
nois  as  a  place  of  residence, 


648 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


In  1870,  Mr.  Stein  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Susan  J.  Major,  and  by  their  union  has  been 
born  a  family  of  four  children,  namely:  Louisa,  who 
died  February  20,  1884;  Charley;  Lusetta  and 
George.  The  three  younger  children  are  still  at 
home.  The  family  is  held  in  high  regard  through- 
out the  community,  for  its  members  are  people  of 
sterling  worth.  The  mother  died  June  23,  1884, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Boiling  Springs  Ceme- 
tery. She  was  a  most  estimable  lady,  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  her  excellencies  of 
character  won  her  many  friends. 

In  1886,  Mr.  Stein  returned  to  Macon  County, 
and  purchased  a  part  of  his  present  farm  in  Maroa 
Township.  He  first  bought  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  on  section  26,  but  has  since  extended 
the  boundaries  of  the  place,  until  now  three  hun- 
dred acres  pay  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return 
for  his  care  and  cultivation.  All  the  improvements 
of  a  model  farm  are  there  found,  and  together 
with  the  rich  and  fertile  fields  they  stand  as  monu- 
ments to  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner, 
who  is  numbered  among  the  representative  agri- 
culturists of  the  community.  Mr.  Stein  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  poli- 
tics is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party. 
He  has  filled  the  office  of  School  Director,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  public  preferment.  We 
see  in  Mr.  Stein  a  self-made  man  who  began  life 
for  himself  empty-handed,  but  he  possessed  dili- 
gence and  a  determination  to  succeed  and  has 
therefore  won  prosperity  in  his  business  career. 


vAVID  BRETT  is  one  of  the  representative 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Macon  County. 
He  resides  on  section  35,  Hickory  Point 
Township,  where  he  has  made  his  home  for  a  pe- 
riod of  forty-one  years,  having  located  thereon  in 
1852.  He  at  first  purchased  only  forty  acres  of 
land,  but  by  additional  purchases  from  time  to 
time  he  has  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  home 
farm  until  it  now  comprises  one  hundred  and 


twenty  acres,  that  yield  a  golden  tribute  for  the 
care  and  labor  bestowed  on  it.  The  place  is  not 
only  highly  cultivated,  but  is  well  improved  with 
all  the  accessories  of  a  model  farm.  He  also  owns 
forty  acres  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township, 
eighty  in  Maroa  Township,  and  fifty  in  Decutur 
Township. 

The  owner  of  this  desirable  place  was  born  in 
Prince  William  County,  Va.,  December  21,  1817. 
His  father,  Richard  A.  Brett,  was  also  born  in  the 
Old  Dominion,  and  was  of  English  descent.  His 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  Lee. 
In  the  family  were  fifteen  children,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  though  only 
three  of  the  number  are  now  living,  namely:  Pen- 
elope, wife  of  Frank  Montgomery,  who  is  located 
in  Decatur;  David,  of  this  sketch;  and  Alexander 
H.,  a  farmer  of  Kansas. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  m:in- 
hood  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  and  in 
his  youth,  during  the  winter  season,  he  attended 
the  subscription  school,  which  was  held  in  a  log 
cabin.  The  greater  part  of  \m  education,  how- 
ever, has  been  self  acquired.  Mr.  Brett  remained 
with  his  parents  until  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
and  on  the  death  of  his  father  took  charge  of  the 
old  homestead,  which  he  operated  for  several  years. 
He  remained  in  Virginia  until  1835,  and  then  emi- 
grated Westward,  locating  in  Macon  County,  111. 
The  journey  was  made  by  team.  He  took  up  his 
residence  in  Decatur  Township,  where  he  rented 
laud  for  two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  pe- 
riod, he  removed  to  Hickory  Point  Township, 
where  his  father  had  made  a  claim,  entering  the 
land  from  the  Government  at  the  usual  price  of 
$1.25  per  acre.  This  tract  comprised  a  quarter- 
section  of  land.  Throughout  his  entire  life  our 
subject  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  in  his  undertakings  has  met  with  good  suc- 
cess. Having  lived  upon  the  old  homestead  until 
1848,  he  then  purchased  property  of  his  own,  and 
since  1852  he  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm. 

Mr.  Brett  was  married  in  1847,  Miss  Elizabeth 
P.  Wheeler  becoming  his  wife.  The  following  chil- 
dren have  been  born  of  this  union:  Annie  M.;  Rich- 
ard, who  now  manages  and  carries  on  the  home 
farm;  Frances  I.,  wife  of  John  Christie,  a  well- 


OF  ILLINOIS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


651 


known  agriculturist  of  Hickory  Point  Township; 
and  David  E.,  who  is  also  engaged  in  farming  in 
this  county.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  called 
to  her  final  rest  October  7,  1864,  dying  in  the  faith 
of  the  Christian  Church,  of  which  she  was  a  con- 
sistent member. 

Mr.  Brett  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
in  politics  has  been  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party  since  its  organization.  The  cause 
of  education  has  ever  received  his  hearty  co-oper- 
ation, and  he  has  filled  the  offices  of  School  Direc- 
tor and  School  Trustee.  No  enterprise  calculated 
to  promote  the  public  welfare  seeks  his  aid  in  vain, 
in  fact,  he  is  always  found  in  the  front  ranks  of 
any  interest  that  tends  to  upbuild  the  community. 
He  is  numbered  among  Macon  County's  pioneers, 
having  located  here  fifty-seven  years  ago.  He  has 
seen  Indians  passing  through  the  country,  andean 
remember  when  this  entire  community  was  almost 
an  uninhabited  region. 


m 


I/ AMES  DINGMAN,  who  resides  on  section 
14,  Niantic  Township,  is  one  of  the  exten- 
sive land-owners  of  the  county,  owning 
more  than  a  thousand  acres.  He  is  also 
numbered  among  the  enterprising  and  progressive 
farmers,  and  his  name  deserves  to  be  enrolled 
among  the  honored  pioneers,  for  since  1845  he  has 
lived  in  this  county,  and  since  November,  1833, 
has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois.  A  native  of  Ohio, 
he  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  January  7,  1820, 
and  is  descended  from  one  of  the  Revolutionary 
heroes.  His  grandfather,  Capt.  James  Dingman, 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, and  for  seven  years 
and  three  months  fought  for  the  independence  of 
the  Colonies,  being  for  four  years  under  the  com- 
mand of  Washington.  His  title  was  won  in  that 
conflict.  When  he  died  he  had  some  $14,000  pen- 
sion money  due  him,  but  he  would  never  draw  a 
cent.  His  remains  were  interred  in  New  River- 
ton  Cemetery,  in  Sangumon  County,  111.,  where 
a  monument  marks  his  last  resting-pl-ace. 

31 


Abraham  Dingman,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  when  a  lad  went  with 
his  parents  to  Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Jemima  Bobo,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
a  daughter  of  Townsend  G.  Bobo.  In  1833,  Mr. 
Dingman  emigrated  with  his  family  to  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  locating  on  what  was  known  as  Ger- 
man Prairie,  six  miles  east  of  Springfield.  He 
bought  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  quite  a  large 
portion  of  which  was  a  timber  tract  along  the  San- 
gamon River.  The  present  town  of  Riverton  was 
situated  on  the  old  homestead.  He  there  spent  his 
remaining  days,  dying  July  2,  1835,  at  the  age  of 
forty-eight  years.  His  remains  were  interred  by 
those  of  his  father.  His  wife  survived  him  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  passed  away  August  12, 
1881,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight,  being  laid  to 
rest  in  Long  Point  Cemetery,  in  Niantic  Township. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  and  only  survivor  in 
the  family  of  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  though 
all  grew  to  mature  years.  He  came  to  Illinois 
when  a  lad  of  thirteen  and  grew  to  manhood  upon 
the  old  homestead  in  Sangamon  County,  remaining 
with  his  mother  and  operating  the  farm  for  her  for 
a  number  of  years  after  his  father's  death.  Our 
subject  was  married  in  Sangamon  County,  in  May, 
1841,  to  Miss  Emily  Danley,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Danley,  of  that  count}',  who  removed  there  from 
Kentucky  in  1817.  A  brother,  Levi  Danley,  aged 
ninety  years,  has  lived  with  Mr.  Dingman  for  the 
past  ten  years.  Mrs.  Dingmau  was  born  in  Sanga- 
mon County  in  1824.  Two  years  after  their  mar- 
riage, the  young  couple  came  to  Macou  County, 
and  Mr.  Dingman  purchased  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  improved  land  in  Niantic  Town- 
ship, known  as  the  Strickland  Farm,  and  his  home 
became  the  stopping-place  for  all  travelers.  From 
time  to  time  more  land  was  added  to  the  farm, 
which  now  comprises  one  thousand  and  five  acres. 
It  is  situated  only  a  half-mile  from  Niantic,  and, 
being  improved  with  all  modern  conveniences,  is 
a  very  valuable  and  desirable  place. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dingman  were  born  seven 
children:  Richard  R.,  who  was  married  and  lives 
on  the  old  homestead;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  John  S. 
Kiser,  who  is  also  living  on  the  old  home  farm; 
Abraham,  a  farmer  of  Iroquois  County,  111.,  lo- 


652 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


cated  four  miles  east  of  Watseka;  Mary  Ann,  the 
wife  of  Samuel  Van  Hook,  who  is  living  on  the 
old  homestead;  William,  an  agriculturist  residing 
in  Niantic;  Melissa  E.,  who  is  the  wife  of  William 
Tilley,  who  lives  on  the  old  home  farm;  and  John 
H.,  who  is  still  with  his  parents. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Pingman  was  first  an  old-line 
Whig,  and  in  1860  voted  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas. 
He  was  personally  acquainted  with  both  Douglas 
and  Lincoln,  the  latter  having  resided  on  a  farm 
only  four  miles  from  the  home  of  our  subject.  Mr. 
Dingman  has  never  sought  public  office,  but  was 
elected  and  served  two  terms  as  Supervisor,  dis- 
charging his  duties  with  the  same  faithfulness  and 
promptness  that  have  characterized  his  entire 
career.  He  and  his  wife  are  prominent  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Long  Point  Christian 
Church,  which  was  established  in  1856,  and  are 
highly  respected  citizens,  their  upright  lives  hav- 
ing gained  for  them  warm  regard.  For  sixty 
years,  Mr.  Dingman  has  been  a  resident  of  Illinois, 
and  for  almost  half  a  century  has  lived  in  Macon 
County.  He  has  been  a  witness  of  the  growth  of 
the  county  since  the  days  of  its  infancy,  has 
watched  its  progress  and  upbuilding,  and  has 
aided  in  its  development.  Although  he  has>  never 
been  prominent  in  public  affairs,  yet  in  his  quiet 
and  unassuming  manner  he  has  borne  his  part  in 
the  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of  the  commu- 
nity, and  well  deserves  to  be  ranked  among  those 
to  whom  the  county  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  for 
what  they  have  done  in  her  behalf. 


EORGE  JOHNSTON,  one  of  the  enterpris- 
ing  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Austin 
Township,  who  carries  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits on  section  19,  was  born  in  Dumfriesshire, 
Scotland,  on  the  18th  of  March,  1846,  and  when  a 
lad  of  live  summers  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  parents  in  1851.  His  father,  James 
Johnston,  was  born  in  Dumfriesshire  in  1805,  and 
iu  1835  married  Miss  Mary  Rodgerson,  who  WHS 


born  in  the  same  county  in  1808.  They  became 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  namely:  James, 
Janet,  John,  George,  Elizabeth.  William,  David 
and  Thomas.  In  1851,  Mr.  Johnston,  accompa- 
nied by  his  family,  bade  adieu  to  his  old  home 
and  sailed  for  the  New  World.  Making  his  way 
to  Illinois,  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Sangamon 
County,  and,  being  a  first-class  mason,  he  was  em- 
ployed on  the  State  capitol  in  Springfield,  which 
was  at  that  time  being  built.  His  death  occurred 
in  1853,  and  he  was  buried  in  the  Johnston  family 
cemetery  near  Springfield. 

Our  subject  acquired  the  greater  part  of  his  ed- 
ucation in  the  common  schools  of  this  country. 
He  began  life  for  himself  when  twenty-three  years 
of  age,  as  a  school  teacher,  being  employed  in  that 
capacity  for  one  term  in  Sangamon  County  and 
two  terms  in  Macon  County.  On  the  20th  of 
January,  1870,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Jane  Wright,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Sangamon  County.  Two  children  were  born  unto 
them:  Robert  E.,  born  December  16,1871;  and 
Mary  E.,  born  November  9,  1874.  Having  at- 
tended  the  common  schools,  their  educations  were 
completed  by  a  course  in  the  normal  and  business 
departments  of  the  Normal  College  of  Valparaiso, 
I  ml.,  and  both  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Johnston  is  to-day  the  owner  of  an  excel- 
lent farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation,  and  in  connection  with 
general  farming  he  carries  on  stock-raising,  mak- 
ing a  specialty  of  the  breeding  of  horses.  At  this 
writing  he  has  some  forty  head  of  horses  and  colts 
upon  the  place.  He  raises  principally  draft  and 
driving  horses. 

We  see  in  our  subject  one  of  Macon  County's 
best  citizens.  He  is  prominent  and  influential  and 
has  been  honored  with  a  number  of  official  posi- 
tions in  his  township,  including  that  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  which  lie  has  held  continuously  for  six- 
teen years,  a  fact  which  attests  his  prompt  and 
faithful  discharge  of  duty.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
stalwart  Democrat,  and  has  for  many  years  been 
identified  with  the  interests  of  the  Democratic 
organization  of  the  county  and  State.  At  this 
writing  he  is  a  candidate  for  the  position  of  Con- 
sul to  Dundee,  Scotland,  and  for  this  position  he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


653 


is  supported  by  tlie  county  officers  of  Macon,  Lo- 
gan and  Sangamon  Counties  and  the  State  officers 
of  Illinois.  He  also  has  the  endorsement  of  a  ma- 
jority of  the  Democratic  members  of  the  Illinois 
Legislature,  the  members  of  Congress  and  the 
United  States  Senators.  That  he  is  well  qualified 
for  the  position  to  which  he  aspires  is  a  fact  un- 
questioned by  those  who  know  him.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Johnston  are  worthy  and  consistent  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  They  now  have  a  pleas- 
ant home,  which  through  the  enterprise  and  indus- 
try of  the  owner  is  supplied  with  all  the  comforts 
that  go  to  make  life  worth  the  living.' 

John  Johnston,  the  eldest  brother  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Scotland  June  4,  1844,  and  in  1875 
married  Miss  Agnes-  Irvin,  a  resident  of  Sanga- 
mon  County.  They  have  five  children:  Bertha  H., 
Mary  A.,  Margaret  I.,  John  T.  and  a  baby  not  yet 
named.  John  Johnston  is  also  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  Democratic  party,  and  is  looked 
upon  by  all  who  know  him  as  a  man  of  sterling 
qualities  and  honest  motives,  who  well  deserves 
the  confidence  in  which  he  is  held.  He  has  filled 
various  official  positions  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  His 
fine  farm  adjoining  that  of  his  brother  George  is 
a  beautiful  and  attractive  home,  and  its  owner 
well  deserves  mention  in  the  history  of  his  adopted 
county. 


AMUEL  E.  BEAR  is  engaged  in  business 
as  a  grain  and  stock-dealer  in  Bearsdale. 
The  place  of  his  birth  is  in  Newville,  Cum- 
berland County,  Pa.,  and  the  date  is  Feb- 
ruary 13,  1856.  The  Bear  family  is  of  German 
origin.  The  parents  of  our  subject,  Samuel  and 
Magdelene  (Sawyer)  Bear,  were  both  born  in  the 
Keystone  State.  There  were  two  children  born  of 
their  union,  but  the  elder  died  in  infancy.  The 
father  was  three  times  married  and  his  family  num- 
bered nine  children.  During  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming,  but 


for  a  few  years  before  coming  to  Illinois  he  was 
engaged  in  the  hardware  business.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1880,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  in  Boiling 
Springs  Cemetery.  He  held  membership  with  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  was  a  highly  respected  citi- 
zen. The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in  1858,  and 
was  buried  in  Pennsylvania. 

Samuel  Bear,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  was 
only  two  years  old  when  his  mother  died.  He  re- 
mained in  the  Keystone  State  until  1860,  when  he 
came  to  Illinois  with  his  father,  who  located  in 
Hickory  Point  Township,  and  two  years  later  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  farming  land,  which  he  at 
once  began  to  develop  and  improve.  He  gave 
the  land  upon  which  the  town  of  Bearsdale  is  now 
located,  and  the  place  is  named  in  his  honor. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the  public 
schools  and  acquired  a  good  practical  education. 
He  remained  upon  the  home  farm  until  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  when,  having  attained  his  majority, 
he  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood.  As  a  com- 
panion and  helpmate  on  life's  journey,  he  chose 
Miss  Minerva  J.  Cox.  By  their  union,  which  was 
celebrated  in  September,  1879,  four  children  have 
been  born,  namely:  Ernest  R.,  Bessie  A.,  Lena  and 
Sylvan  R.  All  are  yet  living  and  are  still  under 
the  parental  roof. 

It  was  in  the  year  of  his  marriage  that  Mr.  Bear 
made  his  first  purchase  of  land,  becoming  owner 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  30, 
Hickory  Point  Township.  He  removed  to  the 
farm  in  1881, and  by  his  earnest  and  untiling  labor 
he  placed  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  arid 
by  the  improvements  which  he  has  made  upon  it  has 
greatly  increased  its  value.  In  addition  to  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  fields,  he  carried  on  stock-raising, 
having  a  good  grade  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs. 
He  was  thus  employed  until  1893,  when  he  built 
a  residence  in  Bearsdale,  and  removed  to  the  town, 
where  he  is  now  living.  In  the  spring  of  1880,  he 
began  buying  grain,  and  has  since  carried  on  that 
industry  in  connection  with  stock-dealing.  He 
also  erected  a  store,  in  which  he  now  carries  on 
general  merchandising.  He  has  a  good  stock  and 
from  Bearsdale  and  the  surrounding  country  re- 
ceives a  liberal  patronage.  Other  business  enter- 
prises also  claim  a  share  of  his  attention,  for  he 


654 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


deals  in  farm  implements  and  is  the  owner  of  an 
elevator  at  this  place.  He  is  an  enterprising  and 
progressive  citizen,whose  well-directed  efforts  have 
gained  him  a  handsome  property  He  manifests  a 
commendable  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community,  and  his  name  is  insep- 
arably connected  with  the  upbuilding  of  this  neigh- 
borhood. In  politics  he  votes  independently. 
Sociall}',  he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America. 


ARDY  DALY,  a  farmer  residing  on  section 
15,  Illini  Township,  well  deserves  mention 
in  the  history  of  thiscount}',  for  he  is  num- 

tjjjf,  bered  among  its  honored  pioneers,  dating 
his  residence  here  from  1840.  In  the  years  that 
have  since  come  and  gone  he  has  witnessed  the 
growth  and  development  which  have  wrought  such 
a  great  transformation,  and  has  borne  his  part  in 
its  upbuilding  and  advancement.  He  has  seen  the 
wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful  homes  and 
farms,  towns  and  villages  have  sprung  up,  churches 
and  schools  have  been  built,  and  by  the  onward 
inarch  of  progress  Macon  County  has  been  placed 
in  the  front  rank  in  Illinois. 

Mr.  Daly  is  a  native  of  Juniata  County,  Pa.  He 
was  born  July  2,  1830,  and  there  spent  the  first 
ten  years  of  his  life.  He  then  came  to  Illinois  with 
his  father,  George  Daly,  who  emigrated  with  his 
family  Westward  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county.  He  was  not  long  permitted 
to  enjoy  his  new  home,  however,  his  death  occur- 
ring in  July,  1841.  The  family  numbered  four 
sons  and  four  daughters  who  grew  to  mature  years, 
but  two  brothers  are  now  deceased:  William  and 
Austin.  Albert,  the  other  brother,  resides  near 
Belle  Plaine,  Kan. 

Hardy  Daly  was  reared  to  manhood  amid  the 
wild  scenes  of  frontier  life.  During  his  youth  he 
worked  by  the  month  for  Samuel  Powers  for  sev- 
eral years,  and  then  engaged  in  breaking  prairie 
for  some  years.  In  the  fall  of  1852,  he  purchased 


a  quarter-section  of  raw  prairie,  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  resides,  and  though  the  land  was 
then  in  its  primitive  condition,  he  has  evolved  a 
fine  farm,  one  of  the  best  in  the  community,  well 
improved  and  highly  cultivated.  From  time  to 
time  he  has  made  additional  purchases,  until  his 
landed  possessions  now  aggregate  five  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  acres,  comprised  within  four 
farms.  The  neat  appearance  of  his  home  place 
and  the  well-tilled  fields  with  their  golden  grain  all 
indicate  his  faithful  enterprise. 

Mr.  Daly  started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  but 
though  he  possessed  no  capital  he  had  a  strong  de- 
termination to  succeed, and  by  his  labor  and  en- 
terprise he  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  to 
a  position  of  wealth  and  affluence.  He  to-day  ranks 
among  Macon  County's  substantial  farmers.  In 
1856,  he  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  foi  John 
C.  Fremont,  and  since  that  time  has  never  failed  to 
deposit  his  ballot  for  the  Presidential  candidate  of 
the  Republican  party.  In  local  politics,  however, 
he  is  independent,  supporting  the  man  whom  he 
thinks  best  qualified  for  the  office,  regardless  of 
party  affiliations.  He  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker,  however,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  business  interests,  in  which  he  has 
met  with  signal  success.  His  life  has  been  an  up- 
right one  and  he  has  the  confidence  of  all  who 
know  him. 


LFRED  A.  COOPER,  a  practical  and  pro- 
gressive  farmer  residing  on  section  17. 
Decatur  Township,  comes  not  from  the 
East,  as  the  greater  part  of  the  citizens  of 
Macon  County  do,  but  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
beyond  the  Mississippi.  He  was  born  in  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant, Iowa,  on  the  14th  of  September,  1856,  and 
comes  from  the  old  Pilgrim  stock,  his  Puritan  an- 
cestors having  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  the  "  May- 
flower "  from  England.  The  family  is  one  noted 
for  longevity,  and  the  grandfather  of  our  subject 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


655 


reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-eight  years, 
lie  was  a  cousin  of  Puter  Cooper,  the  philanthro- 
pist. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Thomas  Cooper,  was 
born  in  Washington  County,  Pa..  December  13, 
1818,  and  spent  his  bo3'hood  days  upon  the  home 
farm,  while  in  the  common  schools  he  acquired 
his  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he 
wedded  Mary  A.  Auld,  a  native  of  Washington 
County,  Pa.,  and  a  daughter  of  Archibald  Auld,  a 
farmer  of  that  locality.  Upon  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Cooper  was  given  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  by 
his  father,  upon  which  he  made  his  home  until, 
selling  out,  he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he  carried 
on  a  large  farm  and  fed  cattle.  In  1868  he  re- 
moved to  Win  field,  Henry  County,  Iowa,  and  after 
a  time  came  to  Macon  County,  111.,  purchasing  a 
farm  south  of  Decatnr,  on  which  he  located.  He 
afterward  bought  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land,  and  upon  that  farm  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  days.  He  was  quite  a  well-to-do  citizen  and 
owned  considerable  property  in  Decatur.  His 
death  occurred  December  27,  1882,  and  his  re- 
mains were  interred  in  Wycle  Cemetery.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
was  highly  respected  for  his  many  excellencies  of 
character.  In  politics,  he  warmly  advocated  the 
principles  of  Republicanism.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him  and  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Decatur  Township,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  The 
Cooper  family  numbered  four  children.  George, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  married  Margaret 
McDaniel,  and  is  a  farmer  of  Harristown  Town- 
ship; Sarah  Jane  became  the  wife  of  William 
Parker,  and  is  now  deceased;  Alfred  is  the  third  in 
order  of  birth;  and  John  Franklin  wedded  Mary 
McCauley,  and  is  a  cigar-maker  of  Decatur. 

Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  seven  years  when  with 
his  parents  he  came  to  Macon  County,  where  he 
was  reared  and  educated.  His  school  privileges 
well  fitted  him  for  the  practical  duties  of  life.  He 
went  through  the  Wood  Street  School  of  Decatur, 
and  afterward  pursued  a  business  course  in  the 
Bryant  &  Stratton  College,  of  Chicago.  SMice 
his  youth  he  has  followed  farming.  He  remained 
upon  the  home  farm  until  the  death  of  his  father, 


and  then  assumed  management  of  the  homestead, 
which  he  cultivated  and  improved  for  several 
years. 

On  the  llth  of  May,  1887,  in  Springfield,  111., 
Mr.  Cooper  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Katie,  a  daughter  of  Michael  and  Katie  Holland. 
The  father  is  now  deceased,  but  the  mother  lives 
with' her  children.  Three  children  brighten  the 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooper  by  their  presence: 
Nellie  May,  Freddie  Thomas  and  Alfred. 

Mr.  Cooper  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
James  G.  Elaine  in  1880,  and  has  since  been  a  sup- 
porter of  Republican  principles.  Socially,  he  is  a 
member  of  Decatur  Lodge  No.  186,  I.  0.  O.  F., 
and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  is  now  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  on  section  17,  Decatur  Township,  where  he 
owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  eighty-one 
acres  of  land.  His  farm  is  well  improved  and 
highly  cultivated,  and  the  owner  is  a  successful 
agriculturist.  Almost  hisentirelife  has  been  passed 
in  Macon  County,  and  his  many  friends  know  him 
to  be  a  man  of  upright  character  and  sterling 
worth. 


OHN  MARSH,  a  retired  farmer  and  stock- 
dealer,  how  living  in  Maroa,  is  one  of  the 
worthy  citizens  which  Ohio  has  furnished 
fJ  to  Macon  County.  He  was  born  in  War- 
ren County  July  12,  1823,  and  on  the  maternal 
side  is  of  Irish  descent,  his  grandfather  having 
emigrated  from  Ireland  to  America  in  1810.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Daniel  Marsh,  was  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  and  in  an  early  day  emigrated  to 
Ohio.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Jesse  Marsh, 
was  also  born  in  the  same  State,  and  throughout 
his  entire  life  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. He  married  Ann  Sloan,  who  was  also  born 
in  Ireland,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
children:  Daniel,  deceased;  John,  of  this  sketch; 
William,  of  Champaign  County,  111.;  and  Jane, 
who  has  also  passed  away.  The  father  died  in 


654 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


deals  in  farm  implements  and  is  the  owner  of  an 
elevator  at  this  place.  He  is  an  enterprising  and 
progressive  citizen,whose  well-directed  efforts  have 
gained  him  a  handsome  property  He  manifests  a 
commendable  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community,  and  his  name  is  insep- 
arably connected  with  the  upbuilding  of  this  neigh- 
borhood. In  politics  he  votes  independently. 
Social^',  he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America. 


ARDY  DALY,  a  farmer  residing  on  section 
15,  Illini  Township,  well  deserves  mention 
in  the  history  of  this  county,  for  he  is  num- 
bered  among  its  honored  pioneers,  dating 
his  residence  here  from  1840.  In  the  years  that 
have  since  come  and  gone  he  has  witnessed  the 
growth  and  development  which  have  wrought  such 
a  great  transformation,  and  has  borne  his  part  in 
its  upbuilding  and  advancement.  He  has  seen  the 
wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful  homes  and 
farms,  towns  and  villages  have  sprung  up,  churches 
and  schools  have  been  built,  and  by  the  onward 
inarch  of  progress  Macon  County  has  been  placed 
in  the  front  rank  in  Illinois. 

Mr.  Daly  is  a  native  of  Juniata  County,  Pa.  He 
was  born  July  2,  1830,  and  there  spent  the  first 
ten  years  of  his  life.  He  then  came  to  Illinois  with 
his  father,  George  Daly,  who  emigrated  with  his 
family  Westward  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county.  He  was  not  long  permitted 
to  enjoy  his  new  home,  however,  his  death  occur- 
ring in  July,  1841.  The  family  numbered  four 
sons  and  four  daughters  who  grew  to  mature  years, 
but  two  brothel's  are  now  deceased:  William  and 
Austin.  Albert,  the  other  brother,  resides  near- 
Belle  Plain e,  Kan. 

Hardy  Daly  was  reared  to  manhood  amid  the 
wild  scenes  of  frontier  life.  During  his  youth  he 
worked  by  the  month  for  Samuel  Powers  for  sev- 
eral years,  and  then  engaged  in  breaking  prairie 
for  some  years.  In  the  fall  of  1852,  he  purchased 


a  quarter-section  of  raw  prairie,  the  farm  upon 
which  he  now  resides,  and  though  the  land  was 
then  in  its  primitive  condition,  he  has  evolved  a 
fine  farm,  one  of  the  best  in  the  community,  well 
improved  and  highly  cultivated.  From  time  to 
time  he  has  made  additional  purchases,  until  his 
landed  possessions  now  aggregate  five  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  acres,  comprised  within  four 
farms.  The  neat  appearance  of  his  home  place 
and  the  well-tilled  fields  with  their  golden  grain  all 
indicate  his  faithful  enterprise. 

Mr.  Daly  started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  but 
though  he  possessed  no  capital  he  had  a  strong  de- 
termination to  succeed,  and  by  his  labor  and  en- 
terprise he  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  to 
a  position  of  wealth  and  affluence.  He  to-day  ranks 
among  Macon  County's  substantial  farmer?.  In 
1856,  he  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  foi  John 
C.  Fremont,  and  since  that  time  has  never  failed  to 
deposit  his  ballot  for  the  Presidential  candidate  of 
the  Republican  party.  In  local  politics,  however, 
he  is  independent,  supporting  the  man  whom  he 
thinks  best  qualified  for  the  office,  regardless  of 
party  affiliations.  He  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker,  however,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and 
attention  to  his  business  interests,  in  which  lie  has 
met  with  signal  success.  His  life  has  been  an  up- 
right one  and  he  lias  the  confidence  of  all  who 
know  him. 


LFRED  A.  COOPER,  a  practical  and  pro- 
gressive  farmer  residing  on  section  17. 
Decatur  Township,  comes  not  from  the 
East,  as  the  greater  part  of  the  citizens  of 
Macon  County  do,  but  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
beyond  the  Mississippi.  He  was  born  in  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant, Iowa,  on  the  14th  of  September,  1856,  and 
comes  from  the  old  Pilgrim  stock,  his  Puritan  an- 
cestors having  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  the  "  May- 
flower "  from  England.  The  family  is  one  noted 
for  longevity,  and  the  grandfather  of  our  subject 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


655 


reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-eight  years. 
He  was  a  cousin  of  Peter  Cooper,  the  philanthro- 
pist. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Thomas  Cooper,  was 
born  in  Washington  County,  Pa..  December  13, 
1818,  and  spent  his  boyhood  days  upon  the  home 
farm,  while  in  the  common  schools  lie  acquired 
his  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he 
wedded  Mary  A.  Auld,  a  native  of  Washington 
County,  Pa.,  and  a  daughter  of  Archibald  Auld,  a 
farmer  of  that  locality.  Upon  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Cooper  was  given  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  by 
his  father,  upon  which  he  made  his  home  until, 
selling  out,  he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he  carried 
on  a  large  farm  and  fed  cattle.  In  1868  he  re- 
moved to  Win  field,  Henry  County,  Iowa,  and  after 
a  time  came  to  Macon  County,  111.,  purchasing  a 
farm  south  of  Decatur,  on  which  he  located.  He 
afterward  bought  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land,  and  upon  that  farm  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  days.  He  was  quite  a  well-to-do  citizen  and 
owned  considerable  property  in  Decatur.  His 
death  occurred  December  27,  1882,  and  his  re- 
mains were  interred  in  Wycle  Cemetery.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
was  highly  respected  for  his  man}'  excellencies  of 
character.  In  politics,  he  warmly  advocated  the 
principles  of  Republicanism.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him  and  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Decatur  Township,  at  the  age  of  seventy -three. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  The 
Cooper  family  numbered  four  children.  George, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  married  Margaret 
McDaniel,  and  is  a  farmer  of  Harristown  Town- 
ship; Sarah  Jane  became  the  wife  of  William 
Parker,  and  is  now  deceased;  Alfred  is  the  third  in 
order  of  birth;  and  John  Franklin  wedded  Mary 
Mc-Cauley,  and  is  a  cigar-maker  of  Decatur. 

Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  seven  years  when  with 
his  parents  he  came  to  Macon  County,  where  he 
was  reared  and  educated.  His  school  privileges 
well  fitted  him  for  the  practical  duties  of  life.  He 
went  through  the  Wood  Street  School  of  Decatur, 
and  afterward  pursued  a  business  course  in  the 
Bryant  &  Stratton  College,  of  Chicago.  Si-nee 
his  youth  he  has  followed  farming.  He  remained 
upon  the  home  farm  until  the  death  of  his  father, 


and  then  assumed  management  of  the  homestead, 
which  he  cultivated  and  improved  for  several 
years. 

On  the  llth  of  May,  1887,  in  Springfield,  111., 
Mr.  Cooper  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Katie,  a  daughter  of  Michael  and  Katie  Holland. 
The  father  is  now  deceased,  but  the  mother  lives 
with'  her  children.  Three  children  brighten  the 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooper  by  their  presence: 
Nellie  May,  Freddie  Thomas  and  Alfred. 

Mr.  Cooper  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
James  G.  Blaine  in  1880,  and  has  since  been  a  sup- 
porter of  Republican  principles.  Socially,  he  is  a 
member  of  Decatur  Lodge  No.  186,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  is  now  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  on  section  17,  Decatur  Township,  where  he 
owns  and  operates  one  hundred  and  eight3'-one 
acres  of  land.  His  farm  is  well  improved  and 
highly  cultivated,  and  the  owner  is  a  successful 
agriculturist.  Almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  Macon  County,  and  his  many  friends  know  him 
to  be  a  man  of  upright  character  and  sterling 
worth. 


OHN  MARSH,  a  retired  farmer  and  stock- 
dealer,  how  living  in  Maroa,  is  one  of  the 
worthy  citizens  which  Ohio  has  furnished 
t!  to  Macon  County.  He  was  born  in  War- 
ren County  July  12,  1823,  and  on  the  maternal 
side  is  of  Irish  descent,  his  grandfather  having 
emigrated  from  Ireland  to  America  in  1810.  His 
paternal  grandfather,  Daniel  Marsh,  was  a  native 
of  New  Jersey,  and  in  an  early  day  emigrated  to 
Ohio.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Jesse  Marsh, 
was  also  born  in  the  same  State,  and  throughout 
his  entire  life  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. He  married  Ann  Sloan,  who  was  also  born 
in  Ireland,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
children:  Daniel,  deceased;  John,  of  this  sketch; 
William,  of  Champaign  County,  111.;  and  Jane, 
who  has  also  passed  awa}'.  The  father  died  in 


658 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  who  is  both  widely  and  favorably  known 
in  this  county.  He  is  the  youngest  in  a  family  of 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  the  eldest  of  whom 
was  Capt.  Lewis  J.;  James  M.  is  represented  else- 
where in  this  volume;  Ella  is  the  wife  of  John 
Everett,  of  Harristown;  Nancy  is  the  wife  of  S.  H. 
Anderson,  a  banker  of  Genoa,  Neb.;  Isaac  O.,  who 
for  many  years  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Deca- 
tur,  died  in  that  city  in  1889;  Edward,  a  valiant 
soldier  of  the  late  war,  laid  down  his  life  in  de- 
fense of  his  country,  dying  after  the  battle  of 
Milliken's  Bend  in  1863;  John  died  on  the  old 
homestead  in  1882;  Martha  died  in  1863;  and  H.  H. 
is  serving  as  County  Clerk  of  Nance  Count3',  Neb. 

Our  subject  came  to  Macon  County  when  only 
seven  years  of  age,  and  was  reared  to  manhood  on 
the  old  homestead  farm,  where  he  how  resides,  and 
has  therefore  seen  the  county  in  the  days  of  its 
early  infancy.  He  received  good  educational  ad- 
vantages, and  to  his  father  he  gave  the  benefit  of 
his  services  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  In 
fact,  he  aided  in  carrying  on  the  old  homestead 
farm  for  four  years  after  he  had  reached  man's  es- 
tate. After  his  marriage  he  located  upon  a  farm 
adjoining  the  old  homestead,  and  two  years  later, 
when  his  father  removed  to  Harristown,  settled 
upon  the  home  farm,  to  the  ownership  of  which 
he  succeeded  on  his  father's  death.  He  now  has 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  it  is 
one  of  the  best  in  the  neighborhood,  supplied  with 
all  first-class  improvements.  He  has  a  beautiful 
grove  of  forest  tiees,a  numberof  which  he  planted 
with  his  own  hands.  A  good  orchard  yields  its 
fruit  in  season,  and  his  home  is  a  substantial  and 
pleasant  residence. 

On  the  20th  of  January,  1875,  Mr.  Eyman  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Stella  Tandy,  a  na- 
tive of  Morgan  County,  III.,  and  a  daughter  of 
A.  J.  Tandy,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky.  Their  un- 
ion has  been  blessed  with  three  daughters:  Sophia, 
and  Lula  and  Lela.  twins.  The  parents  hold  mem- 
bership witli  the  Christian  Church  of  Harristown, 
in  which  Mr.  Eyman  is  now  serving  as  Deacon. 
He  has  been  a  stanch  advocate  of  Republican  prin- 
ciples since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Gen.  Grant  in  1872.  The  duties  of  citizenship  are 


ever  faithfully  performed  by  our  subject,  and  the 
best  interests  of  the  community  receive  his  hearty 
support  and  co-operation.  Public  spirited  and 
progressive,  Macon  County  recognizes  in  him  a 
valued  citizen. 


' 


R.  FRAZIER,  one  of  Decatur's  leading  and 
influential  business  men,  is  Secretary  of  the 
Leader  Manufacturing  Company,  one  of 
the  important  industries  of  Macon  County.  A  na- 
tive of  Maryland,  he  was  born  in  Frederick  City 
October  12,  1855.  His  father,  Rev.  J.  Frazier,  was 
born  in  the  same  place  and  for  years  as  pastor  had 
charge  of  several  large  and  flourishing  churches  in 
Maryland  an.d  Pennsylvania.  His  health  failing 
under  his  arduous  duties,  he  determined  to  see  if 
a  change  of  climate  would  not  prove  beneficial, 
and  so  emigrated  Westward  to  Indiana,  locating  in 
Portland,  that  State.  For  several  3'ears  he  did 
mission  work  in  and  around  Portland  as  his  health 
permitted.  His  death  there  occurred  in  1885.  He 
had  been  engaged  in  ministerial  work  for  thirty- 
three  years,  having  entered  upon  the  labors  of  the 
Gospel  at  the  age  of  twenty-four. 

When  a  young  man  of  seventeen  our  subject 
began  life  for  himself.  At  that  early  age  he  mani- 
fested an  executive  ability  which  he  has  utilized 
for  his  own  as  well  as  for  his  employers'  advan- 
tage, and  therefore  won  success.  Going  t,o  Alabama, 
he  took  charge  of  a  large  force  of  laborers  in  Ihe 
cedar  district  for  the  well-known  firm  of  Shoup 
&  Co.,  who  furnished  cedar  for  lead  pencils  for  the 
foreign  market.  The  men  under  Mr.  Frazier's 
management  felled  the  trees,  sawed  the  lumber 
and  shaped  it  forpencils,  making  it  from  timber 
raised  on  the  plantation  of  C.  C.  Clay  and  Capt. 
Tom  Gurley,  who  were  noted  Southern  gentlemen 
during  war  times.  For  twenty-four  months  Mr. 
Frazier  superintended  from  eight  hundred  to  one 
thousand  men.  He  then  went  to  Scottsboro,  Ala., 
where  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Col.  A. 
Snodgrass  as  publishers  of  the  Alabama  Herald. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


659 


During  this  time  he  conducted  a  general  mer- 
chandise business  after  the  custom  of  the  Southern 
States,  and  also  engaged  in  manufacturing  by  ma- 
chinery a  cheap  grade  of  shoes.  While  in  Scotts- 
boro  our  subject  accumulated  nearly  $20,000,  and 
had  laid  the  foundation  for  large  business  inter- 
ests, but  on  February  28,  1880,  Scottsboro  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  In  a  town  of  a  little  more  than 
two  thousand  inhabitants,  fifty-nine  buildings, 
mostly  business  houses,  were  swept  away,  as  it 
were  in  a  moment,  and  Mr.  Frazier  was  left  penni- 
less. 

It  was  impossible  to  check  the  dauntless  spirit 
of  our  subject,  however.  He  went  to  Chattanooga, 
which  was  then  enjoying  a  boom,  and  presented 
himself  at  the  office  of  the  Chattanooga  Times  for 
employment.  Accepting  a  position  as  typo  with 
Adolph  S.  Ochs  in  the  job  department  at  a  salary 
of  $10  per  week,  he  was  thus  employed  fiom  the 
1st  of  April  until  the  15th  of  September,  1880,  at 
which  time  he  was  made  assistant  foreman  of  the 
daily  department  of  night  work.  Thus  he  labored 
until  the  1st  of  January,  1881,  when  he  was  made 
general  foreman  of  the  Times  Company,  having 
charge  of  botli  the  daily  and  weekly  editions  of 
the  paper,  the  job  department,  the  Tradesman  de- 
partment and  the  bindery  and  pressroom.  He 
acceptably  filled  that  responsible  position  until 
1890.  As  before  stated,  he  went  to  Chattanooga 
when  the  real-estate  boom  was  beginning  to  create 
a  furore  in  the  South,  and  although  he  had  experi- 
enced ill  luck  in  Scottsboro,  he  recovered  there, 
through  judicious  land  investments,  more  than  he 
had  lost  by  fire,  and  almost  as  suddenly.  As  an 
example  of  the  advance  and  shrinkage  in  land 
values,  Mr.  Frazier  sold  some  land  which  cost  him 
$400  for  $16,000,  after  holding  it  about  two  3'ears. 
The  inevitable  camo,  and  the  land  is  worth  to-day 
only  about  $800,  but  Mr.  Frazier's  fortune  had 
come  and  he  now  retired  from  the  real-estate  and 
newspaper  business. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1890,  having  returned 
to  Portland,  Ind.,  our  subject  purchased  a  half-in- 
terest in  the  Brown  Manufacturing  Company,  of 
that  place,  taking  charge  of  the  same  as  business 
manager,  which  position  he  held  until  a  stock  com- 
pany was  formed  and  the  business  was  removed  to 


Decatur,  April  12,  1891.  At  that  time  the  name 
of  The  Decatur  Leader  Manufacturing  Company 
was  assumed,  and  Mr.  Frazier  was  elected  its 
Secretary.  The  other  officers  of  the  company  are 
mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  The  plant  is 
worth  $50,000,  and  they  do  a  paying  business,  it 
being  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  State  outside 
of  Chicago. 

In  1881  Mr.  Frazier  .was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  Buttruff,  of  Chambersburg,  Pa., 
and  their  union  has  been  blessed  with  two  charm- 
ing and  interesting  children:  Harry  T.,  aged  ten 
years;  and  Ella  I.,  a  little  maiden  of  six  summers. 
Possessed  of  untiring  enterprise  and  perseverance, 
Mr.  Frazier  has  made  of  his  life  a  prosperous  one. 
He  has  not  been  overcome  by  the  difficulties  that 
he  has  encountered,  but  his  misfortunes  have 
seemed  rather  to  serve  as  an  impetus  to  renewed 
effort.  His  well-spent  life  entitles  him  to  a  promi- 
nent place  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county. 


UILLIAM  CLIFTON,  a  retired  farmer  who 
is  now  residing  in  Argenta,  is  one  of  the 
W^tl  most  prominent  and  highly  respected  citi- 
zens of  the  county,  and  is  one  of  the  honored  vet- 
erans of  the  Mexican  War.  His  well-spent  life  is 
deserving  of  commemoration  in  the  history  of  his 
adopted  county.  He  was  born  in  Casey  County, 
Ky.,  September  13,  1819,  and  is  a  son  of  Nehe- 
miah  and  Margaret  Clifton,  and  the  only  survivor 
in  a  family  which  numbered  seven  children.  The 
others  were  Sally,  Jo  (twin  brother  of  our  subject, 
who  died  near  Vera  Cruz  during  the  Mexican  War 
and  still  sleeps  on  the  battlefield),  Winnie,  John, 
Polly  and  Betsy. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  William 
Clifton  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth 
midst  play  and  work.  He  gained  some  knowledge 
of  the  English  branches  by  attending  subscription 
schools,  but  is  mostly  self-educated.  Having  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  nineteen  years  of 
age,  he  then  rented  a  part  of  his  farm  for  a  nurn- 


660 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ber  of  years.  He  had  come  to  Illinois  with  his 
parents  when  a  lad  of  six  summers,  the  trip  West- 
ward being  made  by  team,  and  the  family  had  lo- 
cated on  Spring  Creek,  in  Sangamon  County,  five 
miles  west  of  Springfield.  Securing  a  tract  of 
Goveinment  land,  a  log  cabin  was  erected  and  the 
family  lived  in  true  pioneer  style.  Our  subject 
remained  in  Sangamon  County  until  1832,  when 
he  removed  to  Macon  County,  after  wards  changed 
to  De  Witt  County,  where  his  father  took  up  eighty 
acres  of  Government  land  at  $1.25  per  acre.  In 
the  fall  of  1864,  the  son  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  partly  improved  land  in  Friends' 
Creek  Township,  where  he  now  owns  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres.  He  carried  on  general 
farming  and  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  stock. 

During  the  Mexican  War,  Mr.  Clifton  enli&ted 
as  a  private  of  Company  E,  Fourth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and,  together  with  his  brother,  was  mustered 
into  service  at  Springfield.  The  troops  went  to 
Alton  and  by  boat  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  where 
they  were  drilled  for  a  month,  and  then  proceeded 
to  New  Orleans,  where  they  remained  for  some 
time.  They  then  crossed  the  Gulf  to  Mexico, 
landing  at  Vera  Cruz.  Mr.  Clifton  was  at  the 
bombardment  of  that  place.  He  served  for  twelve 
months,  and  at  the  close  of  his  term  received  an 
honorable  discharge. 

Mr.  Clifton  has  been  twice  married.  In  1838, 
he  married  Miss  Parthenia  Payne,  and  unto  them 
were  born  two  children:  Van  Buren,  who  is  propri- 
etor of  a  hotel  and  also  owns  an  elevator  in  Cerro 
Gordo;  and  Columbus  .].,  a  farmer  residing  near 
Sibley,  Ford  County.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  our  subject  was  again  married,  in  1862,  to 
Mrs.  Sarah  Scroggin,  widow  of  Humphrey  Scrog- 
gin.  They  have  four  children:  William  II.,  Par- 
theuia,  Marshall  and  Rupert. 

Mr.  Clifton,  who  has  been  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  for  several  years,  is  serving  as  Elder, 
and  his  life  has  been  in  harmony  with  his  profes- 
sion. He  is  a  man  of  generous  and  benevolent 
spirit,  and  gives  his  support  to  every  enterprise 
calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit.  In  polities, 
he  has  been  a  stalwart  Democrat  since  casting  his 
first  Presidential  vote  for  Jackson.  He  remained 
upon  the  farm  until  1881,  when  he  removed  to 


Monticello,  III.,  where  he  remained  until  1888.  He 
then  came  to  Argenta  and  purchased  his  present 
home.  His  sons  now  have  charge  of  the  farm  and 
he  is  living  a  retired  life,  enjoying  the  rest  which 
he  has  so  truly  earned  and  richly  deserves. 


isYLEE  CONOVER,  who  formerly  followed 
carpentering  but  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  Maroa,  is  one  of  the  worthy  citizens 
that  New  Jersey  has  furnished  this  county.  His 
paternal  grandfather  was  a  native  of  the  State, 
but  was  of  German  descent.  His  death  occurred 
in  New  Jersey  December  29,  1826.  The  name 
was  originally  spelled  Covenhoven.  The  parents 
of  our  subject.  Timothy  and  Polly  (Woolly)  Con- 
over,  were  both  natives  of  New  Jersey,  and  were 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  Removing 
with  his  family  to  Ohio  in  1816,  the  father  there 
made  his  home  until  1842,  when  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Logan  County,  111.,  living  near  At- 
lanta for  about  eight  years.  In  1865  he  came  to 
Maroa,  and  lived  with  our  subject  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  January  29,  1870,  in  his  eightieth 
year.  His  wife  passed  away  some  years  previous, 
while  living  in  Ohio.  After  removing  to  the 
West,  they  joined  the  Christian  Church.  Their 
family  numbered  six  children,  but  our  subject  and 
Ann,  wife  of  Hainan  Hunt,  of  Shelby  County, 
Ohio,  are  the  only  ones  now  living.  Mary,  Eliza, 
William  and  George  are  now  deceased. 

In  taking  up  the  personal  history  of  our  subject, 
we  present  to  our  readers  the  life  record  of  one  of 
the  prominent  citizens  of  Maroa.  He  was  reared 
in  Ohio,  and  when  a  young  man  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade,  which  he  followed  for  many  years. 
He  acquired  a  limited  education  in  the  old-time 
subscription  schools  and  remained  at  home  for 
some  years  after  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He 
was  married  September  24,  1836,  to  Hester  Ann, 
daughter  of  Caleb  and  Charlotte  (Crowell)  Bond, 
of  Ohio.  Six  children  were  born  unto  them, 
but  Seth,  the  eldest,  died  in  infancy.  William  mar- 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


661 


ried  Elizabeth  Burke,  and  with  their  five  children, 
Estella,  Uel,  Clarence,  Nettie  and  Maggie,  they 
reside  in  Yuma,  Colo.  Their  eldest  daughter  is  the 
wife  of  G.  W.  Robinson,  of  Port  Morgan,  Colo.,  and 
has  three  children.  Uel  is  also  married.  The  next 
child,  Eliza  Ann,  died  when  young.  Governor 
wedded  Mary  J.  Long,  by  whom  he  has  two  chil- 
dren: Delia,  wife  of  Frank  Huber,  and  Burton. 
Alice  is  the  wife  of  Warner  J.  Compton,  a  grain 
merchant  of  Maroa,  and  they  have  four  daughters: 
Minnie,  wife  of  Frank  Cooper;  Agnes,  Lillie  and 
Fannie.  George,  who  completes  the  family,  is  re- 
presented on  another  page  of  this  work.  The  mo- 
ther of  this  family  died  August  9,  1874,  in  the 
faith  of  the  Christian  Church,  to  which  she  be- 
longed. 

On  the  loth  of  August,  1876,  Mr.  Conover  mar- 
ried Mrs.  Susan  Henry,  daughter  of  John  B.  and 
Deborah  C.  (Morgan)  Deevere,  and  widow  of 
William  Bayard  Henry,  of  Brown  County,  Ohio. 
She  was  the  mother  of  eleven  children,  but  only 
one  grew  to  maturity,  Margaret,  who  died  in  her 
twentieth  3rear.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  were  of  German,  French,  Scotch  and 
Welsh  descent.  Her  father  was  in  Baltimore  when 
the  first  stone  was  laid  for  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio 
Railroad,  and  with  his  family  he  removed  from 
eastern  Pennsylvania  to  Pittsburgh  in  a  wagon. 
His  death  occurred  at  Lostant,  III.,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four  years,  and  his  wife  died  in  Maroa  in 
1891,  in  her  eighty-seventh  year.  Three  of  their 
sons,  James  S.,  William  H.  and  David  H.,  fill 
soldier's  graves,  the  first-named  having  served  in 
the  Mexican  War,  and  the  other  two  in  the  Civil 
War.  The  family  numbered  nine  children,  but 
Mrs.  Conover  is  now  the  only  survivor. 

About  1865  our  subject  came  to  Maroa,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home,  with  the  exception  of 
one  year  spent  in  Funny  Hollow,  where  he  car- 
ried on  a  sawmill.  He  then  returned  to  this  city 
and  built  the  large  Midland  Mill,  now  called  the 
Midland  Elevator,  which  he  ran  as  a  mill  for  sev- 
eral years  and  then  made  of  it  an  elevator.  On 
one  occasion  his  coat  was  caught  in  the  gearing  of 
the  mill  and  in  the  revolution  of  the  machinerj'  a 
rope  was  so  wound  around  him  that  it  nearly  cost 
him  his  life.  He  once  narrowly  escaped  death, 


having  fallen  on  a  railroad  track,  and  once  in  a 
runaway  accident,  yet  he  is  now  a  well-preserved 
man  of  nearly  eighty  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conover  are  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  he  serves  as  one  of  its  Trustees. 
He  was  formerly  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  on 
account  of  his  views  on  the  temperance  question 
he  has  joined  the  ranks  of  the  Prohibition  party. 
He  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  in 
Dakota,  besides  his  present  home  in  Maroa  and 
other  fine  property.  The  best  interests  of  the  city 
have  ever  found  in  Mr.  Conover  a  friend,  and  his 
hearty  support  and  co-operation  have  been  given 
to  those  enterprises  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit. 


RS.  SUSAN  C.  V.  DAVIS  is  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Macon  County  and  an 
honored  representative  of  one  of  the 
pioneer  families.  Her  father,  Parmenas 
Smallwood,  was  born  near  Charlestown,  Jefferson 
County,  Va.,  on  the  27th  of  April,  1782,  and 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  was 
married  in  the  Old  Dominion.  June  23,  1807,  to 
Deborah  Brown,  who  was  born  near  Charlestown 
May  12,  1792.  Leaving  the  State  of  their  nativ- 
ity they  went  to  Lancaster  County,  Ohio,  where 
the  father  opened  up  a  new  farm.  He  became  one 
of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Macon  County,  111.,  emi- 
grating to  this  place  in  1825,  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  ten  children.  The  journey  was  made 
with  teams  from  Ohio.  The  winter  after  their  ar- 
rival was  spent  at  Sugar  Grove,  and  they  then 
located  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  the  home  of 
Mrs.  Davis,  on  section  3,  Decatur  Township.  It 
has  been  in  possession  of  the  family  since  1826. 

The  nearest  neighbor  of  the  Small  woods  at  that 
time  was  forty  miles  away.  Mr.  Smallwood  built 
a  hewed-log  cabin  and  in  true  pioneer  style  they 
began  life  in  the  West.  He  did  his  trading  in 
Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  Springfield,  where  he 
bought  salt  at  $1.25  per  barrel,  while  wheat  sold 


662 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


for  thirty  and  forty  cents  per  bushel.  When  the 
land  eara'e  into  market  he  purchased  it  from  the 
Government,  and  upon  the  old  homestead  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  politics,  he  was  an 
active  supporter  of  the  Whig  party.  His  death 
occurred  in  1848,  and  his  wife  was  called  to  her 
final  rest  November  7,  1873.  Mr.  Smallwood  was 
one  of  the  few  public-spirited  men  who  helped  to 
build  up  Decatur,  he  having  donated  ten  acres  to 
the  city,  which  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  town. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smallwood  were  born  the 
following  children:  Mrs.  Rachel  Murphy,  deceased; 
George,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  War 
and  died  near  Clinton,  111.;  John,  Samuel  and 
James,  all  deceased;  Daniel;  Amanda,  wife  of 
William  Bennett;  Elizabeth  Roben,  of  Clinton, 
111.;  Douglas  and  Asbarinah,  both  deceased;  Mrs. 
Davis;  Joseph,  who  is  living  in  Decatur;  and  Gid- 
eon, who  has  also  passed  away. 

Since  a  little  child  of  three  years,  Mrs.  Davis 
has  resided  upon  the  farm  which  is  still  her  home, 
and  in  her  girlhood  she  learned  to  spin  and 
weave  and  perform  such  other  duties  as  fell  to  the 
lot  of  the  daughters  of  the  household  in  those 
early  days.  One  year  she  wove  and  dyed  over 
two  hundred  yards  of  cloth.  Her  education  was 
acquired  in  the  old-time  log  schoolhouse,  and  with 
the  family  she  experienced  all  the  hardships  and 
difficulties  of  pioneer  life.  Having  attained  to 
womanhood,  she  became  the  wife  of  Amanuel 
Davis,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  His  father  was  a  brick  dealer  and  real-estate 
man  of  that  city,  and  he  there  remained  until 
1841,  when  he  came  to  the  West.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  the  2d  of  January,  1861,  when  not  yet 
forty  years  of  age. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  were  born  four  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  now  living.  Eliza  died  in 
infancy.  Ida  A.  is  the  wife  of  William  T.  Down- 
ing, who  resides  in  the  city  of  Decatur,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  breeding  fine  stock.  She  was  educated 
in  the  city  schools,  and  by  her  marriage  has  be- 
come the  mother  of  three  children  yet  living: 
Clifford  O.,  Anna  Maud  and  William  Poyutelle. 
They  also  lost  one  child,  Ellis,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  five  years.  Benjamin  A.,  who  was  educated  in 
the  Normal  School  of  Illinois  anil  Mt.  Zion  Acad- 


emy, married  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1879,  and  at  his 
death  left  two  children,  Edna  S.  and  Louisa.  Anna 
E.,  the  youngest  of  the  Davis  family,  attended  St. 
Mary's  Hall,  of  Burlington,  and  Cottage  Seminary, 
of  Pottstown,  Pa.  She  has  spent  some  time  in 
Pennsylvania  and  the  East,  but  is  still  living  on 
the  old  homestead.  Mrs.  Davis  now  spends  the 
greater  part  of  her  time  with  her  children.  She  is 
a  lady  possessed  of  many  excellencies  of  character, 
which  have  won  her  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and 
gained  her  the  respect  of  all  with  whom  she  is  ac- 
quainted. The  story  of  pioneer  life  in  Macon 
County  is  thoroughly  familiar  to  her, and  she  has 
been  an  eye-witness  of  all  the  varied  changes 
which  have  transformed  this  Iocalit3-  from  a  bar- 
ren tract  to  one  of  the  richest  counties  in  the 
commonwealth. 


J~~]  OSEPH  STOCKS,  proprietor  and  owner  of 
I  the  Montana  Farm,  situated  on  section  15, 
j  Dora  Township,  Moultrie  County,  is  well 
known  to  the  citizens  of  Macon  County, 
and  is  deserving  of  representation  in  this  volume. 
We  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his  life  will 
prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  A  na- 
tive of  England,  he  was  born  April  6,  1838.  His 
father,  Benjamin  Stocks,  was  born  in  the  same 
country  in  1797,  and  in  1818  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  S:irah  Campinot.  Seven  children 
were  born  of  their  union,  Mary,  Ellen,  George, 
James,  Ann,  Emma  and  Joseph,  but  with  the  ex- 
ception of  our  subject  all  are  now  deceased. 

Our  subject  started  work  in  England  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years  at  $1  per  week,  working  on  the 
Lancashire  &  Yorkshire  Railwa}-.  He  remained 
witli  them  five  years,  the  last  year  getting  $3  per 
week,  out  of  which  he  saved  a  portion  toward  com- 
ing to  America,  where  better  opportunities  and 
privileges  were  afforded  young  men,  he  believed, 
than  in  his  own  country.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  he  sailed  from  Liverpool,  April  7,  1857,  ar- 
riving in  New  York  May  8.  He  went  at  once  to 


PORTRAIT  AND    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


663 


Vinton  County,  Ohio,  and  there  started  out  with 
only  ten  cents  to  his  name.  While  there  he  learned 
the  wagon-maker's  trade,  working  the  first  year 
for  $5  per  month  and  board,  while  the  second  year 
he  received  the  munificent  salary  of  $7.50  per 
month.  After  this  Mr.  Stocks  learned  the  black- 
smith's trade  and  when  he  had  mastered  the  busi- 
ness he  and  Ira  Day  built  a  shop  for  themselves  in 
the  Sciota  Valley,  in  Ohio,  where  he  remained  un- 
til the  spring  of  1863.  That  year  witnessed  his 
arrival  in  Illinois.  He  went  to  Mattoon  in  charge 
of  the  wagons,  carriage  and  horses  belonging  to 
E.  W.  Vause,  who  was  moving  out,  and  he 
worked  for  that  gentleman  until  the  1st  of  Octo- 
ber, 1863,  when  he  removed  to  Stark  County. 
There  he  remained  until  January,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  but  after  a  short  time  he  started 
for  California.  On  the  way  he  stopped  in  Iowa 
and  Minnesota  for  a  short  time,  and  there,  meet- 
ing a  party  bound  for  Montana  with  ox-teams,  he 
joined  thera  and  they  reached  their  destination  after 
a  trip  of  five  months  and  seven  days.  There  Mr. 
Stocks  began  working  in  the  gold  diggings,  and 
followed  mining  and  blacksmithing  for  about 
eight  years.  In  the  fall  of  1869  he  made  a  trip 
to  England  by  way  of  California,  stopping  to  see 
his  brother  George,  who  lived  south  of  Decatur. 
When  lie  came  to  Moultrie  County  he  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  of  George  Shrull, 
which  was  his  first  real  estate  and  present  home, 
but  afterward  returned  to  Montana,  in  Ma}-,  1870, 
and  December  15,  1872,  he  returned  to  Moultrie 
to  try  farming. 

In  1874  Mr.  Stocks  again  returned  on  a  visit  to 
his  old  home,  where  he  spent  a  number  of  pleas- 
ant months  with  his  aged  parents,  remaining  until 
1875,  and  leaving  them  in  good  care.  His  mother 
died  April  23,  1875,  aged  seventy-seven  years, 
and  his  father  died  June  17,  1875,  aged  seventy- 
eight  years.  The  latter  sold  off  his  furniture  twice, 
in  preparation  to  come  to  America,  but  sickness 
prevented  him  doing  so.  lie  often  remarked  that 
his  body  was  in  England,  but  his  thoughts  in 
America.  When  he  came  back  to  Illinois,  our  sub- 
ject bought  at  different  times  four  hundred  acres 
of  land  in  Moultrie  and  Macon  Counties.  The 
greater  part  of  the  land,  however,  is  situated  on 


section  15,  Dora  Township,  Moultrie  County, 
although  the  farm  is  all  in  one,  divided  only 
by  the  invisible  county  line.  This  farm  is  one 
of  the  best  in  the  community,  in  fact  it  ranks 
among  the  model  farms  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
There  he  engages  in  stock-raising  in  addition  to 
general  farming,  and  keeps  on  hand  a  fine  grade 
of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs.  The  improvements 
upon  the  place  all  stand  as  monuments  to  his 
thrift  and  enterprise,  and  the  buildings  are  excel- 
lent, including  a  fine  barn,  which  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $6,000. 

In  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Stocks  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  held  the  of- 
fice of  Township  Clerk  of  Dora  Township.  Socially, 
he  is  connected  with  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows' 
fraternities  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 
Upright  and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  he  is  a 
gentleman  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  enjoys 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  the  entire  community  in 
which  he  lives,  and  to  this  regard  he  is  justly  en- 
titled. 


RS.  MARGARET  KINCAJD,  who  is  now 
living  at  her  pleasant  home  at  No.  1306 
North  Clayton  Street.  Decatur,  belongs  to 
one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  county. 
Her  father,  Fielding  House,  was  born  in  Bath 
County,  Ky.,  in  1807,  and  was  a  son  of  William 
House,  whose  father  was  a  native  of  Holland. 
William  was  born  near  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  went  to  Maysville,  Ky.,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade  as  a  stone  and  brick  mason. 
Upon  the  banks  of  the  Licking  River  he  spent  his 
remaining  days,  and  though  he  arrived  there  with 
only  his  trowel  and  a  half  dollar,  he  became  the 
owner  of  large  landed  estates  and  other  valuable 
property.  He  was  married  in  Bath  County,  Ky., 
to  Ann  Whitecraft,  a  religious  woman  and  a  faith- 
ful Christian,  who  at  the  age  of  nine  years  joined 
the  Seceder  Church.  Mr.  House  made  various 
trips  to  Illinois,  and  in  Macon  and  Christian 


664 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Counties  entered  two  thousand  acres  of  land. 
He  was  an  honorable,  upright  man,  whose  word  was 
as  good  as  his  bond.  In  politics  he  was  an  old-line 
Whig.  The  family  numbered  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters,  but  none  are  now  living. 

The  eldest,  Fielding  House,  was  born  in  the  old 
bnc-k  residence  on  the  homestead  farm  in  Hath 
County,  and  acquired  a  good  education  in  the 
schools  of  Washington  and  Maysville,  Ky.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  mill- 
wright and  carpenter.  Ere  leaving  his  native 
State,  he  married  Jane  Todd,  a  distant  relative  of 
the  Lincoln  family,  and  a  native  of  Fleming  Coun- 
ty, Ky.  Her  parents  were  Thomas  and  Margaret 
(Boyd)  Todd.  In  1835,  Mr.  House  with  two  j-oke 
of  oxen  came  to  Macon  County,  111.,  and  for  $50 
purchased  a  small  claim,  upon  which  was  a  little  log 
cabin.  There  he  lived  and  died,  being  buried  upon 
the  old  homestead.  A  man  of  excellent  business 
ability,  enterprising  and  progressive,  his  business 
career  was  one  of  success  and  he  became  the  owner 
of  eight  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  which  he 
placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  To 
some  extent  he  worked  at  his  trade,  and  built  many 
mills  and  barns  in  this  county.  For  four  years 
he  served  as  County  Surveyor  in  Kentucky,  and 
did  much  surveying  in  this  county.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Whig  and  Republican,  but  was  never  a 
politician  in  the  sense  of  office-seeking. 

In  January,  1836,  Mrs.  House  died  of  consump- 
tion and  was  buried  on  the  old  home  farm.  Her 
children  were:  Mrs.  Margaret  Kincaid,  who  was  born 
June  1,  1829,  in  Bath  County,  Ky.;  William,  of 
Douglas  County;  and  Mrs.  Nancy  Jane  Bills,  of 
Decatur.  For  his  second  wife,  Mr  House  married 
Jane  Scott,  of  Moultrie  County,  111. 

Mrs.  Kincaid  was  reared  by  her  step-mother  and 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools  and  in  Decatur, 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  she  returned  to  Kentucky, 
and  lor  seven  years  made  her  home  with  her 
grandparents.  She  there  became  the  wife  of  Asa 
Kincaid,  a  native  of  the  same  neighborhood,  and 
in  1857  they  came  to  Illinois,  locating  near 
Dwatur,  where  Mr.  Kincaid  engaged  in  farming 
and  in  the  dairy  business.  Coming  to  Decatur,  they 
located  on  North  Clayton  Street.  While  bringing 
cattle  from  the  pasture,  Mr.  Kincaid  was  hurt  by  a 


horse  and  the  injury  caused  his  death  in  September, 
1891,  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years  and  six  months. 
He  was  a  man  held  in  high  esteem  by  all,  and  his 
loss  was  deeply  mourned  throughout  the  commu- 
nity. 

The  children  of  the  family  are:  Robert  F.,  a  well- 
to-do  citizen  carrying  on  business  as  a  contractor 
and  builder  of  Decatur,  and  who  married  Elizabeth 
Robinson;  William  Oliver,  who  married  Miss  Lit- 
tle, of  Monmoulh,  and  resides  in  Decatur;  Charles 
T-.,  who  married  Julia  llise  is  employed  as  travel- 
ing salesman  by  a  Chicago  house,  and  makes  his 
home  in  this  city;  David  ().,  who  wedded  Ona 
Hise,  lives  in  Decatur  and  operates  his  mother's 
farm;  and  Nellie,  the  wife  of  William  Stearns, 
of  Woodlawn,  Neb.  In  addition  to  her  pleasant 
residence  in  this  city,  Mrs.  Kincaid  owns  a  good 
farm  in  Macon  County,  and  is  therefore  comforta- 
bly situated.  Almost  her  entire  life  has  been  spent 
in  this  community,  and  she  is  a  lady  whose  many 
excellencies  of  character  have  won  her  the  esteem 
of  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends. 


EUBEN  SIGLER,  of  the  well-known  firm 
of  Sigler  &  Foster,  leading  merchants  of 
Maroa,  ranks  among  the  leading  business 
men  of  this  community,  and  is  a  citizen 
Macon  County  could  ill  afford  to  lose.  He  claims 
Ohio  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.  He  was  born  in 
Ashland  County  December  25,  1842, and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Catherine  (Spealman)  Sigler,  both  natives 
of  Maryland.  His  grandfathers,  John  Sigler  and 
Joseph  Spealman,  were  both  natives  of  the  same 
State,  were  of  German  descent  and  both  reached 
an  advanced  age.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
a  soldier  of  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  a  farmer, 
and  about  1828  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  spent 
his  remaining  days.  His  wife  died  in  1859,  and 
he  passed  away  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four.  They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Chiireh. 
Their  family  numbered  nine  children,  six  sons  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


665 


three  daughters:  William;  Mary  Ann,  deceased; 
Elizabeth,  widow  of  George  Kichenger;  John; 
Margaret,  wife  of  Joseph  Shemberger;  Joseph,  de- 
ceased; Jacob,  Reuben  and  Henry. 

Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Ohio,  remaining 
at  home  until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
offered  his  services  to  his  country,  and  aided  in 
the  struggle  to  preserve  the  Union.  He  enlisted 
in  Company  G,  Sixty-fifth  Ohio  Infantry,  and 
served  for  three  years  and  two  months.  He  was 
twice  wounded,  firsl  at  Cumberland  Mountain  and 
next  in  the  charge  on  Mission  Ridge.  He  partici- 
pated in  seven  hard-fought  battles  and  a  number 
of  skirmishes,  serving  for  more  than  three  years 
as  a  faithful  and  loyal  defender  of  the  Stars  and 
Stripes. 

When  the  war  was  over,  Mr.  Sigler  returned  to 
Ohio,  and  thence  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Maroa,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  Dur- 
ing the  first  five  years  after  his  arrival  he  engaged 
in  farming,  after  which  he  carried  on  a  restaurant 
for  a  short  time.  Selling  out,  he  embarked  in  the 
grocery  business,  and  after  two  years  formed  a 
partnership  in  that  line  with  David  Bennett,  to 
whom  he  afterward  sold  his  interest.  Mr.  Sigler 
was  then  employed  by  Mr.  Grady  for  eight  years, 
and  afterward  worked  for  the  firm  of  Grady  «fe 
Wagner  for  three  years.  Subsequently  he  was 
employed  for  two  years  with  II.  B.  Smith,  when  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  W.  O.  B.  Foster,  open- 
ing a  general  store,  in  which  business  was  carried 
on  under  the  firm  name  of  Sigler  &  Foster.  This 
connection  has  since  continued,  and  the  firm  en- 
joys a  large  and  constantly  increasing  trade. 
Their  house  is  one  of  the  leading  stores  in  the  city, 
and  its  proprietors  are  men  of  well-known  busi- 
ness merits  and  standing,  who  well  deserve  the 
business  which  is  given  them. 

Mr.  Sigler  was  married  August  20,  1866,  to  Miss 
Fannie  Stauffer,  daughter  of  John  and  Catherine 
(Rice)  Slauffer,  of  De  Witt  County.  Unto  them 
were  born  five  children:  Addie  Ma}7,  wife  of  W. 
O.  B.  Foster,  by  whom  she  has  one  son,  Sidney 
Francis;  Clarence  W.,  Estella,  Bessie  and  Verne 
Francis.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  July, 
1890,  at  the  age  of  forty-two.  She  was  a  faithful 


member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  Mr.  Sigler  is  also  a  member  and  Trustee. 
He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  the  Globe,  and  form- 
erly was  a  member  of  Lingle  Post  No.  348,  G.  A.  R. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  loyal  Republican,  and  for  two 
terms  served  as  Alderman  of  Maroa,  discharging 
j  his  duties  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He  is  a 
public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  and  mani- 
fests a  commendable  interest  in  everything  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  the  community. 


/|>AIT  BROUGHTON,  who  owns  and  oper- 
ates a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  six- 
ty-two acres  on  section  18,  Mt.  '/.ion  Town- 
ship, claims  New  York  as  the  State  of  his  nativity, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Rensselaer  County, 
April  5,  1837.  His  father,  Wait,  was  born  May  27, 
1787,  died  March  12,  1863,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in 
Washington  City,  then  his  home.  His  wife  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Sallie  C.  Cross.  She  was  born 
in  the  Empire  State,  and  their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated in  Rensselaer  Count}',  N.  Y.,  January  23, 
181.5.  In  1848  they  removed  to  Virginia  with 
their  famity.  The  mother  passed  away  December 
21,  1876,  and  her  remains  were  interred  by  those 
of  her  husband  in  Washington  City.  Unto  this 
worthy  couple  were  born  ten  children,  as  follows: 
Lyman,  who  died  and  was  buried  in  Virginia;  David, 
who  was  buried  in  Washington,  D.  C.;  Samuel  R., 
who  was  buried  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.;  Olive 
and  Emeline,  both  of  whom  were  interred  in  Rens- 
selaer County,  N.  Y.;  Electa,  who  lies  buried  in 
Virginia;  Harriet,  wife  of  George  A.  Burns,  of 
Washington,  D.  C.;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  B.  L.  Lent, 
a  resident  of  Virginia;  Ebenezer  C.,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Washington  City;  and  Wait,  whose  name 
heads  this  record. 

Our  subject  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his 
life  in  New  York,  and  then  accompanied  his  par- 
ents  on  their  removal  to  Virginia,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1858.  Having  arrived  at  years  of 


666 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


maturity,  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  to  make 
his  own  way  in  the  world.  Thinking  that  the 
West  furnished  better  opportunities  for  ambitious 
young  men  than  the  more  thickly  settled  States 
along  the  Atlantic  Coast,  he  decided  to  seek  his 
fortune  ui  Illinois,  and  emigrated  to  Sangamon 
County  in  the  spring  of  1859.  In  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  he  came  to  Macon  County,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1861,  when  he  went  to  Logan  County. 
There  he  resided  until  his  enlistment  in  theservice 
of  his  country  for  the  late  war.  It  was  on  the 
11  th  of  August,  1863,  that  he  donned  the  blue 
and  became  a  member  of  Company  II,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  participated 
in  the  long  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  for  quite  a 
time  lie  lay  sick  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.  He  remained 
in  the  service,  however,  until  the  war  closed,  when 
he  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield,  111.,  July  12, 
1865.  His  father  was  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  his 
great-grandfather,  his  mother's  grandfather,  was  in 
the  Revolutionary  War.  He  was  the  British  General 
Lyman,  the  hero  of  Lake  George  in  the  French 
and  Indian  War.  Mr.  Broughton  of  this  sketch 
was  disabled  in  the  service  and  draws  a  small 
pension. 

When  the  war  was  over  our  subject  returned  to 
Sangamon  County,  where  he  remained  until  1872, 
when  he  again  came  to  Macon  County,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  On  the  2d  of  June, 
1868,  he  wedded  Miss  Susan  A.  Welsh,  who  was 
born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  in  1851,  and  came 
to  Illinois  with  her  parents  in  1856.  She  has  three 
brothers  and  a  sister  living.  Two  of  the  number 
reside  in  Illinois,  one  in  Iowa  and  one  in  Minne- 
sota. The  parents,  John  L.  and  Mary  ( Reed)  Welsh, 
are  both  deceased  and  lie  buried  in  Sangamon 
County.  Six  children  have  been  born  unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Broughton:  Albert,  Ida  May,  Henry- 
Clay,  George  II.,  Frederick  W.  and  Stanley  L.,  all 
of  whom  are  still  at  home. 

Throughout  his  entire  business  career  Mr. 
Broughton  has  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  place.  He  has 
a  pleasant  and  attractive  home,  surrounded  by 
every  comfort  necessary  for  happiness.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  supporter  of  Republican  principles,  and 
he  cast  his  first  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  So- 


cially, he  is  a  member  of  Dunham  Post  No.  141, 
G.  A.  R.,of  Decatur.  A  worthy  citizen  and  highly- 
respected  man,  he  is  an  honored  member  of  the 
community  in  which  he  resides. 


I-IARLKS  M.  FLETCHER,  who  is  exten- 
sively engaged  in  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing on  section  9,  Mt.  Zion  Township,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Macon  Count}'  for  thirty  years, 
having  removed  with  his  parents  to  Decatur  in 
1863.  He  was  born  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  on 
the  loth  of  December,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Sam- 
uel Fletcher,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
Hoosier  State.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  ma- 
turity, he  married  Rhoda  Jackson,  also  a  resident 
of  Indiana,  and  a  direct  descendant  of  Gen.  An- 
drew Jackson,  and  a  cousin  of  Judge  Hiram  Jack- 
son, of  Pialt  County,  III.  B}'  their  union  were 
born  five  children,  namely:  Lucy;  E.  Dills;  Charles 
M.,  of  this  sketch;  George  E.,  who  married  Miss 
Nancy  Billings,  of  Jasper  County,  and  now  resides 
in  Decatur;  and  Arthur  M.,  who  wedded  Miss  Lulu 
Burke,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  is  superintendent 
of  the  John  Ullrich  stock  farm  of  Moultrie  County. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  at  the  early  age  of  thirteen  years.  His 
career  has  indeed  been  a  prosperous  one  and  he 
deserves  great  credit  for  this.  On  leaving  home 
he  began  learning  the  printer's  trade,  at  which  he 
worked  for  a  period  of  twelve  years  in  Decatur. 
Five  years  of  this  time  he  had  charge  of  the 
advertising  department  of  the  well-known  manu- 
facturing house  of  H.  W.  Hill  &  Co. 

On  the  14th  of  October,  1880,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  Mr.  Fletcher  an'1  Miss  Donna  Isa- 
bella Ulery,  daughter  of  Eli  Ulery,  a  capitalist  and 
pioneer  stockman  of  Macon  County,  111.  The 
lady  was  educated  in  Monticello  Seminary,  of  God- 
frey, Madison  County,  III.,  and  is  a  cultured  and 
refined  .woman.  By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fletcher  have  been  born  four  children:  Robert  U., 
Dessie  Gertrude,  Mamie  and  Maurice. 


LIBRARY 

UNNERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
URBANA 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


669 


For  the  past  twelve  years,  Mr.  Fletcher  has  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Mt.  Zion  Town- 
ship, and  now  operates  six  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
of  splendid  land,  all  well  improved  and  highly 
cultivated.  It  is  well  fenced,  and  supplied  with 
good  buildings.  The  latest  improved  machinery 
is  there  found  and  the  place  is  well  stocked  with 
an  excellent  grade  of  horses  and  cattle.  A  fine 
residence  has  been  recently  completed.  It  is  built 
in  the  latest  and  most  approved  style  of  archi- 
tecture and  is  a  large  and  beautiful  home.  It  is 
elegantly  and  tastefully  furnished  and  the  evi- 
dences of  a  cultured  and  refined  family  are  seen  in 
its  adornments.  I  n  politics,  Mr.  Fletcher  is  a 
Republican,  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for 
public  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  his  business  interests.  He  is  a 
public-spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  and  gives 
his  support  to  all  enterprises  calculated  to  advance 
the  general  welfare. 

The  Charles  M.  Fletcher  live  stock  farm  is  sit- 
uated just  south  of  the  village  of  Mt.  Zion,  and 
covers  a  tract  of  six  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
fine  farming  land.  Mr.  Fletcher  makes  a  specialty 
of  raising  high-grade  stock  and  usually  keeps  on 
hand  from  thirty  to  fifty  head  of  horses.  He  now 
has  about  forty  head.  He  is  also  the  owner  of 
some  of  the  finest  trotting  stock  to  be  found  in 
the  Slate,  including  "Gib  Howell,"  No.  16639,  a 
three-year-old,  by  "Anderson  Wilkes,"  the  sire  of 
"Jack  Shepherd,"  2:14|  at  five  years  old;  "Pat 
Delaney,"  2:18£  at  three  years  old;  "Mary  Ander- 
son," 2:2l£at  three  years  old;  "Harlow,"  2:27J 
at  three  years  old;  and  "Cliff  Downing,"  2:51£  at 
one  year  old.  First  dam,  "Maud  Maguire,"  by 
"Mammont,"  No.  2052,  the  sire  of  "Lewis  R.," 
2:23;  "S.  Montgomery,"  2:25£,  and  -'Mollie  C.," 
2:29f.  Second  dam,  "Mollie  McGuire,"  by  "Dan- 
ville Boy,"  No.  440.  Third  dam,  "Lady  Allen," 
thoroughbred. 

"Anderson  Wilkes"  by  "Onward,"  sire  of 
"Houri,"  2:17;  "Dumas,"  2:19;  "Shadeland  On- 
ward," 2:18£;"Mikegan,"  2:19f;  "Acolyte,"  2:21; 
"Anderson  Wilkes,"  2:22^;  and  fifty-six  others  in 
the  2:30  list  by  "George  Wilkes." 

"Mammont,"  No.  2052,  by  "Almont"  No.  33, 
sire  of  "Westmont,"  2:13f;  "Puritan,"  2:16;  "Fan- 

32 


nie  Witherspoon,"  2:16^;  "Piedmont,"  2:17£;"A1- 
dean,"  2:19^;  "Early  Rose,"  2:20^;  and  twenty- 
nine  others  in  the  2:30  list  by  "Abdallah,"  No.  15. 
Mr.  Fletcher  also  has  a  harem  of  Percheron  brood 
mares,  headed  by  the  great  young  French-bred 
Percheron  stallion,  "Pasteur"  No.  12,574,  a  rare 
specimen  of  the  breed.  He  has  a  fine  herd  of  pure- 
bred Shorthorn  cattle,  headed  by  "Wai field,"  No. 
105912,  bred  by  William  Warfield,  of  Lexington, 
Ky.;  and  a  drove  of  pure-bred  Poland-China  hogs. 
No  finer  stock  can  be  found  in  this  county;  and 
as  a  stock  dealer  Mr.  Fletcher  is  widely  known 
throughout  the  country. 


DAM  SCOTT,  the  efficient  manager  of  the 
Scott   Manufacturing  Company,  of  Deca- 

!)  tur,  was  born  on  the  4th  of  November, 
1851,  in  Jackson  County,  Ohio, and  is  one 
of  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters, 
whose  parents,  Benjamin  F.  and  Martha  M.  (Sell) 
Scott,  were  also  natives  of  Jackson  County.  In 
his  early  life  the  father  drove  a  stage  between 
Columbus  and  Gallipolis,  Ohio,  and  afterward  set- 
tled on  a  farm  of  forty  acres  in  Jackson  County, 
to  which  he  kept  adding  until  he  now  owns 
a  section  of  valuable  land.  It  was  discovered 
that  a  fine  vein  of  coal  underlaid  the  property, 
and,  mines  having  been  opened,  the  village  of 
Coalton  was  started.  This  place  was  laid  out  by 
Adam  Scott  and  his  schoolmate,  John  F.  Shook. 
The  first  coal  taken  from  the  mine  was  at  Xenia, 
Ohio,  delivered  to  the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Dayton, 
Ohio,  and  the  Soldiers'  Orphan  Home  by  our  sub- 
ject. The  Jackson  County  coal  fields  now  yield 
three  hundred  carloads  per  day.  The  parents  of 
our  subject  are  still  living  on  the  old  home  farm. 
They  arc  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  the  father  was  for  many  years  Class- 
leader.  He  helped  to  build  up  the  city  of  Wells- 
ton,  of  which  his  son  Adam  was  Mayor  for  a  term 
of  years. 

Upon   the  old  homestead   in  the  county  of  his 


670 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


nativity  Adam  Scott  was  reared  to  manhood.  He 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  old-time  log 
sclioolhousc,  with  its  slab  seats  and  other  crude 
and  primitive  furniture.  Subsequently  he  at- 
tended the  Normal  School  in  Lebanon,  Ohio,  and 
when  his  education  was  completed  he  engaged  in 
contract  work,  building  a  railroad  to  the  coal  fields 
of  Jackson  County.  He  afterward  became  inter- 
ested in  coal-mining  and  was  the  pioneer  in  that 
line  near  his  old  home.  From  C'oalton  he  removed 
to  Wellston,  and  developed  the  Wellston  coal  in- 
dustry. He  helped  to  build  up  that  city,  and  at 
one  time  owned  considerable  property  there. 

In  187!),  Mr.  Scott  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Dora,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Armenia  (Dick- 
inson) Hoop,  of  Wellston.  Her  father  was  one  of 
the  first  furnace  builders  of  that  community  and 
was  the  inventor  of  a  hot  blast  with  which  to 
blow  the  furnace.  Four  children  have  been  born 
unto  our  subject  and  his  wife,  two  sons  and  two 
daughters:  Arthur  D.,  Edith  C.,  Martha  F.  and 
Adam  F. 

Mr.  Scott  helped  to  develop  Wellston  from  a 
village  of  three  hundred  to  a  city  of  over  five 
thousand  inhabitants.  Hesunk  a  number  of  shafts 
at  that  place  and  continued  to  engage  in  mining 
in  that  locality  until  1889,  when  he  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  sweat  collars  and  harness  spec- 
ialties until  1892;  then,  in  order  to  keep  in  line 
with  the  drift  of  trade  Westward  and  to  acquire 
better  facilities  for  shipping,  he  sold  out  his 
business  and  came  to  Decatur,  where  he  estab- 
lished a  factory  in  the  same  line,  which  now  does 
business  as  a  stock  company,  he  himself  being  the 
inventor  of  a  number  of  valuable  patents  in  the 
harness  and  saddlery  line.  The  factory  is  38x100 
feet,  is  three  stories  in  height,  and  has  a  capacity 
for  working  two  hundred  hands.  Henry  A.  Wood 
is  President  of  the  company;  W.  A.  Truax,  Vice- 
President;  Milton  Johnson,  Treasurer;  L.L.John- 
son, Secretary;  and  Adam  Scott,  General  Manager. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  although  they 
have  resided  in  this  community  for  only  a  short 
time,  they  have  already  made  a  number  of  warm 
friends.  In  politics,  Mr.  Scott  is  a  Republican, 
and  in  his  social  relations  is  connected  with  Well. 


ston  Lodge  No.  701,  I.  O.  O.  V.  The  company 
with  which  he  is  connected  has  one  of  the  leading 
industries  of  the  city.  The  trade  is  constantly  in- 
creasing, and  for  the  short  space  of  time  in  which 
it  has  been  carried  on,  it  has  been  very  successful. 
An  excellent  trade  has  already  been  secured,  and 
the  success  of  the  concern  is  due,  in  no  small 
measure,  to  the  active  and  untiring  efforts  of  the 
manager. 


OBERT  PATTERSON,  who  for  many  years 
(?  extensively  followed  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Mn- 
His  business  career  has  been  one  of 
success,  and  his  well-directed  efforts,  perseverance 
and  enterprise  have  gained  for  him  a  handsome 
competency.  He  was  born  in  Washington  County, 
Pa.,  February  1 1,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  and 
Margaret  (Anderson)  Patterson.  The  parents 
were  natives  of  Ireland.  Their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated on  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  two  of  their  sous, 
William  and  Samuel,  were  born  ere  they  emigrated 
to  the  New  World.  The  former  is  now  a  resident 
of  Bath,  Mason  Count}',  III.;  the  latter  of  Tacoma, 
Wash.  The  family  numbered  ten  children,  of 
whom  Robert  is  ninth  in  order  of  birth.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  removed 
to  Monroe  County,  Ohio,  about  1834.  lie  and 
his  wife  were  Christian  people  and  their  home  was 
always  open  for  the  reception  of  preachers  of 
all  denominations.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  reared  by  the  strictest  Seceders,and  she  joined 
that  church  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  for  they  did 
not  accept  members  younger.  After  coining  to 
this  country  she  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  subsequently  became  a  Methodist.  She  had 
listened  to  the  teachings  of  John  Wesley  and  all 
of  her  children  united  with  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  Her  neighbors  said  that  no  one  ever 
had  aught  to  say  against  her.  She  has  passed 
away,  but  her  influence  still  lives  and  will  be  felt 
through  her  children  and  grandchildren.  Mr. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


671 


Patterson  died  October  16,  1865,  and  his  wife 
passed  away  September  15,  1883,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-one  years,  nine  months  and  fifteen 
days. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  boyhood 
days  under  the  parental  roof.  His  educational 
privileges  were  quite  limited.  He  early  mani- 
fested a  love  for  horses,  which  in  later  years  has 
been  shown  in  a  desire  to  improve  the  grade.  He 
keeps  some  fine  full-blooded  Hambletonian  horses, 
and  is  a  true  lover  of  the  noble  steed.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  upon  the  farm  in  Monroe  County 
where  his  father  first  settled  until  1864,  and  re- 
mained at  home  working  for  his  father  until  his 
marriage,  which  occurred  nine  days  before  his 
twenty-first  birthday.  On  the  2d  of  February, 
1854,  he  wedded  Hannah  Wilson,  who  was  born  in 
Monroe  County,  Ohio,  October  16,  1835,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Rachel  (Empson)  Wilson, 
who  were  married  in  Delaware,  their  native  State, 
and  who  belong  to  old  English  families,  who  held 
the  religious  faith  of  the  Quakers.  Soon  after 
their  marriage  they  went  by  team  to  Monroe 
County,  where  John  Wilson,  who  now  lives  near 
Peabody,  Kan.,  was  bom.  He  is  the  only  brother 
of  Mrs.  Patterson. 

Our  subject  continued  on  the  home  farm,  and 
after  a  few  years  entered  into  an  agreement  to 
pay  off  his  father's  debts  and  take  care  of  his  par- 
ents through  their  lives,  in  return  for  which  he 
was  to  receive  the  farm  after  they  had  passeil 
away.  In  1864,  he  sold  the  old  homestead  and 
came  with  his  family  and  parents  to  Macon 
County,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  on  section  34,  South  Macon  Township,  at 
$28  per  acre.  To  that  he  has  added  from  time  to 
time  until  he  now  owns  a  valuable  tract  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  this  county  and 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Phillips  County, 
Kan.  He  is  also  engaged  quite  extensively  in 
stock-raising,  feeding  and  shipping  large  numbers 
of  cattle  and  hogs. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patterson  were  born  seven 
children,  but  three  died  in  infancy.  Those  living 
are  Mrs.  Margaret  .1.  Rakestraw,  of  Decatur,  who 
has  three  children;  William  L.,  who  resides  on  the 
home  farm  with  his  wife  and  two  children;  Luella 


May,  wife  of  George  Hight,  of  Macon,  by  whom 
she  has  two  children;  and  Robert  G.,  who  was  born 
December  21,  1875,  and  is  still  at  home.  In  1876, 
Mr.  Patterson  took  his  family  on  a  three-months 
trip  through  this  country,  visiting  many  places 
of  interest,  including  the  Centennial  Exposition  in 
Philadelphia.  They  also  spent  some  time  at  the 
seaside.  Mr.  Patterson  is  a  man  of  broad  and  lib- 
eral ideas  and  believes  it,  is  better  to  help  his  chil- 
dren while  they  are  trying  to  get  a  start,  than  later 
on,  when  they  have  succeeded  in  working  their  own 
way  upward.  This  plan  he  has  followed. 

In  1882,  our  subject  and  his  famity  removed  to 
their  present  home  in  Macon,  where  they  are  now 
comfortably  situated.  In  politics  he  was  reared  a 
Democrat  and  voted  for  James  Buchanan  and  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas,  but  in  1872  he  supported  Gen. 
U.  S.  Grant,  and  has  since  been  an  advocate  of 
Prohibition  principles.  Himself,  wife  and  children 
are  all  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  The  parents  have  been  prominent  and 
active  in  church  work  and  Mr.  Patterson  has  been 
Class-leader  and  Steward.  He  contributes  liberally 
to  its  support  and  also  gives  freely  to  those  enter- 
prises calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 


'  OSEPH  FAITH,  a  retired  farmer  residing  in 
Warrensburg,  has  for  more  than  twenty 
years  made  his  home  in  this  county  and  is 
well  known  to  its  citizens,  so  that  undoubt- 
edly this  record  of  his  life  will  prove  of  general 
interest.  He  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  April 
25,  1823.  His  father,  Paul  Faith,  was  a  native  of 
Alsace,  France,  and  in  that  country  spent  his  en- 
tire life.  Soon  after  his  death  his  widow  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  became  a  resident  of  Baltimore. 
Our  subject  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  his  native  city  and  acquired  an  excellent 
education  in  its  higher  schools.  He  learned  the 
machinist's  trade,  serving  a  six-years  apprentice- 
ship, and  after  his  term  had  expired  he  worked  in 
Savannah  and  Cumberland  City,  removing  to  the 


672 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


latter  place  in  1840.  For  twenty-Ill ree  years  lie 
followed  his  chosen  occupation  and,  being  an  ex- 
pert workman,  thereby  secured  a  good  income. 
While  in  that  city  he  was  married,  on  the  12th  of 
November,  1844,  to  Miss  Catherine  Masine,  a  native 
of  Maryland,  and  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Hasine.  He 
continued  to  make  his  home  in  Cumberland  City 
for  a  number  of  years,  but  in  the  spring  of  1865 
removed  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  for 
about  five  years,  establishing  a  shop  and  carrying 
on  business  in  Fulton  County. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faith  were  born  eight  sons 
and  three  daughters.  William  resides  in  Han- 
cock, Washington  County,  Md.;  Louis  holds  a 
responsible  position  in  the  same  county;  Ella  is 
the  wife  of  Stephen  Witcher,  of  Decatur;  John  is 
farming  on  the  old  homestead;  Charles  is  engaged 
in  business  in  Warrensburg;  Eli  now  resides  in 
Chicago;  Harry  is  in  business  in  Warrensburg; 
George  is  an  agriculturist  of  this  county;  Sadie  is 
the  wife  of  John  D.  Childs,  of  Faith  &  Childs,  tile 
and  brick  manufacturers  of  Warrensburg;  Mollie 
is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Fisher,  of  Chicago;  and  Thomas 
is  a  physician  now  at  the  head  of  the  Eye  and  Ear 
Infirmary  in  Chicago. 

It  was  in  1871  that  Mr.  Faith  came  to  Macon 
County  and  purchased  land  in  Illini  Township,  a 
mile  west  of  Warrensburg,  although  the  town  was 
not  in  existence  at  that  time.  He  has  seen  the 
rapid  development  which  the  county  has  made  in 
the  last  two  decades,  and  in  all  possible  ways 
has  aided  in  its  welfare  and  progress.  He  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  of 
which  thirty-five  acres  have  been  broken,  built  a 
residence  and  began  the  development  of  his  farm. 
He  made  about  two  miles  of  open  ditches,  besides 
laying  considerable  tiling,  and  the  improvements 
he  placed  upon  his  land  made  it  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  the  neighborhood.  In  1887  he  rented 
that  property  and  removed  to  Warrensburg, 
where  he  lives  retired.  With  the  development  of 
the  city  he  has  been  prominently  identified.  He 
had  built  more  residences  than  any  other  of  its 
citizens,  and  in  other  ways  he  has  aided  in  the 
public  advancement. 

Since  casting  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Polk 
in  1844,  Mr,  Faith  has  supported  the  Democratic 


party  at  State  and  National  elections,  but  at  local 
elections  he  votes  independently.  Himself  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Decatur  Catholic  Church.  He 
has  never  been  an  office-seeker,  preferring  to  de- 
vote his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  inter- 
ests, in  which  he  has  met  with  signal  succej-s.  His 
prosperity  is  well  deserved,  and  it  now  surrounds 
him  with  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxu- 
ries of  life. 


LI  ULERY,  an  old  and  respected  citizen  of 
Mt.  Zion  Township,  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton County,  Pa.,  November  20,  1817.  and 
is  the  son  of  Stephen  and  Christiana  (Conkle) 
Ulery,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  but  of  Ger- 
man descent.  Both  died  in  that  State  many  years 
ago.  The  mother  was  a  member  of  the  German 
Baptist  Church. 

Eli  Ulery  was  reared  in  his  native  State,  and 
until  twenty  years  of  age  remained  upon  the  home 
farm.  His  education  was  obtained  in  the  tj-pical 
log  sclioolhouse,  with  its  puncheon  floor,  grcascd- 
paper  window  lights,  and  mammoth  fireplace. 
Here  for  a  few  months  he  strove  to  master  the 
"three  R's,"  and  laid  the  foundation  for  the  more 
practical  education  received  from  reading  and 
contact  with  men.  In  1841  he  came  to  Illinois, 
and  for  the  next  ten  years  engaged  in  buying, 
feeding  and  driving  cattle  to  the  Eastern  markets, 
without  permanently  locating  at  any  point.  But 
in  the  fall  of  1850  he  was  united  in  marriage,  near 
Springfield,  111.,  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Dillon,  daugh- 
ter of  Joshua  Dillon,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  San- 
gamon  County.  This  step  necessitated  the  selection 
of  a  future  home,  so  in  the  spring  of  1851  he  pur- 
chased six  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Mt.  Zion 
Township,  Macon  County,  to  which  he  at  once 
moved.  Here  a  family  of  six  children  was  born, 
three  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Eli  S.,  residing  on 
the  old  homestead;  Donna, now  the  wife  of  Charles 
M.  Fletcher,  of  Mt.  Zion  Township;  and  Gertie, 
now  the  wife  of  W.  S.  Smith,  of  Decatur. 

On  his  removal  to  this  county    Mr.    Ulery,  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


673 


addition  to  the  management  of  his  farm,  continued 
in  the  stock  business,  and  did  not  fully  abandon 
it  until  1882,  when  he  divided  a  portion  of  his 
property  among  his  children,  and  has  since  lived  a 
retired  life,  spending  the  summers  in  Colorado, 
where  lie  owned  property  until  1892.  During  the 
present  summer  (1893)  he  has  spent  much  of  his 
time  in  Chicago,  being  a  frequent  visitor  to  the 
great  Columbian  Exposition.  With  sufficient  of 
this  world's  goods  to  satisfy  his  demands,  he  takes 
life  easy,  and  is  determined  to  make  the  most  of 
his  remaining  years.  Few  men  are  better  known 
in  Macon  and  adjoining  counties  than  Eli  Ulery, 
and  none  are  held  in  greater  respect.  Originally 
a  Democrat,  on  account  of  his  anti-slavery  views 
he  united  with  the  Republican  party  on  its  organ- 
ization, and  has  since  affiliated  with  that  party. 
Never  aspiring  for  office,  he  has  held  only  a  few 
minor  positions,  but  yet  takes  an  active  interest  in 
what  concerns  his  adopted  county  and  State,  as 
well  as  the  nation  at  large.  Mrs.  Ulery  died  in 
1864.  She  was  a  lady  of  excellent  worth,  and  a 
member  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church. 
When  Mr.  Ulery  settled  in  Macon  County,  De- 
catur  was  but  a  mere  village  and  settlements  were 
only  along  the  streams  and  in  the  timber.  How 
great  the  change!  A  house  upon  every  square 
mile,  many  thriving  villages  and  one  of  the  most 
entei prising  cities  in  the  State.  In  its  growth  and 
development,  he  has  done  well  his  part. 


J.  CHAPMAN,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Macon  County,  residing  on  section  32, 
Long  Creek  Township,  was  born  in  Jackson 
County,  Ohio,  August  11,  1826.  His 
father,  James  Chapman,  was  a  native  of  North  Car- 
olina, and  with  his  mother  and  stepfather  (his  own 
father  having  died),  he  went  to  Ohio,  where  amid 
pioneer  scenes  he  grew  to  manhood.  In  1854,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  and  died  in  Macon  County  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five.  He  was  married  in  Jackson 
County,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Rebecca  Ratcliff,  a  native  of 


the  Buckeye  State,  born  of  Scotch  parentage.  Her 
father,  David  Ratcliff,  a  pioneer  of  Ohio,  was  a 
farmer  and  a  great  hunter.  Mrs.  Chapman  died  at 
the  home  of  our  subject  in  1867.  Mr.  Chapman 
was  a  quiet  and  unassuming  man  and  had  the  re- 
spect of  all  who  knew  him.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Democrat  and  voted  for  Jackson.  The  children 
of  the  family  were:  William,  who  was  in  the  Mis- 
souri Home  Guards  and  was  killed  during  the  war 
by  deserters;  Robert,  who  is  now  living  in  Scioto 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  one  of  the  boys  in  blue 
from  that  State;  Lurana,  Mrs.  Beaver,  of  Missouri; 
A.  J.,  of  this  sketch;  Mrs.  Nancy  Clark, also  of  Mis- 
souri; Joseph,  who  died  in  Illinois;  Mrs.  Catherine 
Smith,  of  Moultrie  County;  Mrs.  Lethe  Crowboy, 
of  Missouri;  Susan,  deceased;  and  Sarah  Jane  Flora, 
also  deceased. 

Mr.  Chapman  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in  Ohio, 
upon  a  wild  and  unbroken  farm,  and  received  only 
such  educational  privileges  as  the  subscription  and 
primitive  schools  of  that  day  afforded.  He  carty 
learned  to  swing  the  axe  and  cradle  and  became 
inured  to  arduous  labor.  From  the  age  of  fifteen 
he  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world.  For  seven 
years  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  from  14  to  $8 
per  month,  after  which  he  went  to  Ross  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  fed  cattle  for  four  years,  and  also 
drove  stock  to  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  In 
1851  he  came  to  Illinois,  making  the  journey  on 
foot.  The  same  year  he  married  Miss  Margaret 
Blitz,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  is  of  Ger- 
man descent.  AVith  her  parents  she  went  to  Ohio, 
and  six  years  later^ame  to  this  Stale.  She  died 
seventeen  years  ago,  and  left  three  children:  Lola, 
now  the  wife  of  John  Wilson,  of  Mt.  Zion;  Ed- 
mund, a  merchant  of  Lintner,  III.;  and  Benson, 
who  married  Miss  Mina  Casner.  and  resides  on  a 
farm  in  Macon  County. 

For  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Chapman  chose  Miss 
Eva  Flora,  who  was  born  in  Clermont  County, 
Ohio,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Flora,  a  native 
of  Virginia,  who  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  went 
to  Ohio,  spending  four  years  in  Cincinnati.  There 
he  engaged  in  carpentering  and  wagon-making  and 
afterward  followed  farming.  He  came  to  Illinois 
in  1852,  and  died  in  Moultrie  County  in  1875.  In 
Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  he  married  Miss  Susan 


674 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Stouder,  who  died  in  May,  1889,  at  the  home  of 
our  subject.  Mrs.  Chapman  was  a  little  maiden  of 
five  summers  when  she  came  with  her  parents  to 
Illinois.  By  this  marriage  she  had  five  children: 
Gracie,  James  (who  is  deceased),  Pearl,  Johnnie 
and  Jessie. 

Mr.  Chapman  has  resided  upon  his  present  farm 
since  1867.  When  he  located  thereon  it  was  wild 
prairie, and  hence  all  of  its  improvements  stand  as 
monuments  to  his  enterprise.  It  is  a  rich,  fertile  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  highly  cultivated, 
and  the  well-tilled  fields  yield  to  the  owner  a  golden 
tribute.  Mr.  Chapman  cast  his  first  Presidential 
ballot  for  Harrison,  and  afterward  for  Polk,  Pierce, 
Buchanan  and  Douglas,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  a  stalwart  Democrat.  His  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  Our  subject  has 
ever  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  public  improve- 
ment and  advancement,  and  his  honorable,  upright 
life  during  his  forty-two  years'  residence  in  this 
county  has  made  him  well  worthy  of  representa- 
tion among  its  leading  and  prominent  men. 


J~~JOHN    A.    CONELY,  a    representative    and 
enterprising  agriculturist  of   Illini    Town- 
ship,  residing   on    section    9,   claims   New 
York  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.     He  was 

born  in  the  city  of  that  rfame  on  the  2d  of 
January,  1835,  and  is  the  son  of  S.  M.  and  Rebecca 
(Southerd)  Conely.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Now  York,  and  his  mother  was  born  on  Long 
Island.  In  1837,  when  our  subject  was  only  two 
years  old,  they  removed  to  Michigan  with  their 
family,  becoming  early  settlers  of  that  State.  In 
Livingston  County  the  father  secured  an  unbroken 
tract  of  land,  which  he  transformed  into  a  good 
farm.  There  he  reared  his  family  and  spent  the 
last  years  of  his  life,  being  called  to  the  home  be- 
yond in  1885.  He  was  a  prominent  and  influen- 
tial citizen  of  that  community  and  served  in 
various  official  positions  of  honor  and  trust. 
Upon  the  old  homestead  in  Michigan  John  A. 


Conely  spent  the  days  of  his  boj'hood  and  youth 
in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  working  in 
the  fields  during  the  summer  months  and  in  the 
winter  season  attending  the  public  school,  thus  ac- 
quiring a  very  fair  education.  In  1858,  after  ar- 
riving at  years  of  maturity,  he  settled  in  Illinois, 
having  already  spent  two  years  in  the  West.  When 
he  started  out  in  life  he  had  no  capital,  and  was 
dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  resources  for  a 
livelihood,  but  though  lie  had  no  money  he  had 
energy  and  a  strong  determination  to  succeed. 
Locating  first  in  Logan  Count}',  he  there  rented 
land,  and  he  later  engaged  in  farming  in  Sangamon 
County  for  a  number  of  years.  It  was  in  1865 
that  he  came  to  Macon  County,  where  he  first 
bought  an  eighty-acre  tract  of  raw  prairie  land,  a 
part  of  his  present  farm.  Few  improvements  had 
been  made,  but  the  untiring  efforts  of  Mr.  Conely 
soon  wrought  a  transformation  that  changed 
barren  tracts  into  rich  and  fertile  fields.  As  his 
financial  resources  were  increased,  he  also  extended 
the  boundaries  of  his  farm,  until  it  now  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres.  This  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful,  valuable  and  desirable 
places  of  the  neighborhood.  The  buildings  include 
a  substantial  residence,  large  barns  and  good  out- 
buildings; a  good  orchard  yields  its  fruit  in 
season,  and  the  place  is  ornamented  with  beautiful 
evergreen  and  forest  trees,  and  the  whole  is  en- 
closed with  a  neatly  trimmed  and  well-kept  hedge 
fence. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey, 
Mr.  Conely  chose  Miss  Matilda  Foreman,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Foreman,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Sangamon  Conn  13'.  Their 
union  was  celebrated  in  that  county  February  3, 
1862,  and  was  blessed  with  four  children,  but 
Mary,  who  was  born  June  16,  1863,  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years.  Charles  F.  is  a  successful 
farmer  of  Illini  Township;  Addie  is  the  wife  of 
Elmer  Barton,  a  merchant  of  Warrensburg;  and 
Frank  is  farming  a  part  of  the  old  homestead.  The 
Conely  family  is  numbered  among  the  leading 
families  of  the  community  and  its  members  rank 
high  in  social  circles. 

His  fellow-citizens,  appreciating  his  worth  and 
ability,  have  frequently  called  upon  our  subject  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


675 


serve  in  positions  of  public  trust.  He  has  filled 
the  offices  of  Township  Trustee,  Assessor  and  Col- 
lector, and  his  duties  have  ever  been  discharged 
with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He  votes  with  the 
Prohibitionists  and  is  an  active  member  of  his 
party.  Himself  and  wife  are  faithful  workers  and 
active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
of  Wnrrensburg,  and  Mr.  Conely  served  as  Super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday-school  for  thirteen  and 
a-half  years.  It  is  to  the  enterprise  and  indus- 
try of  such  men  as  our  subject  that  the  county 
owes  her  prosperity  of  to-day,  and  for  the  part  he 
has  borne  in  her  upbuilding  he  well  deserves  rep- 
resentation in  her  history. 


OMMODORE  P.  RAINEY,  one  of  the  ex- 
tensive land-owners  of  Whitmore  Town- 
ship,  now  residing  on  section  8,  has  the 
honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  near  Darmstadt  in  St.  Clair  County, 
March  25,  1838.  His  father,  Isaac  Rainey,  was 
born  in  South  Carolina,  October  6,  1792,  and  was 
of  Irish  descent.  He  was  twice  married,  and  by 
his  first  union  had  six  children,  but  only  John 
and  Jefferson  are  now  living.  Ryland,  George  W. 
and  two  who  died  in  infancy,  were  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  Mr.  Rainey  wedded  Martha  Lively, and  their 
children  were  Emelinc,  now  deceased;  William  T.; 
James  H.,  deceased;  Commodore;  Josephine,  who 
has  also  been  called  to  the  home  beyond;  Ange- 
line,  Amanda  and  Caroline.  Isaac  Rainey  spent 
his  boyhood  days  in  the  Carolinas  and  Tennessee, 
and  in  1817  emigrated  by  team  to  Illinois,  ere  this 
State  was  admitted  to  the  Union.  He  located  in 
Randolph  County,  near  where  the  town  of  Sparta 
now  stands.  lie  first  made  a  squatter's  claim, 
upon  which  he  built  a  log  cabin  and  made  some 
improvements.  His  claim  was  then  jumped,  and 
he  removed  to  another  tract  of  Government 
land,  where  he  opened  up  a  good  farm.  He  lived 
in  Randolph  County  until  1831,  and  then  became  a 


resident  of  St.  Clair  County,  where  he  again  se- 
cured land  from  the  Government.  He  afterward 
laid  out  the  town  of  Darmstadt,  upon  a  piece  of 
his  land.  The  Indians  were  still  in  the  neighbor- 
hood at  the  time  of  his  coming  to  this  State,  and 
the  entire  country  around  was  a  wild  and  almost 
unimproved  tract.  He  remained  in  St.  Clair  Coun- 
ty until  his  death,  which  occurred  February  17, 
1871.  His  remains  were  interred  in  the  family 
burying-ground  on  the  old  homestead.  He  exer- 
cised his  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  and  took  quite  an  interest  in  poli- 
tics. In  the  year  1812,  during  the  Indian  War,  he 
went  out  with  Jackson  and  was  in  the  service  one 
year,  but  his  widowed  mother  needed  his  help  at 
home,  and  he  returned  to  her.  Mrs.  Rainey, 
mother  of  our  subject,  died  in  1865,  and  was  also 
laid  to  rest  in  the  old  cemete^. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  and  reared 
upon  his  father's  farm,  and  acquired  his  education 
in  the  old  subscription  schools  held  in  a  log  build- 
ing, to  which  he  had  to  walk  a  distance  of  two  and 
a-half  miles.  He  afterward  attended  McKendree 
College.  When  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  his  fa- 
ther gave  him  and  his  two  brothers  an  equal  share 
of  all  his  land,  comprising  about  six  hundred  acres. 
Mr.  Rainey  at  once  turned  his  attention  to  its  de- 
velopment, and  resided  upon  the  old  homestead 
until  1865. 

On  the  llth  of  Februarj',  1864,  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Catherine  Irwin, 
and  b}'  their  union  have  been  born  six  children, 
namely:  Ryland,  a  farmer  of  Whitmore  Township; 
William,  who  is  living  on  the  old  home  farm  with 
his  father;  Mary,  wife  of  Frank  Bullock,  an  agri- 
culturist of  De  Witt  County;  Dora  and  John,  both 
deceased;  and  Lula,  who  is  still  under  the  parental 
roof. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Rainey  sold  his  interest  in  the  old 
homestead  and  removed  to  De  Witt  County,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm  and  made  his  home  for  a  year 
and  a-half.  It  was  in  March,  1867,  that  he  came 
to  Macon  County  and  located  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides.  He  first  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land,  but  his  possessions  now 
aggregate  six  hundred  and  ten  acres,  all  of  which 
lie  in  Macon  County,  with  the  exception  of  a 


676 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


quarter-section  in  De  Witt  County.  Its  well-tilled 
fields  and  many  excellent  improvements  upon  it, 
its  good  buildings,  machinery  and  stock,  all  indi- 
cate the  careful  supervision  of  a  practical,  yet  pro- 
gressive, farmer  and  stock-raiser. 

Mr.  Rainey  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life,  yet 
has  found  time  to  faithfully  discharge  his  duties 
of  citizenship  and  to  aid  in  the  promotion  of  those 
enterprises  which  are  calculated  to  prove  of  pub- 
lic benefit.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  so- 
cially is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
lodge  of  Oreana.  He  and  his  wife  hold  member- 
ship with  the  Baptist  Church,  and  are  people  of 
sterling  worth,  who  rank  high  in  social  circles,  and 
have  the  respect  of  all  who  know  them. 


PREDERICK  SCHWAB,  one  of  the  self-made 
;  men  and  a  leading  and   influential   farmer 
of  Friends'  Creek  Township,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 30,  claims  Bavaria  as  the   land  of  his  birth, 
which  occurred  on  the  30th  of  March,  1839.     He 
is  one  of  ten  children    born    unto  Christian   and 
Annie  Schwab,  and  in  order  of  birth   they  are  as 
follows:  Jacob,  Christian,  Henry,  Theodore,  Eliza- 
beth, Catherine,  Margaret,  Frederick,  and  two  who 
died  in  infancy. 

Upon  his  father's  farm  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  reared  to  manhood,  and  in  the  common  schools 
he  acquired  a  good  business  education.  He  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  1855,  when  he  bade 
good-bye  to  home  and  friends  and  boarded  a  West- 
ward-bound sailing-vessel,  which  after  a  voyage 
of  forty  days  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of 
New  York.  From  the  metropolis  of  this  country 
Mr.  Schwab  made  his  way  to  Boston,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  year,  working  in  a  rope  factory.  He 
then  came  to  Decatur  and  has  since  made  his  home 
in  Macon  County,  hence  is  numbered  among  the 
early  settlers.  Securing  employment  in  a  furni- 
ture factory,  he  was  thus  employed  until  1862. 


Feeling  that  his  adopted  country  needed  his 
services  to  aid  in  her  defense,  Mr.  Schwab  enlisted 
in  that  year  arid  became  Orderly-Sergeant  of  Com- 
pany I,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. He  was  mustered  in  at  Decatur  for  a  pe- 
riod of  three  years,  and  immediately  after  went  to 
the  front.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Cham- 
pion Hills,  Arkansas  Post,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg 
and  Jackson,  and  then  went  to  Camp  Sherman. 
He  served  in  Gen.  Sherman's  corps  at  the  battles 
of  Chickamauga,  Resaca,  and  the  siege  of  Atlanta, 
and  then  went  on  the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea. 
He  was  once  struck  by  a  spent  shell,  but  escaped  all 
other  injury.  After  marching  in  the  Grand  Re- 
view at  Washington,  he  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service  as  First  Lieutenant,  and  received  his  dis- 
charge on  the  7th  of  June,  1865. 

Mr.  Schwab  at  once  returned  to  Decatur  and  be- 
gan working  for  the  Decatur  Furniture  Company, 
serving  as  manager  in  the  retail  department.  He 
was  also  married  the  year  of  his  return  to  Miss 
Almira  Culver.  By  their  union  were  born  four 
children,  but  Lester  W.  is  the  only  onenow  living, 
Annie,  Frederick  and  Cora  having  passed  away. 
The  mother  died  in  1874,  and  in  1876  Mr.  Schwab 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Christiana  Gros.  They 
have  become  the  parents  of  eight  children:  Fred- 
erick, Emma,  Theodore,  Ida,  Christiana,  Annie, 
Clara  S.  and  William.  The  family  circle  yet  re- 
mains unbroken  and  all  are  under  the  parental 
roof. 

Mr.  Schwab  has  always  been  a  stalwart  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party  and  a  warm  advo- 
cate of  its  principles.  He  lias  served  as  School 
Director  and  Pathmaster,  and  is  recognized  as  a 
leading  citizen  in  the  community.  He  came  to 
America  a  poor  man,  but  by  his  enterprise  and  in- 
dustry he  has  won  prosperity.  He  remained  as 
the  efficient  and  trusted  manager  of  the  Decatur 
Furniture  Company  until  1877,  when  he  removed 
to  his  farm,  having  previously  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land.  To  this  he  has  added 
until  twice  that  amount  now  pays  him  a  golden 
tribute.  The  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  com- 
munity, and  many  of  the  improvements  upon  the 
place  stand  as  monuments  to  the  progressive  spirit 
of  the  owner.  In  the  late  war  he  proved  his  103-- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


677 


alty  to  the  land  of  his  adoption  and  rendered  her 
timely  aid  in  her  hour  of  peril.  One  of  the  hon- 
ored boys  in  blue,  he  well  deserves  representation 
in  this  volume. 


eA.  McLEAN,  M.  D.,  a  physician  of  Deeatur, 
has  for  thirty  years  made  his  home  in  this 
county,  and  well  deserves  representation  in 
its  history.  He  was  born  in  Fleming  County, 
K}7.,  May  24,  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and 
Charlotte  M.  A.  (ArgO)  McLean,  the  former  of 
Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  the  latter  of  Scotch  lin- 
eage. The  paternal  grandfather,  John  McLean, 
came  to  America  from  the  North  of  Ireland,  and 
located  in  Germantown,  Brighton  County,  Ky., 
where  he  followed  farming.  He  was  a  strict  Pres- 
byterian, and  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-five  years. 
The  maternal  grandfather,  Purnell  Argo,  was  of 
Scotch  birth, and  after  crossing  the  broad  Atlantic 
settled  in  Fleming  County,  Ky.,  where  our  subject's 
father,  James  McLean,  followed  the  blacksmith '8 
trade  for  a  number  of  years.  His  wife  died  when 
our  subject  was  only  about  six  years  old,  and  he 
afterward  wedded  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Moren)  Scott. 
His  death  occurred  about  1842.  By  his  first  union 
he  had  three  children,  but  James  William  and 
Nancy  are  now  deceased,  the  Doctor  being  the 
only  survivor.  By  the  second  union  were  born 
two  children,  Mrs.  Eliza  Ann  Hilligos,  and  one 
who  died  in  early  childhood. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  our  subject  spent 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  and  there  ac- 
quired his  early  education  in  the  common  schools, 
which  he  could  attend  only  through  the  winter 
months,  as  his  services  were  needed  at  home  in  the 
summer.  He  was  reared  to  farm  life,  but  spent 
about  fifteen  months  learning  the  boot  and  shoe 
trade.  When  a  young  man  he  began  studying 
medicine  and  practiced  it  for  forty  years.  He 
attended  the  Eclectic  Medical  College,  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  and  was  graduated  from  that  institu- 


tion in  1871,  but  is  mostly  self  educated,  having 
acquired  the  greater  part  of  his  knowledge  by  his 
arduous  study  at  night.  He  made  himself  familiar 
with  the  higher  mathematics,  Latin  and  German, 
and  is  a  highly  educated,  well-informed  and  cul- 
tured man. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1855,  Dr.  McLean  was 
joined  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  A.  Taylor, 
daughter  of  Charles  A.  and  Judith  (Newcombe) 
Taylor.  Six  children  were  born  unto  them,  four 
sons  and  two  daughters,  but  only  William  and 
Mabel  are  now  living.  Those  deceased  are  Sabina 
A.,  Jo  Henry,  Charles  B.  and  John  J.  William 
married  Miss  Margaret  P.  Crocker,  and  is  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Maroa,  where  he 
lives  with  his  wife  and  four  children,  John  C., 
Franklin  C.,  Edwin  P.  and  Ajma  Louise. 

On  leaving  college,  Dr.  McLean  went  to  Maroa 
and  began  practice.  He  made  his  home  in  that 
place  for  twenty  years  altogether,  after  which  he 
came  to  Deeatur,  where  the  past  nine  years  of  his 
life  have  been  spent.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  in  politics  is  connected  with  the 
Democracy.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Christian  Churcli  and  are  highly  respected  people, 
whose  many  excellencies  of  character  endear  them 
to  all  with  whom  they  have  been  brought  in  con- 
tact. They  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  405  Cen- 
tral Avenue. 


J[OHN  PROCTOR  ECKELS,  a  member  of  the 
well-known  firm  of    Lytle  &   Eckels   Hard- 
ware Company,  has  been  connected  with  his 
present  branch  of  business  in  Deeatur  since 
1872.     The  firm  with  which  he  is  connected  has  a 
good  store,  well  supplied   with  a  general   line  of 
hardware.     The  proprietors  are  men  of  good  busi- 
ness ability,  and  by  their  courteous   treatment  of 
their  patrons  and  their  fair  and  honorable  dealings 
they  have  built  up  a  good  trade. 


678 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Our  subject  was  born  in  Mechanicsburg,  Cum- 
berland County,  Pa.,  August  6,  1848,  and  is  one 
of  a  family  of  six  children  whose  parents  were 
William  and  Sarah  Ann  (Proctor)  Eckels.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  and  cooper  by  occupation, and 
always  lived  in  Mechanicsburg  or  its  vicinity. 
He  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  Himself  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  are 
people  of  sterling  worth.  Of  their  children,  Will- 
iam Officer,  Mary  Jane  and  an  infant  are  now 
deceased.  John,  George  and  Walter  are  still  liv- 
ing. The  paternal  grandfather,  Samuel  Eckels, 
was  a  native  of  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  born  of 
Scotch-Irish  parents,  and  was  a  farmer  and  cooper. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  John 
Proctor,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  native  of  Chester  County,  Pa.,  and  was  of 
English  descent.  He  became  a  silversmith  of  Car- 
lisle, Pa.,  at  a  time  when  he  had  to  haul  his  goods 
to  Pittsburg  over  the  mountains  in  a  wagon.  He 
was  a  Presbyterian  in  religious  belief  and  one  of 
his  sons  became  a  minister  of  that  church.  His 
death  occurred  in  Carlisle,  Pa.,  at  the  age  of  six- 
ty-flve. 

In  the  town  of  his  nativity  our  subject  spent  his 
youth,  and  after  attending  the  common  schools  he 
pursued  his  studies  in  a  commercial  college  of 
Pittsburg.  Subsequently  he  began  clerking  in  a 
hardware  store  in  Lewisburg,  Pa.,  for  his  uncle, 
George  W.  Proctor,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
flve  years.  It  was  there  he  received  his  business 
training.  The  year  1872  witnessed  his  arrival  in 
Deeatur,  where  helms  since  made  his  home.  He  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Morehouse,  Wells  &  Co.,  and 
remained  in  their  service  for  fifteen  years,  after 
which  he  spent  a  few  months  with  the  A.  F.  Shap- 
leigh  &  Cantwell  Hardware  Company,  of  St.  Louis. 
Mr.  Eckels  then  formed  a  partnership  with  Capt. 
R.  P.  Lytle  and  opened  a  hardware  store  under  the 
firm  name  of  Lytle  <fe  Eckels.  The  style  remained 
the  same  for  two  and  a-half  years,  after  which  J. 
A.  Rone}'  was  admitted  to  partnership,  and  the 
firm  became  Lytle,  Eckels  &  Roney.  They  carried 
on  operations  under  that  title  for  eighteen  months, 
when,  on  the  1st  of  April,  1891,  the  present  com- 
pany was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  The 
Lylle  <fe  Eckels  Hardware  Company,  of  which  our 


subject  is  President  and  manager.  Their  capital 
is  $20,00(1,  and  they  do  an  annual  business  of 
$50,000. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  1875,  Mr.  Eckels  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Annie  C.  Hurst,  daughter 
of  Edwin  W.  and  Sarah  (Miller)  Hurst,  who  were 
natives  of  York  County,  Pa.,  and  were  of  German 
descent.  Six  children  were  born  of  that  union: 
Edwin  Hurst,  Robert,  Paul,  Ralph,  Bessie  Romaine 
and  George  Morris.  The  mother  of  this  family 
was  called  to  her  final  rest  December  6.  1891.  She 
was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Mr.  Eckels  belongs  to  the  same  church  and  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  official  preferment. 


?ILLIAM  T.  GATHER  WOOD,  who  is  one 

of  Macon's  most  prominent  business  men, 
was  formerly  extensively  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  stock-breeding,  but  is  now  connected  with 
the  interests  of  the  city.  He  was  born  in  Delaware, 
March  17,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Lydia 
(Tussey)  Catherwood.  The  father,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  Ireland,  learned  the  spinning  trade,  and 
left  that  country  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 
Crossing  the  Atlantic,  he  located  in  Delaware, 
where  he  followed  his  chosen  occupation  for  a 
time.  He  there  married  Miss  Tussey,  who  was 
born  in  Delaware,  and  was  of  English  descent. 
There  they  resided  for  al>out  twelve  years,  and 
James  Catherwood  became  a  railroad  contractor, 
building  a  portion  of  the  road  from  Wilmington 
to  Philadelphia.  lie  also  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits.  About  1837  he  removed  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Bclmont  County,  Ohio,  where  he  purchased 
land  and  engaged  in  farming. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  ten  children,  five  of 
whom  were  born  in  Delaware.  He  was  a  lad  of 
eight  summers  at  the  time  of  the  removal  to  Ohio, 
and  upon  the  home  farm  he  remained  until  twenty 
years  of  age.  The  common  schools  afforded  him 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


679 


his  educational  privileges.  When  a  young  man 
of  twenty-two  he  began  teaming  from  Wheeling, 
Va.,  to  Cumberland  and  Baltimore,  driving  six 
horses.  For  thirteen  years  he  followed  the  team- 
ing business. 

In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Catherwood  was  married 
in  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Sarah  Alex- 
ander. Unto  them  were  born  three  children,  but 
one  died  in  infancy.  James  B.  now  follows  farm- 
ing near  Assumption,  111.  Anna  is  still  with  her 
father.  The  mother  died  February  28,  1859,  in 
Barnesville,  Ohio. 

From  that  place  Mr.  Catherwood  went  to  Duck 
Creek,  where  he  engaged  in  hauling  oil  for  two 
years,  when,  in  the  fall  of  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  B,  Ninth  Ohio  Cavalry,  under  Gen. 
Burnside,  and  was  at  the  siege  of  Knoxville.  He 
took  part  in  the  raid  under  Gen.  Rosseau,  during 
which  he  had  a  horse  shot  from  under  him,  parti- 
cipated in  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  and  went  with 
Sherman  on  the  famous  march  to  the  sea.  He  was 
then  taken  sick  and  sent  back  to  the  hospital, 
where  he  remained  some  three  months.  During 
his  convalescense  lie  was  sent  to  his  regiment  at 
Gainesboro.  This  was  after  the  surrender  of  Lee 
and  just  before  Johnston's  surrender.  On  account 
of  his  physical  condition,  he  soon  afterward  re- 
ceived an  honorable  discharge  and  at  once  re- 
turned to  Ohio. 

Mr.  Catlierwood  was  again  married,  August  16, 
1865,  to  Miss  Nancy  McConnell,  of  Guernsey 
County,  Ohio.  With  a  team  and  wagon,  in  which 
he  loaded  a  few  household  effects,  he  started 
with  his  family  for  Illinois,  locating  in  Christian 
County,  where  he  rented  a  farm  for  one  year,  and 
then  purchased  one  hundred  and  five  acres  of  land, 
which  he  operated  for  five  years.  On  selling  that 
farm  lie  came  to  Macon  County,  and  in  1871 
bought  ninety  acres.  There  lie  made  his  home  for 
twenty  years  and  it  is  still  his  property,  but  in  the 
spring  of  1892  he  came  to  Macon,  where  he  is  now 
living  a  retired  life.  He  has  always  been  a  lover 
of  fine  horses  and  in  1887  became  a  partner  in  a 
breeding  association.  He  was  instrumental  in  the 
organization  of  the  canning  factory,  and  started 
round  with  a  subscription  list.  Within  two  hours' 
time  he  had  $5,000  worth  of  stock  subscribed  and 


the  canning  factor}7  is  now  in  successful  operation. 
There  has  been  erected  a  main  building  100x36 
feet,  an  engine  and  process  room  30x50  feet,  and 
a  brick  warehouse  30x60  feet.  It  has  a  capacity 
of  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand  cans  per  day.  The 
capital  stock  is  $20,000,  and  it  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing industries  of  the  city. 

Since  the  birth  of  the  Republican  party  in  1856, 
Mr.  Catherwood  has  been  one  of  its  supporters 
and  stanch  advocates,  but  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  and  among  his  old  comrades  of  the 
blue  is  warmly  esteemed.  He  is  a  public-spirited 
and  progressive  man,  and  every  enterprise  calcu- 
lated to  prove  of  benefit  to  the  community  re- 
ceives his  heart}'  support.  He  was  a  faithful 
soldier  and  is  a  valued  citizen,  whose  pleasant 
manner  and  sterling  worth  have  gained  him  uni- 
veisal  confidence  and  respect. 


ANDREW  J.  THRIFT,  was  formerly  num- 
bered among  the  leading  agriculturists  of 
Macon  County,  and  we  gladly  pay  tribute 
to  his  memory  by  giving  the  record  of  his 
life  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county.  He  was 
born  near  Hopkinsville,  in  Christian  County,  Ky., 
October  19,  1815,  and  was  a  son  of  Samuel  M.  and 
Sarah  F.  (Cowan)  Thrift,  the  former  of  German 
and  English,  and  the  latter  of  Scotch-Irish  lineage. 
In  his  youth  he  attended  the  district  schools,  but 
was  mostly  self  educated.  He  remained  in  Ken- 
tucky until  1831,  when,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  the  family  lo- 
cating in  St.  Clair  County.  To  his  father  he  gave 
the  benefit  of  his  services  until  twenty  years  of 
age,  when  he  purchased  Government  land  in  St. 
Clair  County  and  began  farming  in  his  own  in- 
terests. He  improved  four  different  farms  in  that 
county,  and  there  made  his  home  until  1864.  In 
St.  Clair  County,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  married 
Miss  Minerva  Jane  Hawkins,  who  died  in  1850, 
having  become  the  mother  of  seven  children: 


680 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Sarah  Elizabeth,  deceased;  William  Austin,  of 
Oregon;  Isabella  Lurane,  deceased;  Emily  Ellen, 
who  died  at  nineteen  years  of  age;  Samuel  M.,  of 
Decatur;  James  K.  Polk, of  Maroa  Township;  and 
Minerva  Jane,  who  married  Gus  Bower,  and  died 
in  1892. 

On  the  4th  cf  September,  1851,  our  subject  was 
again  married,  this  union  being  with  Miss  Anna 
C.  Peter.  By  their  marriage  was  born  a  family  of 
nine  children,  but  only  four  are  now  living.  Of  the 
five  deceased,  Harry  P.,  Bertha  Christine,  Blanche 
Ella,  one  unnamed,  and  Douglas  Albert,  all  died 
in  infancy  with  the  exception  of  the  latter,  whose 
deatli  occurred  on  the  31st  of  August,  1888.  Of 
the  living,  Alonzo  M.  carries  on  the  home  farm; 
Charles  A.  is  a  farmer  of  Hickory  Point  Town- 
ship; Mary  L.  is  the  wife  of  Goddin  Welden,  a 
resident  of  Centralia;  and  Grace  T.  is  the  wife 
of  Sam  D.  McKenny,  who  is  employed  as  a  sales- 
man in  the  store  of  Bradley  Bros.,  of  Decatur. 

On  leaving  St.  Clair  County  in  1864,  Mr.  Thrift 
came  to  Macon  County  and  located  upon  the  farm 
where  his  widow  now  resides.  He  first  purchased 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  partially  im- 
proved land  on  section  36,  Maroa  Township,  but 
as  his  financial  resources  were  increased  lie  made 
additional  purchases,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
owned  four  hundred  and  seventy-six  acres  of  val- 
uable land.  He  carried  on  general  farming,  stock- 
raising,  and  a  feeding  and  shipping  business,  and 
did  an  extensive  and  successful  business,  so  that 
in  the  legitimate  channels  of  trade  he  acquired  a 
handsome  and  well-merited  competency.  He  be- 
gan life  for  himself  a  poor  boy  without  capital, 
but  with  persistent  energy  he  overcame  all  ob- 
stacles and  worked  his  way  upward  to  a  position 
of  affluence.  In  politics,  he  manifested  consider- 
able interest,  always  kept  well  informed  on  the  is- 
sues of  the  day,  and  voted  with  the  Democracy, 
of  whose  principles  he  was  a  stanch  advocate.  He 
served  both  as  School  Treasurer  and  School  Di- 
rector. 

The  deatli  of  Mr.  Thrift  occurred  on  the  12th  of 
April,  1888.  and  his  remains  were  interred  in 
Maroa  Cemetery.  He  had  always  borne  his  part 
as  a  public-spirited  citizen,  was  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  Church,  a  true  and  faithful 


friend  and  a  loving  husband  and  father.  His 
deatli  was  widely  mourned,  not  only  by  his  imme- 
diate family,  but  also  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends 
and  acquaintances. 


ENRY  B.  SMITH,  who  is  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandising  in  Maroa,  is  a  native 
of  the  Buckeye  State.  He  was  born  in  Co- 
shocton  County,  Ohio,  January  22,  1840 
and  is  one  of  five  surviving  children  of  a  family 
of  ten  sons  and  daughters  who  graced  the  union 
of  James  M.  and  Nancy  (Henderson)  Smith.  The 
parents  were  both  natives  of  Ohio,  and  still  live 
in  that  State.  The  father  was  a  tanner  by  trade, 
but  has  followed  farming  during  the  greater  part 
of  his  life.  He  has  been  honored  with  a  number 
of  public  offices,  and  for  several  years  served  as 
County  Commissioner.  Himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  have  the  re- 
spect of  the  entire  community  in  which  they 
make  their  home.  Their  living  children  are  James 
M.,  Henry  B.,  Joseph  F.,  Thomas  J.  and  Milton. 
Those  deceased  are  William  B.,  George  W.,  Isaac 
N.,  Lymnn  and  Shannon. 

Mr.  Smith  whose  name  heads  this  record  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
lads  upon  the  old  homestead  in  Ohio,  and  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  twenty-four  years 
of  age.  His  early  education,  acquired  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  was  supplemented  by  study  in  the 
High  School,  and  when  he  had  arrived  at  mature 
years  he  began  teaching.  It  was  in  1864  that  he 
left  his  native  State  and  came  to  Maroa,  where 
for  two  years  he  was  employed  as  a  teacher  in  the 
schools  of  this  place.  He  then  embarked  in  the 
grocery  business  with  T.  S.  Collins,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Collins  &  Smith,  which  connection 
continued  for  about  three  years,  when  the  firm 
became  Smith  Bros".,  Mr.  Collins  selling  his  inter- 
est to  Isaac  N.  Smith.  Business  was  carried  on 
for  three  years  under  that  style,  when  a  third, 
interest  was  sold  to  Thomas  N.  Leavitt,  and  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


681 


name  changed  to  Smith  Bros.  &  Leavitt.  This 
firm  continued  business  for  four  years,  when,  Isaac 
N.  Smith  having  died,  our  subject  purchased  Mr. 
Leavitt's  interest  and  has  since  been  alone  in  busi- 
ness, lie  h:is  a  large  store  and  handles  groceries, 
crockery,  boots  and  shoes,  and  gents'  furnishing 
goods.  A  liberal  patronage  is  accorded  him  as 
the  result  of  his  fair  and  honest  dealing  and  his 
earnest  desire  to  please  his  patrons. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  June  4,  18G8,  to  Miss 
Parthena  C.  Gray,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Cath- 
erine (Funk)  Gray.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
Mississippi,  and  her  mother  of  Virginia,  but  be- 
came residents  of  Macon  County.  Five  children 
were  born  of  their  union:  Arra  M.,  Anna  Lura, 
Leila,  Ruth,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  The 
mother  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Mr.  Smith  holds  membership  with  Mnroa  Lodge 
No.  454,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Maroa  Chapter  No.  52, 
R.A.M.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No.  9,  K.  T., 
of  Dccatur.  In  politics  he  affiliates  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  and  for  three  and  a-half  years  he 
served  as  Postmaster  of  Maroa,  being  appointed 
by  President  Cleveland.  He  has  a  good  home 
and  other  city  property  and  has  prospered  finan- 
cially, his  good  management  and  well-directed  ef- 
forts having  won  him  a  competence  that  num- 
bers him  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community. 


RS.  SARAH  A.  DAVIDSON,  of  Mt.  Zion, 
has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Ma- 
con  County,  and  is  numbered  among  the 
pioneer  settlers,  for  her  birth  occurred  in 
Mt.  Zion  Township  on  the  4th  of  January, 
1833.  Her  father,  Robert  Wilson,  was  born  on 
the  4th  of  October,  1779,  in  Mecklenburg  Coun- 
ty, N.  C.,  and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Tennessee,  where  he 
remained  until  1829.  That  year  witnessed  his 
emigration  Westward  and  his  arrival  in  Macon 
County,  five  miles  east  of  Mt,  Zion,  in  Mt. 


Township,  where  he  resided  until  Ins  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  4th  of  March,  1873.  His  remains 
were  interred  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jane  Donnell,  was 
a  native  of  Tennessee.  By  their  union  were  born 
seven  children:  Thomas  F.,  Mary  B.,  Nancy  A., 
Sarah  G.,  William  A.,  Martha  J.  and  Cynthia  E. 
All  are  now  deceased  and  lie  buried  in  Mt.  Zion 
Cemetery.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  in 
1829,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  her  native  State. 
For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Wilson  chose  in  Tennes- 
see Mrs.  Sally  Hodge,  who  was  born  in  Orange 
County,  N.  C.,  in  1792.  They  became  the  parents 
of  three  children:  Robert  D.,  who  resides  in  I)e- 
catur;  Mrs.  Davidson,  of  this  sketch;  and  James 
A.,  who  is  also  living  in  Decatur. 

Sarah  A.  Wilson  spent  the  days  of  her  girl- 
hood under  the  parental  roof,  and  was  reared  to 
habits  of  thrift  and  industry.  July  27,  1853,  she 
became  the  wife  of  John  II.  Davidson,  a  native 
of  Illinois,  born  in  Wayne  County  October  28, 
1828.  With  his  parents  he  came  to  Macon  County 
when  two  years  of  age.  His  father  was  born  in 
South  Carolina  in  1796,  and  died  in  1844.  John 
Davidson  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  fol- 
lowed that  business  throughout  his  entire  life.  He 
was  a  man  of  industrious  habits  and  careful  man- 
agement, and,  as  the  result  of  his  well-directed  ef- 
forts and  business  sagacity,  he  acquired  a  comfort- 
able competency,  becoming  the  owner  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  rich  land  on  section  6,  Mt. 
Zion  Township,  a  part  of  it  being  Mr.  Wilson's  old 
home.  Mrs.  Davidson  has  besides  her  home  in  Mt. 
Zion  a  desirable  house  in  Decatur.  Mr.  Davidson 
was  straightforward  and  honorable  in  his  deal- 
ings and  won  the  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Politically,  Mr.  Davidson  was  connected  with 
the  Democratic  party,  and  in  religious  belief  was 
a  Cumberland  Presbyterian.  His  wife  was  also  a 
member  of  the  same  church.  He  was  a  man  of 
high  moral  character,  and  had  the  well-earned  re- 
spect and  esteem  of  the  entire  community.  His 
death  occurred  on  the  14th  of  May,  1892,  and  he 
was  laid  to  rest  in  Mt.  Zion  Cemetery  amid  the 
deep  regret  of  many  warm  friends.  July  27, 
1883,  thirty  years  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  David- 
son was  stung  on  the  head  by  a  bumble  bee  while 


682 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


haying,  and  lay  for  eighteen  months  helpless,  and 
for  nine  years,  or  until  his  death,  he  was  unable  to 
do  a  day's  work.  No  other  similar  case  has  been 
shown  in«<medical  annals,  and  it  was  studied  -thor- 
oughly by  many  physicians. 

Mr.  Davidson  resides  in  the  village  of  Mt.  /ion, 
where  she  has  a  pleasant  and  comfortable  home. 
Her  many  excellencies  of  character  have  won  for 
her  the  respect  of  her  friends  and  neighbors,  and, 
a  pioneer  of  this,  her  native  county,  she  well  de- 
serves representation  in  its  history.  She  has  had 
no  children  of  her  own,  but  reared  a  boy  from 
four  years  of  age,  Stanley  Tucker,  now  an  en- 
terprising young  farmer  of  Mt.  Zion  Township. 


REDEKICK  NIENTKER,  who  resides  in 
>  Boody,  was  born  July  24,  1825,  in  the 
Province  of  Westphalia,  Prussia,  and  is  the 
only  son  of  Henry  and  Hannah  (Dellbrugge) 
Nientker.  The  father,  who  was  a  soldier  under 
Napoleon,  died  while  in  the  army,  when  our  sub- 
ject was  only  thirteen  months  old.  He  had  been 
drafted  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  served  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Waterloo.  When  Frederick  was  four  years  old 
his  mother  was  again  married,  and  by  that  union 
had  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  came  to  America, 
were  married  and  had  families.  Two  are  still  liv- 
ing: Mrs.  Henrietta  Berkley,  of  Blue  Mound  Town- 
ship; and  Mrs.  Charlotte  Ward,  of  Missouri. 

When  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  fourteen,  his 
step-father,  John  Vahrenhorst,  came  to  America, 
and,  lauding  at  New  Orleans,  began  to  earn  money 
to  bring  the  family  over.  Four  years  later  the 
mother  and  children  crossed  the  briny  deep,  and 
after  five  months  spent  in  the  Crescent  City  the 
family  came  up  the  Mississippi  to  St.  Louis,  and 
then  by  ox-team  to  Macon  County,  locating  in 
Mt.  '/Aon  Township.  After  a  year  they  removed 
to  Blue  Mound  Township,  where  Mr.  Vahrenhorst 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  while  Mr.  Nientker 
hired  out  by  the  month,  as  a  farm  hand. 


At  the  age  of  twenty-three  our  subject  married 
Rebecca  Eckel,  of  Blue  Mound  Township,a  native 
of  Pennsylvania.  Unto  them  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, but  two  died  in  infancy,  and  Mrs.  Amanda 
Fischer  died  in  Suraner  County,  Kan.  Of  the  five 
living,  John  resides  in  EastSt.  Ix>uis,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Wiegand  in  Decatur,  Mrs.  Henrietta  Hageman  in 
Nebraska,  Mrs.  Minnie  Kyser  in  Niantic,  and  Mary 
also  in  Niantic.  About  two  years  after  his  marriage, 
Mr.  Nientker  entered  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  from  the  Government  on  section  11,  Blue 
Mound  Township,  where  he  still  makes  his  home. 
He  greatly  improved  the  place,  making  it  a  rich 
and  valuable  tract,  and  carried  on  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  the  station  of  Boody  was  established, 
when  he  began  dealing  in  general  merchandising. 
Mr.  Nientker  has  met  with  adversity  as  well  as 
prosperity.  He  at  one  time  owned  two  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  land,  but  going  security  for 
others  and  through  some  unfortunate  deals,  he  lost 
much  during  the  panic  of  1873.  However,  he  is  a 
man  of  indomitable  will,  courage  and  enterprise, 
and  with  characteristic  energy  set  to  work  to  re- 
trieve his  lost  possessions. 

In  1849,  our  subject  was  converted  and  became 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Later,  when  the  German  people  began  to  settle  in 
this  community,  he  organized  the  German  Meth- 
odist Church,  in  order  that  his  fellow-countrymen 
might  enjoy  the  benefits  of  the  Gospel.  He  began 
to  talk  to  the  people,  became  an  exhorter,  and  in 
1868  was  licensed  as  a  Deacon,  with  the  power  to 
baptize  and  perform  the  marriage  ceremony.  He 
has  labored  with  unremitting  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
Christianity,  and  the  crown  of  the  righteous  will 
surely  be  his. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Nientker  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  and  later  he  married  Miss 
Adeline  Schultz,of  Bloomington,  111.,  who  was  born 
in  Prussia  May  8,  1842.  They  became  the  parents 
of  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living.  One 
of  the  number  is  married  and  resides  in  Blue  Mound 
Township.  Mr.  Nientker  has  reared  a  family  of 
useful  citizens,  who  like  himself  are  held  in  high 
regard  for  their  excellencies  of  character.  In  pol- 
itics, in  an  early  day  he  was  a  Democrat,  but  in 
1856  he  left  that  party  and  voted  for  John  C.  Fre- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


683 


inont,  continuing  to  affiliate  with  the  Republican 
party  until  1890,  since  which  time  he  has  voted 
with  the  Prohibitionists.  For  three  years  he  filled 
the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  then  resigned. 
Four  terms  he  served  as  Collector,  and  in  1880  was 
appointed  Census  Taker.  The  prompt  and  able 
manner  in  which  he  discharged  his  duties  has  won 
him  the  high  commendation  of  all  concerned. 
Formerly  he  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, but  as  the  lodge  was  some  distance  from 
his  home  and  he  could  not  attend  regularly,  he  is 
not  now  an  active  worker  in  its  ranks. 


J|  AMES  L.  HIGHT,  a  member  of  the  banking 
firm  of  Hight  &  Son,  of  Macon,  has  been 
engaged  in  the  banking  business  at  this 
place  since  1878.  He  is  recognized  as  a 
prominent  and  influential  citizen,  and  the  history 
of  his  life  deserves  a  place  in  the  records  of  his 
adopted  county.  He  was  born  in  Rockhridge 
County,  Va.,  December  17,  1826,  and  is  a  son  of 
Samuel  and  Margaret  (Rupp)  Hight.  His  father, 
who  was  a  farmer,  died  when  our  subject  was 
about  eight  years  of  age,  and  when  he  was  a  lad 
of  nine,  in  company  with  his  brothers,  sister  and 
mother,  he  removed  to  Tennessee,  where  they  lived 
as  farming  people  for  two  years.  A  few  years 
were  then  spent  in  Greene  County,  111.,  upon 
rented  land.  There  the  mother  died,  and  the  chil- 
dren as  a  family  came  to  Macon  County. 

James  L.  Hight  received  very  limited  educa- 
tional privileges.  He  attended  school  to  some 
extent  in  Greene  County,  but  he  had  to  work  hard 
for  a  living,  and  in  consequence  could  not  spend 
much  time  in  the  schoolroom.  On  coming  to  South 
Macon  Township,  he  and  his  eldest  brother,  in 
company  with  Mr.  Armstrong,  purchased  some 
four  hundred  acres  of  land  and  began  farming, 
but  he  laid  aside  all  business  cares  during  the  late 
war  to  enter  the  service  of  his  country.  On  the 
13th  of  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of 
Company  E,  and  his  regiment,  the  One  Hundred 


and  Fifteenth  Illinois  Infant^,  was  assigned  to 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  with  which  command 
he  remained  until  March,  1863,  doing  duty  in 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  after  which  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps.  The 
war  having  ended,  he  was  honorably  discharged  in 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  June  28,  1865. 

Mr.  Hight  at  once  returned  to  his  farm  in  South 
Macon  Township,  but  after  a  year  sold  his  interest 
and  took  a  trip  to  Virginia.  In  1868  ho  opened  a 
general  merchandise  establishment  in  Macon,  and 
has  since  been  prominently  connected  with  the 
business  affairs  of  this  city.  Ten  years  afterward, 
in  connection  with  his  brother  B.  P.,  he  established 
the  first  bank  of  Macon,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Ilight  Bros.,  our  subject  being  at  the  head  of  the 
firm.  They  afterward  opened  a  bank  in  Assump- 
tion, 111.,  under  the  firm  name  of  Ilight  Bros.  & 
Moore,  but  after  a  year  our  subject  withdrew  from 
that  firm,  his  brother  and  Mr.  Moore  continuing  the 
business  in  Assumption,  while  he  became  sole  pro- 
prietot  of  the  Macon  Bank.  This  is  one  of  the  solid 
financial  institutions  of  the  county.  Business  has 
prospered  under  the  able  management  of  the  owner 
and  it  is  now  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1868,  Mr.  Hight  married 
Miss  Charlotte  Dodson.  of  Carlton,  111.,  who  was 
born  October  5,  1843,  in  Greene  County,  111.,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Mary  (Moffett) 
Dodson.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  five  chil- 
dren, but  three  died  in  early  childhood.  The 
surviving  son,  Edward  L.,  who  was  born  in  Ma- 
con June  4,  1869,  in  addition  to  attending  a  good 
common  school,  was  a  student  in  the  literary  de- 
partment of  Cattock  College,  of  Quincy,  III.,  and 
took  a  complete  course  in  the  Gem  City  Commer- 
cial College  of  Quincy,  after  which  he  entered  his 
father's  bank,  continuing  as  an  employe  until 
January,  1890,  when  he  became  a  partner.  He 
married  Leila  Beshel,  of  Macon.  Clara,  the  only 
daughter  of  the  family,  is  now  a  student  in  De 
Pauw  University,  of  Greencastle,  Ind. 

Although  reared  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Hight  whose 
name  heads  this  record  cast  his  second  Presiden- 
tial vote  for  Lincoln  and  was  a  Republican  for 
many  years,  but  recently  has  become  identified 
with  the  Prohibition  party,  He  has  served  as  Su- 


684 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


l>ervisor  of  his  township,  was  Mayor,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  City  Council,  has  served  on  the 
School  Board  and  is  Treasurer  of  the  township. 
The  community,  which  recognizes  in  Mr.  Hight  one 
of  its  best  citizens,  felt  that  the  interests  of  Macou 
would  be  well  served  if  he  occupied  positions  of 
public  trust,  and  his  faithful  performance  of  duty 
bore  out  the  good  opinion  of  his  constituents.  His 
life  has  been  honorable  and  upright.  He  never 
stoops  to  mean  or  petty  actions,  and  by  all  he  is 
held  in  the  highest  regard.  Since  the  age  of 
twenty  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  lias  been  one  of  its  most 
active  workers  and  consistent  members,  and  has 
served  as  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 
His  wife  belongs  to  the  same  church,  delights  in 
doing  good  to  those  around  her,  and  the  poor  and 
needy  have  found  in  her  a  kind  friend. 


AVID  M.  ADAMS  was  for  a  number  of 
3'ears  successfully  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising,  and  did  an  ex- 
tensive business,  but  is  now  practically 
living  a  retired  life  in  Decatur,  although  to  some 
extent  he  still  superintends  his  farm.  The  rest 
which  he  is  enjoying  is  well  earned,  for  his  career 
lias  been  a  busy  and  useful  one.  Mr.  Adams  was 
born  on  the  8th  of  November.  1822,  in  Centre 
County,  Pa.,  near  Beilefoiite.  The  Adams  family- 
is  of  English  origin.  The  parents  of  our  subject, 
John  and  Nancy  (Miller)  Adams,  were  also  natives 
of  the  Keystone  State,  and  the  father  was  an  iron 
manufacturer.  His  wife  passed  away  in  1843.  Both 
were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Their 
family  numbered  the  following  children:  Mary, 
who  died  in  December,  1892;  Elizabeth,  Julia  A. 
and  Alexander, all  deceased;  David, of  this  sketch; 
Priscilla,  widow  of  Aaron  Risley,  living  in  Mechan- 
icsville,  Iowa;  John,  manager  of  the  iron  works 
in  Huntingdon  County,  Pa.;  and  Nancy,  widow 
of  Joseph  Pierson,  residing  in  Seattle,  Wash. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  the  subscrip- 
tion schools  in  his  youth  and  was  also  a  student 
in  Bowlsburgh  Seminary  for  one  term.  He  re- 
mained upon  the  home  farm  until  lie  was  fifteen 
years  of  age,  when,  his  father  having  opened  a 
store,  he  began  clerking  and  was  thus  employed 
during  the  four  succeeding  years  of  his  life.  In 
connection  with  Gen.  James  Ervin,  his  father  had 
also  established  an  iron  foundry  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  David  became  under  manager  of  his  father's 
business.  He  remained  in  the  Keystone  State  un- 
til 1849,  when  he  went  to  Greensburgh,  Ky.,  and 
was  manager  of  the  Greenup  Furnace  Foundry 
for  a  year.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
returned  to  his  native  State,  and  took  a  contract 
connected  with  the  "pack-saddle"  section  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Central  Railroad,  with  which  he  was 
connected  for  six  months.  He  then  again  returned 
to  his  home,  where  he  remained  for  a  year.  In 
1852  he  went  to  Clinton  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  in  feeding  and  shipping 
stock  for  ten  years. 

Mr.  Adams  was  married  in  February,  1860,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Mary  E.  Han  kins.  Her 
father,  Enoch  Hankins,  was  horn  September  16, 
1817,  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  near  Wilmington. 
Her  mother,  whose  name  was  Susannah  McFadden, 
was  born  in  Augusta  County,  Va.,  near  Staun- 
ton.  She  married  Mr.  Hankins  November  14, 
1839.  The  fruits  of  this  union  were  nine  chil- 
dren. Two  are  deceased,  Frank  L.  and  Walter. 
Those  living  are  Mary  E.;  Martha  J.,  who  lives  in 
Carthage,  Mo.;  Orlandus.  a  farmer  of  Friends'  Creek 
Township;  Florence  E.,  Hortense  and  Charles  S.,  all 
living  in  Decatur;  and  Rose,  still  at  home.  Unto 
our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  seven  children: 
Ada,  wife  of  Thomas  D.  Miller,  a  farmer  and  stock- 
wiser  of  Friends'  Creek  Township;  William  E., 
who  resides  on  his  father's  farm;  Lizzie,  deceased; 
Helen  L.  and  Carlotta  M.,  at  home;  and  Oscar 
Frederick  and  George,  deceased. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Adams  came  to  Macon  County, 
and  located  in  Friends'  Creek  Township,  where  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  partially 
improved  land.  He  never  removed  to  that  farm, 
however.  In  1874  he  purchased  the  farm  which 
he  still  owns,  comprising  four  hundred  and  sixty 


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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


687 


acres,  where  lie  was  extensively  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock-raising  until  1888.  He  then  left  the 
farm  and  removed  to  Argenta,  but  the  following 
year  came  to  Decatur,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Adams  was  a  Whig,  but  on 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  joined 
its  ranks  and  attended  the  first  State  convention 
of  that  party  in  Ohio.  He  has  several  times  been 
called  upon  to  serve  in  official  positions,  and  has 
been  Township  Supervisor,  Collector,  Assessor  and 
Commissioner  of  Highways;  he  was  School  Treas- 
urer for  twenty  years,  discharging  his  duties  with 
a  promptness  and  fidelity  which  won  him  the  com- 
mendation of  all  concerned.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  for  about  twenty 
years  has  been  connected  with  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity. All  public  enterprises  calculated  to  promote 
the  general  welfare  receive  his  hearty  support  and 
co-operation.  The  community  recognizes  in  him 
a  valued  citizc'n,and  he  has  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  all. 


INDSAY  JONES,  deceased,  was  a  native  of 
North  Carolina.  He  was  born  on  the  21st 
of  January,  1832,  in  Guilford  Count}',  and 
was  a  son  of  Isaac  and  Margaret  (Holland)  Jones, 
natives  of  the  same  State.  Their  family  numbered 
seven  children,  namely:  Phoebe,  now  deceased; 
Jasper,  Luzon ia,  Liza,  Lindsay,  and  Nathan  and 
Alpha,  both  deceased. 

Midst  play  and  work  the  boyhood  days  of  our 
subject  were  passed  upon  his  father's  farm.  He 
was  early  inured  to  the  labors  of  the  field,  and  to 
farm  work  devoted  much  of  his  time  through  the 
summer,  while  in  tlie  winter  season  he  attended 
school.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  and  with  them  came  to  Illinois 
in  1840,  when  a  lad  of  eight  summers.  The  family 
located  in  Brown  County,  where,  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years,  he  began  earning  his  own  liveli- 
hood by  working  as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month. 
There  he  remained  until  1869,  when  lie  removed 

33 


to  Scott  County,  where  he  operated  a  sawmill. 
Mr.  Jones  made  Jiis  home  in  Scott  and  Greene 
Counties  until  1856,  engaged  in  the  business 
above  mentioned, and  then  came  to  Macon  County, 
locating  upon  the  farm  which  he  had  previously 
purchased.  It  was  located  in  Friends'  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  comprised  one  hundred  and  seventy-one 
acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  was  in  its  primi- 
tive condition  when  he  came  into  possession  of  it. 
Mr.  Jones  was  an  energetic  and  industrious  man, 
and  the  labors  he  bestowed  upon  the  place  made 
of  it  a  valuable  and  highly  improved  tract. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1858,  our  subject  was  un- 
ited in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret,  daughter  of 
Ilermetet  and  Susan  Jontey.  Her  parents  were  of 
French  descent,  and  she  was  one  of  a  family  of 
eight  children,  namely:  Susan;  Peter;  Sophia,  who 
is  now  deceased;  Martha  and  Catherine,  twins; 
Julian  and  Marion,  both  deceased;  and  James. 

By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  were  born 
six  children,  but  the  eldest,  Francis  M.,  died  Sept- 
ember 15,  1863;  Mary  is  at  home;  Allen  is  mar- 
ried and  follows  farming  in  Friends'  Creek 
Township;  Alice,  twin  sister  of  Allen,  died  August 
20,  1865;  Effie  died  April  13,  1870;  and  Ida  com- 
pletes the  family. 

Mr.  Jones  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fratern  ity 
and  the  Odd  Fellows'  society  and  held  member- 
ship with  the  Christian  Church.  He  took  quite 
an  active  interest  in  politics  and  voted  with  the 
Democratic  party.  He  was  honored  with  the 
offices  of  Township  Commissioner  and  Township 
Treasurer,  and  the  duties  of  the  positions  were 
discharged  in  a  prompt  and  able  manner.  He 
took  an  active  interest  in  everything  that  per- 
tained lo  the  welfare  of  the  community,  and 
always  gave  his  aid  to  those  enterprises  calculated 
to  prove  of  public  benefit.  All  who  knew  him  es- 
teemed him  highly  for  his  sterling  worth  and  strict 
integrity  of  character.  He  was  a  loving  husband 
and  father  and  faithful  friend,  and  his  loss  was 
deeply  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances.  He  died  from  heart  disease  on  the 
night  of  November  8,  1892,  and  was  laid  to  rest 
in  Maroa  Cemeter}'.  His  family  still  resides  upon 
the  old  home  farm  and  the  members  hold  a  high 
position  in  the  social  circles  in  which  they  move. 


688 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RKCORD. 


THOMAS  C.  GRADY  is  the  editor  of  the 
Times,  of  Maroii,  and  one  of  the  leading 
business  men  of  this  place,  being  also  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  in  the  real-estate  business. 
He  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  Illinois,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Texas  Township,  De  Witt 
County,  November  5,  1860.  He  comes  from  an 
old  family  of  Pennsylvania,  his  grandfather,  Hiram 
Grady,  being  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  where 
he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  and  pump- 
making.  His  death  occurred  there  in  1866,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  years. 

John  D.  Grady,  one  of  his  nine  children,  be- 
came the  father  of  our  subject.  He  too  was  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  as  was  also  his  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  J.  Wray.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  Robert  Wray,  a  Pennsylvania  far- 
mer. They  became  the  parents  of  six  children, 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  Thomas 
C.,  Vantz  R.,  Minnie  (wife  of  William  Craemer), 
Clara  A.,  and  two  who  died  in  infancy.  The  fa- 
ther of  this  family  has  followed  farming  through- 
out his  entire  life.  He  came  to  Illinois  from  Hunt- 
ingdon County,  Pa.,  in  1856,  and  located  in  De 
Witt  County,  where  he  worked  by  the  month  for 
some  time  and  afterward  rented  land.  In  1858 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  two  and  a-quarter  miles 
northwest  of  Maroa,  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  From  time  to  time  he  has  extended  the 
boundaries  of  his  farm  until  it  now  comprises  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich  land,  which  is  well 
improved  and  highly  cultivated.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows'  fraternity,  and  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

Thomas  C.  Grady  was  born  and  reared  in  De 
Witt  County,  residing  upon  the  farm  with  his 
parents  until  he  had  attained  to  man's  estate. 
His  early  education  was  acquired  in  the  country 
schools,  after  which  he  took  a  two-years  course  in 
the  Illinois  Weslej'an  University,  of  Bloomington. 
When  his  school  life  was  completed  he  returned 
to  the  farm  which  he  rented  of  his  father.  This 
he  still  operates,  but  Mr.  Grady,  Sr..  yet  makes  his 
home  upon  the  old  place. 

On  the  15th  of  February,  1883,  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ella  .].,  daughter  of 
William  T.  and  Lavina  (Hull)  Mitchell,  of  Web- 


ster City,  Iowa.  Two  children  have  been  born 
unto  them,  a  son  and  daughter,  Fred  M.and  Kthel 
May.  In  1886,  Mr.  Grady  established  the  Maroa 
Times,  running  it  for  two  years  as  a  Democratic 
paper,  since  which  time  it  has  been  independent. 
It  is  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  community 
and  is  filled  with  loeal  matter  and  news  of  general 
interest  concerning  this  and  foreign  countries'. 
During  his  seven-years  experience  as  a  publisher, 
Mr.  Grady  has  lived  upon  the  farm  two  and  a- 
quarter  miles  from  the  town,  and  has  walked  to 
and  from  his  office  each  day  during  that  period 
with  the  exception  of  a  year  and  a-half,  when  he 
was  detained  at  home  on  account  of  trouble  with 
his  eyes.  He  owns  a  farm  of  one  handled  and 
sixty  acres  in  Hamilton  County,  Iowa,  together 
with  a  town  lot  in  Maroa,  his  office  building  and 
its  furniture.  In  connection  with  his  other  inter- 
ests, he  is  also  engaged  in  real-estate  business,  sell- 
ing farm  lands  in  a  number  of  different  places. 
Socially,  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  and  in  politics  he  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Democratic 
part}-.  He  was  School  Director  for  a  number  of 
years  and  served  one  term  as  Justice  of  the  Peace. 


ILTON  JOHNSON.  The  business  interests 
of  Decatur  are  largely  represented  in  our 
Hi  subject,  who  for  a  number  of  years  has 
been  recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent 
and  public-spirited  citizens  of  Macon  County.  He  is 
Presidentof  the  Citizens' National  Bank  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Columbia  Manufacturing  Company. 
These  are  both  leading  enterprises  of  the  city  and 
are  important, inasmuch  as  they  materially  increase 
the  wealth -and  prosperity  of  the  community. 
The  bnswess  career  of  Mr.  Johnson  has  been  one 
of  signal  success,  which  is  due  not  to  any  favor- 
able circumstances  or  financial  aid,  but  to  earnest 
and  untiri.ig  effort,  supplemented  by  good  exec- 
utive ability. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


689 


Mr.  Johnson  comes  from  an  old   New   England 
family,  the  progenitors  of  which  came  from  Eng- 
land   in    1632.      Ills   grandfather,    Capt.    Othniel 
Johnson,   who  was  a  native  of  Buckland,  Mass., 
served  in  the  War  of  18 12,  and  spent  his  entire  life 
in   the  Bay  .State,     lie  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years,  leaving  a  large    family.     One   of  his 
sons,  Edwin  Johnson,  is  the  father  of  the  subject 
of  our  sketch.     Edwin  Johnson  was  born  in  1818, 
and    was  a  stonemason    and    plasterer    by    trade. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  went   to   Wisconsin 
and  settled  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Greenfield, 
five  miles  from  Milwaukee.     He  lived  there  forty 
years,  and  now  makes  his  home  in   the   family   of 
his  son  Milton.     lie  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.   His  wife,  Pauline,  was  a  daugh- 
ter   of   Nathan    Howes,   a    Massachusetts    farmer. 
OC  their  children,  the  eldest  is  Milton;  Franklin 
wedded  Miss  Mary  Clark,  a  niece  of  Alvan  Clark, 
the  famous  telescope-maker,  and  lives  in  Baraboo, 
Wis.,  where  he  is  engaged    in    horticultural    pur- 
suits; Mary  is    the    wife    of  I.  E.  Brown,  of  Oak 
Park,  111.,  State    Secretary-  of    the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association ;  Martha  is  the  wife  of  O.  H. 
P.  Smith,  a  Methodist  minister,  now   preaching  in 
St.  Charles,  Minn.;  Anna  has  been  educated  for  for- 
eign  missionary    work   and  is  now   awaiting   her 
assignment    to   a    field    of  labor.       In    1865,  the 
father  was  again   married,  this  union    being    with 
Mrs.    Christiana    Remington.     Their   sorf,   Edwin 
Johnson,  Jr.,  is  an  architect  in  Chicago. 

Milton  Johnson  was  born  in  Greenfield,  Wis., 
September  30,  1845,  and  remained  on  his  father's 
farm  until  twenty  years  of  age.  After  taking  a 
course  in  the  Bryant,  Stratton  it  Spencer  Business 
College  of  Milwaukee,  he  engaged  in  teaching  in 
the  public  schools  for  several  terms  and  then  en- 
tered the  college  as  a  teacher.  In  1866,  he  came 
to  Decatur  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States 
Express  Company.  After  three  years,  he  secured 
a  position  with  Powers,  Ferris  <fe  Co.,  boot  and 
shoe  dealers.  From  1872  until  1892,  he  was  in 
the  banking  house  of  J.  Millikin  &  Co.,  as  book- 
keeper until  1880,  when  he  became  a  member  of 
the  firm.  In  1892,  he  sold  his  interest  in  that 
bank  and  became  identified  with  the  Citizens'  Na- 
tional Bank.  He  served  one  year  as  Viee-Presi- 


dent,  but  at  the  last  election  was  made  its  Presi- 
dent, L.  Towl  succeeding  him  as  Vice-President. 
John  A.  Dawson  has  been  Cashier  since  the  organ- 
ization of  the  bank.  The  members  of  the  Board 
of  Directors  are  L.  B.  Casner,  Levi  Towl,  F.  M. 
Young,  Milton  Johnson,  J.  N.  Baker,  H.  H.  Wise 
and  J.  A.  Dawson.  Between  December,  1891,  and 
December,  1892,  the  business  of  the  bank  was 
doubled  in  all  its  branches,  as  can  be  seen  by 
comparing  the  statements  issued  in  the  two  years. 
In  1891  the  capital  stock  was  $100,000;  in  1892, 
200,000.  The  deposits  in  the  former  year  were 
$164,594.65;  in  the  latter,  $275,376.46.  The 
total  resources  in  1891  were  $288,334.26;  in  1892, 
$551,298.82.  The  Citizens'  National  Bank  is  one 
of  the  leading  and  substantial  financial  institu- 
tions of  Macon  County.  The  men  at  its  head  are 
all  men  of  high  standing  in  business  circles,  who 
are  conservative,  yet  progressive,  and  have  made 
this  enterprise  worthy  of  a  most  liberal  patronage. 

Among  the  other  business  interests  with  which 
Mr.  Johnson  is  connected  is  the  Columbia  Manu- 
facturing Company,  of  which  he  is  President. 
They  manufacture  clothing  and  employ  a  large 
force.  He  is  also  Treasurer  of  the  Scott  Manufac- 
turing Company,  makers  of  collar  pads  and  har- 
ness specialties. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1870,  Mr.  Johnson  mar- 
ried Miss  Philena  A.  Evans,  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  John  and  Lucy  (Peckham)  Evans, 
who  are  natives  of  the  Empire  State,  but  now  re- 
side in  Waukesha,  Wis.  Six  children  grace  the 
union,  five  sons  and  a  daughter.  Elbert  E.  is  one 
of  the  principal  clerks  and  a  traveling  salesman 
for  the  Tail  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Decatur; 
Franklin  L.  and  Milton  are  students  in  the  North- 
western University,  of  Evanston;  Pauline,  Alva 
M.,  and  Roy  G.  are  still  at  home.  They  also  give 
a  home  to  Maud  E.  Evans,  a  niece  of  Mrs.  John- 
son. The  family  have  a  beautiful  residence,  just 
completed  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  The  furnishings 
are  in  keeping  with  the  fine  exterior,  and  all  that 
culture  and  refinement  approve  is  found  in  that 
model  home. 

Mr.  Johnson  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  is 
serving  as  Steward  and  as  President  of  the  Board 


690 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RKCOHI). 


of  Trustees.  In  politics,  lie  has  been  a  life-long 
Republican.  He  is  a  prominent  Mason,  belonging 
to  Decatur  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  V.  &  A.  M.;  Macon 
Chapter  No.  21,  R.  A.  M.;  and  Boaumanoir  Com- 
mandery  No.  9,  K.  T.,  of  which  he  was  Eminent 
Commander  for  two  years.  A  more  wide-awake  ^ 
genial  and  kindly  gentleman  than  Mr.  Johnson 
would  be  hard  to  find  anywhere;  and  these  qual- 
ities of  his  nature  are  largely,  no  doubt,  the  secret 
of  liis  remarkably  successful  business  career. 


RADFORD  K.  DURFEK,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  popular  of  Decatur's  citi- 
V  zens,  who  has  recently  been  appointed 
State  Insurance  Commissioner,  and  is  now 
acceptably  discharging  the  duties  of  that  office, 
was  born  in  Maishall,  Mich.,  March  25.  1838.  His 
father,  Nathan  Durfee,  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Is- 
land, and  married  Margaret  Kirk,  who  was  born 
on  the  Isle  of  Man.  They  lived  in  Marshall, 
Mich.,  until  1842,  when  they  re'nioved  to  Battle 
Creek,  our  subject  being  then  four  years  of  age. 
In  1858,  they  came  to  Decatur.  Mr.  Durfee  was 
a  cabinet-maker  by  trade,  but  here  lived  a  retired 
life.  Though  exempt  from  service  on  account  of 
his  age,  he  enlisted  in  an  Ohio  regiment,  and 
served  throughout  the  entire  war.  When  the 
struggle  was  over  and  the  preservation  of  the 
Union  was  an  assured  fact,  he  returned  to  his  home 
in  Decatur,  and  there  his  death  occurred  in  1875, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  His  wife  survived 
him  three  years  and  then  she  too  was  called  to  the 
home  be3'ond. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  acquired  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Battle  Creek,  Mich. 
In  1857  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  began  teaching 
school  before  lie  was  twenty  years  of  age.  He  suc- 
cessfully followed  that  profession  for  three  years 
during  the  winter  season,  and  during  the  summer 
mouths  his  labors  were  devoted  to  farm  work.  In 
1863  he  was  engaged  by  Durfee  &  Warren  (his 


uncle  Henry  B.  Durfee  and  John  K.  Warren),  to 
prepare  a  complete  abstract  of  the  Macon  County 
Records  of  Title.  This  became  a  standard  work, 
and  was  the  first  really  complete  set  in  the  county. 
Shortly  after  he  became  associated  with  his  uncle 
and  Mr.  Warren,  under  the  linn  name  of  Dtirfee, 
Warren  &  Co.  In  1867,  II.  B.  Durfee  retired,  ruid 
the  firm  became  Warren  «fe  Durfee,  which  was  in 
continuous  existence  from  1866  until  18'J3,  when 
it  was  dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  and  conclud- 
ed a  general  business  partnership  with  Mr.  War- 
ren of  over  thirty  years.  They  did  a  large  real- 
estate  find  general  insurance  and  abstract  business, 
and  stood  at  the  head  in  these  lines. 

In  official  positions,  Mr.  Durfee  has  also  won 
distinction.  He  has  served  two  years  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  City  Council,  and  was  Chairman  of  the 
most  important  committee,  that  of  public  improve- 
ments. He  was  elected  to  the  Thirty-first  mid 
Thirty-second  General  Assemblies  in  1879  and 
1881,  being  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party. 
He  proved  himself  an  able  and  prominent  member 
of  the  Legislature,  and  formed  a  wide  acquain- 
tance with  the  leading  men  of  the  State.  He  has 
long  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  influential 
leaders  of  his  party,  and  in  January,  1893,  lie  was 
appointed  by  Gov.  Altgeld  as  one  of  the  three 
Commissioners  of  the  Joliet  Penitentiary.  On  the 
12th  of  July,  1893,  he  received  the  appointment 
of  Superintendent  of  Insurance  entirely  unsolici- 
ted on  his  part,  and  assumed  the  duties  of  the 
office  July  20.  1893.  His  long  experience  in  gen- 
eral insurance  business  has  given  him  a  practical 
knowledge  of  insurance  matters,  and  he  therefore 
assumed  the  duties  of  his  new  olfice  well  qualified. 
His  position  demands  mature  judgment,  a  cool  and 
clear  brain  and  firmness  of  character,  and  all  these 
are  possessed  by  our  subject. 

On  the  16th  of  October,  1868,  Mr.  Durfee  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucy  Hamilton,  of 
Toledo,  Ohio,  and  unto  them  were  born  two 
daughters.  Lucile  and  Kdith.  Socially,  out  sub- 
ject is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason.  In  connection 
with  other  interests,  he  has  always  been  closely 
identified  with  industrial  movements.  He  is  a 
Director.  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Decatur 
Gas  Company,  and  during  the  past  twenty  years 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


691 


lie  has  been  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  three 
building  associations.  He  promptly  and  vigorously 
seconded  the  efforts  of  his  business  partner,  John 
K.  \Varren,  who  in  1872  took  the  initiative  in  the 
establishment  of  building  associations  in  Decatur. 
Many  of  the  homes  of  Decatur  have  been  secured 
through  the  instrumentality  of  these  three  associa- 
tions, and  no  man  has  been  more  active  in  making 
these  organizations  worthy  of  confidence  and  of 
benefit  to  the  public  than  Mr.  Durfee.  To  him 
are  due  in  a  great  measure  the  present  laws  gov- 
erning building  associations.  When  in  the  House 
in  1879,  he  took  advanced  ground  on  this  matter. 
Having  made  a  special  study  of  the  subject,  and 
being  familiar  with  its  strength  and  its  weaknesses, 
he  was  enabled  to  throw  safeguards  around  the 
organizations  which  are  now  embodied  in  the  laws 
that  to-day  stand  on  the  statute  books  of  the  State. 
While  a  member  of  the  House,  Mr.  Durfee  was 
prominently  spoken  of  as  Speaker,  and  in  fact  was 
made  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  that  position. 
Mr.  Durfee  is  a  man  of  fine  physique  and  personal 
appearance.  Genial  and  pleasant  in  manner,  and 
entertaining  in  conversation,  he  has  won  hosts  of 
friends  among  all  classes,  and  his  popularity  is 
only  equaled  by  the  true  worth  that  has  gained  it. 


JAMES    JONES,    who    owns  and    occupies  a 
good  farm  on  section  26,  Long  Creek  Town- 
|    ship,  is  numbered  among  the  early  settlers 
of  the  county,  and  has  therefore  been  iden- 
tified with  its  history  for    many   years.     He    was 
born  in  Madison   County,  Ohio,  in  August,  1809. 
His  father,  Josiah  Jones,  was  reared    near    Rich- 
mond, Va.,  by  an  uncle,  and  served  for  three  years 
as  one  of  the  Revolutionary   heroes.     Removing 
to  Kentucky,  he  theie    married  Isabel  Bell,  a  na- 
tive  of    that    Stale,  and  during  its  pioneers  days 
they  removed  to  Oliio,  and  later,   about    1818,  to 
Madison    County,  111.,  where  the  father  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.    After  the  death  of  Mr.  Jones, 
the  family  removed  to  Arkansas,  but   three   years 


later  returned  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Sangamon 
County,  where  the  mother  died  some  years  later 
This  worthy  couple  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  but  none  of  the  number  are  now  living, 
with  the  exception  of  our  subject. 

James  Jones  was  a  lad  of  eight  years  when  with 
his  parents  he  first  came  to  Illinois,  the  journey  be- 
ing made  by  team.  He  was  early  inured  to  hard  la- 
bor, such  as  swinging  the  axe  and  cradle,  and  the 
industrious  habits  which  he  then  formed  have 
characterized  his  entire  life.  In  Sangamon  County, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jane  Snyder, 
a  resident  of  Kentucky,  and  in  that  county  he 
followed  farming,  and  worked  in  a  furniture  shop 
until  1851,  when  he  came  to  Macon  County,  lo- 
cating on  bis  present  farm.  Here  he  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  acres  of  arable  land,  which  is 
highly  cultivated  and  supplied  with  all  modern 
conveniences  and  accessories.  It  is  indeed  one 
of  the  valuable  and  desirable  places  of  the  commu- 
nity, and  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  shows 
the  owner  to  be  a  man  of  practical  and  progressive 
spirit.  He  also  owns  eighty  acres  on  section  20. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Jones  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  leaving  three  chil- 
dren. John  S.,  who  was  born  in  Sangamon  County, 
served  for  three  years  as  Sergeant  in  the  Seventh 
Illinois  Cavalry  during  the  late  war,  and  is  now 
the  owner  of  a  fruit  farm,  his  home  being  in  De- 
catur. James,  who  was  born  in  Sangamon  County 
in  1839,  was  educated  in  the  subscription  schools, 
and  when  a  lad  of  twelve  came  to  Macon  County. 
He  served  in  the  late  war,  enlisting  in  Septem- 
ber, 1861,  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Seventh 
Illinois  Cavaliy,  under  Capt.  Butler.  The  troops 
went  from  Springfield  to  Bird's  Point,  Mo.,  where 
a  skirmish  occurred,  later  were  in  the  battle  of 
Corinth  and  did  much  scouting,  and  afterward 
went  on  tlte.Grierson  raid,  going  eight  hundred 
miles  in  sixteen  days.  After  three  years,  our  sub- 
ject was  mustered  out,  October  16,  1864,  and  has 
since  made  his  home  in  this  county.  Elizabeth 
died  in  childhood.  Carrie  is  the  widow  of  J.  B. 
Clanahan,  and  keeps  house  for  her  father. 

Mr.  Jones  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  and  as  a  recruiting  oflicer  in  the  Civil  War. 
He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Andrew  Jackson  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1828,  and  was  then  a  Whig  until  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Republican  party,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  a  supporter  of  its  principles.  For 
forty-two  years  he  has  made  his  home  in  this 
county,  and  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  its  upbuild- 
ing and  advancement,  and  has  done  all  in  his  power 
for  the  promotion  of  its  best  interests. 


j>ILLIAM  H.  WEATHERFORD,  the  popu- 
lar Postmaster  and  well-known  merchant 
of  Boody,  was  born  on  the  4th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1832,  in  Mecklenburg  County,  Va.,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  S.  and  Emily  (Riggins)  Weatherford, 
who  were  also  natives  of  that  State.  Their  family 
numbered  five  children,  of  whom  William  is  the 
second  in  order  of  birth.  When  he  was  a  lad  of 
twelve  years  his  parents  removed  with  their  chil- 
dren to  Sullivan  County,  Tenn.,  where  the  father 
worked  at  his  trade  for  eight  years,  while  William 
H.  spent  his  time  in  acquiring  an  education  in 
the  public  schools,  or  as  a  follower  of  Izaak 
Walton,  for  he  very  much  enjoyed  whiling  the 
hours  away  with  his  rod  and  line.  When  he  was 
about  twenty,  the  family  removed  to  Franklin, 
Tenn.,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming,  while 
William  began  clerking  in  a  cotton  store  at  $6 
per  month. 

In  1856,  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Amanda  Newman,  of  Franklin  County. 
He  continued  with  his  old  employers  until  their 
mills  were  burned.  His  wages  previous  to  that 
time,  and  owing  to  his  valuable  service,  had  been 
raised  to  $100  per  month.  After  the  burning  of 
the  mills,  he  came  to  Illinois  with  the  firm  and 
helped  to  open  a  farm  for  his  employers  in 
Pleasant  View  Township,  Macon  County,  but  they 
became  bankrupt,  went  back  South  and  joined 
the  Southern  army.  Mr.  Weatherford,  however, 
joined  the  Union  army  and  became  one  of  the  boys 
in  blueof  Company  II,  One  Hundred  and  Fifteenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  in  which  he  did  faithful  service 
for  three  years.  He  was  never  sick  a  day,  was 


never  wounded,  and  army  life  seemed  to  agree  with 
him,  for  his  weight  on  entering  the  service  was  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  pounds,  and  on  his  return 
was  one  hundred  and  sixty-five.  On  June  1  1th, 
1865,  he  was  honorably  discharged  with  the  rank 
of  Corporal.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Lookout  Mountain, 
Snake  Creek  Gap.  Resaca,  Dal  ton  and  Nashville. 

During  the  absence  of  Mr.  Weatherford  at  the 
front,  his  wife  and  three  children  had  been  living 
in  Pleasant  View  Township,  where  he  now  joined 
them  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming.  Soon 
after  his  return,  he  was  elected  Constable,  and  for 
about  twenty  years  filled  that  office.  He  also 
served  as  Assessor  of  Blue  Mound  Township  for 
two  years.  His  repeated  re-elections  are  the  high- 
est testimonial  that  could  be  given  of  his  effici- 
eney  and  able  performance  of  duty.  Removing  to 
Boody,  Mr.  Weatherford  began  carrying  on  a 
boarding-house  and  also  clerked  in  a  store.  During 
the  administration  of  President  Hayes,  he  was 
appointed  to  fill  an  unexpircd  term  as  Postmaster, 
and  continued  to  fill  that  oftice  for  six  months 
after  President  Cleveland  first  became  Chief  Mag- 
istrate. On  account  of  his  politics,  he  was  then 
succeeded  by  a  Democrat,  but  by  President  Harri- 
son was  again  appointed  to  the  position,  which  he 
still  fills.  No  more  trustworthy  or  capable  official 
could  be  secured  than  our  subject,  for  he  is  a  man 
of  good  business  ability  and  is  true  to  every  trust. 
He  has  also  been  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits 
since  residing  in  Boody,  and  now  carries  on  a  gen- 
eral store.  In  politics,  he  was  originally  a  Demo- 
crat, but  when  the  South  declared  that  Abraham 
Lincoln  should  not  fill  the  office  to  which  he  was 
elected,  he  left  the  ranks  of  Democracy,  and  has 
since  been  a  stalwart  advocate  of  Republicanism. 
For  twenty  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows'  society,  is  a  member  of  Dunham  Post 
No.  141,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Decatur,  and  also  belongs 
to  the  United  Brethren  Church. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weatherford  were  born 
six  sons  and  a  daughter,  but  the  latter  died  at  the 
age  of  nine,  while  her  father  was  in  the  army. 
The  eldest  son,  Alex,  was  married  and  died  leaving 
a  wife  and  one  child;  Benjamin  married  Miss 
Bertha  Wise,  of  Boody,  and  now  resides  in  Clay 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


fi'.lS 


County,  Neb.;  diaries  Ellsworth  wedded  Maggie 
Darning:,  of  lioody,  where  they  now  reside;  John 
W.  makes  his  home  in  Nebraska;  Oliver  T.  is  en- 
gaged in  clerking  for  his  father;  and  one  sou  died 
in  infancy.  The  parents  are  highly  respected 
citizens  who  in  social  circles  hold  an  enviable 
position.  Mr.  Weatherford  was  one  of  the  valiant 
boys  in  blue,  has  been  a  capable  official,  and  an 
honorable  business  man,  and  throughout  the  com- 
munity his  friends  are  many. 


Jf  ACOB  W.  PETER,  contractor  and  builder, 
who  is  engaged  in  business   in  Macon,  was 
born  on  the  3d  of  November,  1850,  in  Har- 
'    risen  County,  Ind.,  and  is  a  son  of  John  I), 
and  Catherine  E.  (Kintner)  Peter.     The  father  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  had  two  sons  in 
tlie  War  of  the  Rebellion.     Charles  K.  lost  his  life 
by  disease  during  the  Atlanta  campaign   and   was 
buried  on  Southern   soil.     Anderson  W.,  who  was 
also  one  of  the  boys  in  blue,  is  now  living  in  Ma- 
con. 

John  D.  Peter  was  born  in  Madison,  Jefferson 
Count}',  Ind.,  May  30,  1814.  His  parents,  Charles 
and  Mary  (Davis)  Peter,  were  born  and  married 
in  Kentucky,  and  during  the  early  childhood  of 
John  removed  to  Harrison  County,  Ind.,  where  his 
boyhood  days  were  spent.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
and  died  when  John  was  only  nine  years  of  age, 
leaving  five  children.  The  mother  kept  the  fam- 
ily together  until  her  second  marriage.  In  1832 
Mr.  Peter,  father  of  our  subject,  began  to  learn  the 
carpenter's  and  cabinet-maker's  trade,  serving  an 
apprenticeship  of  three  years,  and  for  his  labois  lie 
received  his  board,  three  months'  schooling,  a  suit 
of  clothes  and  a  few  tools.  He  afterward  formed 
a  partnership  and  began  cabinet-making,  and  to 
some  extent  he  has  followed  wagon-making.  lie 
was  married  March  7,  1836,  to  Miss  Matilda  Jones, 
who  died  in  1837,  leaving  a  son,  Anderson  W.  In 
1839  Mr.  Peter  wedded  Mrs.  Catherine  E.  Giles, 
and  unto  them  were  born  eight  children,  six  of 


whom  arc  still  living  and  are  residents  of  Macon 
County,  with  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Hannah  M. 
Hammond,  whose  home  is  in  Victoria,  Tex.  Mr. 
Peter  came  to  Illinois  in  1865,  and  followed  car- 
pentering. His  wife  died  November  12,  1890.  In 
1836  he  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  the 
candidate  of  the  Whig  party,  and  in  1840  supported 
William  Henry  Harrison.  In  1856  he  voted  for 
John  C.  Fremont,  and  was  a  Republican  for  many 
years,  but  is  now  a  Prohibitionist.  He  filled  the 
office  of  Alderman.  In  1837  he  became  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  has  lived  a  life 
consistent  with  his  profession. 

During  the  infancy  of  our  subject,  the  parents 
removed  to  day  County,  Ind.,  and  when  he  was 
a  youth  of  fifteen  came  to  Macon  County,  where 
they  have  since  made  their  home.  During  his 
childhood  Jacob  Peter  had  poor  health  and  for 
that  reason  acquired  but  little  education  in  the 
schools,  although  by  contact  with  men  and  the 
world  he  has  become  well  informed.  When  about 
nineteen  years  of  age,  he  began  working  at  the 
carpenter's  trade,  learning  the  business  with  his 
father,  and  has  since  followed  that  occupation.  He 
is  one  of  the  leading  contractors  and  builders  in 
Macon,  and  from  the  public  receives  a  liberal  pa- 
tronage. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1877,  in  this  city,  Mr. 
Peter  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  E. 
Chapin.  who  was  born  in  Cosliocton  County, Ohio, 
on  the  2d  of  February,  1858,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Isabel  (Little)  Chapin.  She  was  a 
maiden  of  twelve  summers  when  she  came  to 
Illinois  with  her  mother  and  step-father,  John 
Phillips.  Her  own  father  was  a  soldier  during  the 
late  war  and  died  in  Andersonville  Prison  in  1864. 

Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  six 
children.  Gerald,  who  was  born  in  Macon,  De- 
cember 25,  1877,  is  an  ambitious  and  enterprising 
lad,  and  although  only  fifteen  years  of  age  is  now 
earning  his  own  livelihood.  The  others  are  Tracy, 
who  was  born  November  9,  1879;  Ralph,  born 
April  11,  1882;  Charles,  who  was  born  August  3, 
1883,  and  died  April  22,  1885;  Everett,  born  March 
16,  1887,  and  died  December  31,  1889;  and  Flora, 
born  May  19,  1890. 

Many  of  the  most   important   buildings  of   Ma- 


694 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


con  stand  as  monuments  to  the  handiwork  of  Mr. 
Peter,  who  does  only  first-class  work  and  there- 
fore has  a  good  business.  He  always  fulfills  his 
part  of  the  contract  and  thereby  has  gained  the 
confidence  and  good-will  of  the  community.  In 
politics  he  was  a  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen. 
U.  S.  Grant,  but  is  now  an  advocate  of  Prohibition 
principles.  Himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  the  commu- 
nity where  they  are  so  widely  known  have  the 
high  regard  of  all  with  whom  they  have  been 
brought  in  contact. 


^ILLIAM  RITCHIE,  the  proprietor  of  the 
Ritchie  Elevator,  of  Warrensburg,  and  a 
prominent  farmer  and  leading  citizen  of 
the  county,  deserves  mention  among  her  honored 
pioneers,  for  he  has  made  his  home  within  her 
borders  since  1856,  and  has  ever  borne  his  part  in 
the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  county. 
He  is  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  having 
been  born  in  Franklin  Count}',  in  1839,  and  his 
parents,  Samuel  and  Susan  (Hinzey)  Ritchie,  were 
also  natives  of  the  same  State.  The  father  was 
born  in  1800.  For  many  years  he  followed  fann- 
ing in  the  county  of  his  nativity,  and  in  1856  he 
emigrated  Westward,  having  determined  to  try  his 
fortune  on  the  broad  prairies  of  Illinois.  He  lo- 
cated in  the  northern  part  of  Macon  County  and 
opened  up  a  farm  of  about  four  hundred  acres,  de- 
voting his  time  and  attention  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  his  death,  which  occurred  on  that  farm 
in  1865.  His  wife  survived  him  for  many  years 
and  was  called  to  the  home  beyond  in  1887.  Both 
lie  buried  in  Boiling  Springs  Cemetcrj',  where  a 
nice  monument  marks  their  last  resting-place. 

The  Ritchie  family  numbered  six  sons  and  five 
daughters,  who  grew  to  mature  years,  and,  with 
the  exception  of  two  sisters  now  deceased,  all  re- 
side in  the  neighborhood  of  Warrensburg.  Our 
subject,  who  is  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth,  spent 


the  days  of  his  boyhood  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
he  acquired  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools. 
He  was  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  when  with  his 
parents  he  came  to  this  State.  To  his  father  he 
gave  the  benefit  of  his  services  until  after  he  had 
attained  his  majority,  when  he  bought  a  tract  of 
land  of  ninet3'-five  acres,  to  the  development  of 
which  he  devoted  his  energies  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  located  upon  the  farm  which  is  now  his 
home  in  1864.  He  first  bought  about  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  but  now  has  a  valuable  tract 
of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  his  home 
farm.  In  addition  to  this,  he  has  made  other  pur- 
chases, until  his  landed  possessions  comprise  seven 
hundred  acres,  constituting  three  well-improved 
farms.  Upon  the  homestead  he  has  erected  a  com- 
modious and  substantial  residence,  and  many  other 
improvements  upon  the  place  stand  as  monuments 
to  his  thrift  and  industry.  He  has  been  engaged 
in  grain-dealing  continuous^' since  1870,  and  has 
enjoyed  a  good  trade  in  that  line. 

In  this  county  in  1874,  Mr.  Ritchie  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  M.  D.,  daughter  of  John 
Funk,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Illinois.  She  was' 
born  in  Missouri  but  was  reared  and  educated  in 
this  State.  Two  children  graced  their  union,  but 
William  Linn  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  Vonna 
Vada  is  a  bright  little  maiden  of  eight  summers. 

Mr.  Ritchie  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  1860,  and  has  since  been  a 
stalwart  supporter  of  the  Democracy.  His  wife  is 
a  member  and  one  of  the  most  active  workers  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  prominent  and  progressive 
citizens  of  the  community,  for  during  his  long 
residence  of  thirty-seven  years  in  this  county  he 
has  been  identified  with  its  development,  and  has 
helped  to  place  it  in  the  position  which  it  now  oc- 
cupies in  the  front  rank  in  the  counties  of  the 
State.  The  best  interests  of  the  community  ever 
find  in  him  a  friend,  and  to  all  he  gives  his  hearty 
support  and  co-operation.  His  own  business  ca- 
reer has  been  one  of  prosperity,  and  he  now  pos- 
sesses a  handsome  property.  In  1892  he  erected  a 
fine  business  block  in  Wnrrensburg,  one  depart- 
ment of  which  is  used  as-a  general  store  and  the 
other  as  a  drug  store.  He  commenced  life  a  poor 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


695 


boy,  but  by  his  own  labor  and  enterprise  he  bas 
accumulated  three  large  and  valuable  farms,  a  most 
beautiful  home  and  large  real-estate  interests  in 
Warrensburg.  His  dealings  have  ever  been  char- 
acterized by  honor,  and  his  example  is  one  well 
worth}"  of  emulation.  • 


this 


VAVID  FRANKLIN  BEAR,  a  general  far- 
mer residing  on  section  24,  Illini  Town- 
ship, is  one  of  Macon  Cou-nty's  native 
sons,  and  well  deserves  representation  in 
volume.  He  was  born  in  Hickory  Point 
Township  June  23,  1852,  hence  he  has  witnessed 
almost  the  entire  development  and  progress  made 
by  this  community.  His  parents,  Ephraim  and 
Susan  (Hamsher)  Bear,  were  botli  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  in  that  State  were  married.  At 
length  they  left  their  old  home,  and,  emigrating 
Westward  to  Illinois,  they  cast  in  their  lot  with 
the  settlers  of  Macon  County  of  1852.  Here  the 
father  secured  land  and  developed  a  farm  in  Harris- 
town  Township.  He  afterward  opened  up  a  farm 
in  Hickory  Point  Township,  both  of  which  places 
he  still  owns.  In  1877  he  removed  to  Decatur, 
where  he  is  now  living  a  retired  life. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  youth  upon 
his  father's  farm  in  Hickory  Point  Township,  and 
was  early  inured  to  the  hard  labors  of  the  farm 
and  to  developing  wild  land,  becoming  familiar 
with  every  department  of  agriculture.  His  com- 
mon-school privileges  were  supplemented  by  one 
term's  attendance  at  the  Decatur  High  School, 
which  completed  his  literary  education.  He  re- 
mained with  his  father  until  after  he  had  attained 
his  majority,  and  then  took  up  the  pursuit  to 
which  lie  had  been  reared,  farming  for  several 
years  on  the  old  homestead.  It  was  in  1888  that 
he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides, 
making  it  his  home  since  that  time.  He  owns  a 
valuable  and  well-improved  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
progressive  and  representative  farmers  of  Illini. 
Township. 


In  politics,  Mr.  Bear  is  identified  with  the  Re- 
publican party,  with  which  he  has  affiliated  since 
casting  his  first  Presidential  vote.  He  has  never 
been  an  aspirant  for  public  office,  however,  prefer- 
ring to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  busi- 
ness interests.  He  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of 
the  School  Board,  and  the  cause  of  education  finds 
in  him  a  faithful  friend.  He  is  found  in  the 
front  rank  of  any  enterprise  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit,  and  has  done  much  for  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  community. 

April  6,  1876,  Mr.  Bear  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Martha  E.  Metlin,  who  was  born  in  this 
county,  and  is  a  daughter  of  A.  T.  Metlin,  of  Hick- 
ory Point  Township.  She  died  April  14,  1882, 
leaving  one  child.  Etta,  who  is  still  at  home. 
Jesse,  the  other  child  born  of  that  union,  died  at 
the  age  of  ten  years.  Mr.  Bear  was  again  married, 
November  6,  1884,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Agnes,  daughter  of  George  and  Hannah 
(Leads)  Housman,  of  Long  Creek  Township.  One 
child  graces  this  marriage,  Ralph,  born  April  30, 
1887.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Church  of 
God  of  Boiling  Springs,  and  are  highly  respected 
people  of  this  community.  Mr.  Boar,  who  has 
spent  his  entire  life  in  this  county  and  is  therefore 
widely  known, numbers  among  his  warmest  friends 
many  who  have  known  him  from  boyhood,  a  fact 
which  tells  of  a  well-spent  life. 


aHARLES  W.  FRENCH,  one  of  the  success- 
-  ful  agriculturists  of  Macon  County,  owns 
'  and  operates  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  23,  Illini  Township. 
His  farm  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  neighborhood, 
being  improved  with  a  neat  and  substantial  resi- 
dence, good  stables  and  a  carnage  and  tool  house. 
The  rich  and  fertile  fields  are  always  highly 
cultivated  and  yield  to  the  owner  a  golden  trib- 
ute in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  has  be- 
stowed upon  them. 

Mr.  French   is  one   of   the  worthy  citizens  that 


696 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


New  Hampshire  lias  furnished  to  Illinois.  lie  was 
born  in  Merrirnack  County,  of  the  Granite  State. 
November  4,  1843,  and  his  parents,  Hiram  and 
Lydia  (Batchelder)  French,  were  also  natives  of 
the  same  locality.  The  father  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising in  early  life,  but  afterward  settled  on 
a  farm  and  devoted  his  energies  to  agricultural 
pursuits  in  Merrimack  County,  where  he  reared  his 
family  and  spent  his  entire  life.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1863,  and  his  wife,  having  survived  him 
two  years,  passed  away  in  April,  1865.  Their  fam- 
ily numbered  six  sons  and  two  daughters  who 
'reached  adult  age.  Henry,  who  served  in  the  late 
war  as  a  lieutenant  in  the  Twelfth  New  Hamp- 
shire Infantry,  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg, while  aiding  in  the  defense  of  the  Old  Flag 
and  the  Union;  Hiram  W.  is  a  farmer  of  Douglas 
County,  111.;  Charles  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth; 
Samuel  T.  resides  in  Kansas  City;  Frank  is  an  art- 
ist of  New  York  City;  Olive  is  the  wife  of  Jacob 
Moore,  of  Manchester,  N.  H.;  and  Clara  is  Mrs.  O. 
Z.  Green,  of  Decatur,  and  completes  the  family. 

Under  the  parental  roof  in-  the  county  of  his 
nativity  the  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his 
boyhood  days.  After  attending  the  common 
schools  he  completed  his  education  by  three  terms' 
attendance  in  the  Pittsfleld  Academy.  He  thus 
had  a  practical  knowledge  to  aid  him  in  life's 
struggles,  and  with  this  as  a  foundation,  although 
he  had  no  financial  aid,  he  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward.  His  residence  in  Macon  County 
dates  from  1865,  when  as  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
two  he  located  in  Harristown  Township,  where  he 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  one  season.  The 
following  summer  was  spent  in  Jamaica  Plains, 
Mass.,  but  in  the  fall  of  1866  he  returned  and  be- 
gan work  upon  a  farm.  For  several  years  he  oper- 
ated rented  land  in  his  own  interest,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1878  purchased  a  quarter-section,  the 
farm  on  which  he  now  resides. 

In  Havcrhill,Mass.,  on  the  16th  of  March,  1868, 
Mr.  French  was  married  to  Miss  Addie  Chesley,  a 
native  of  Epsom,  N.  H.,  who  was  highly  educated 
and  had  previous  to  her  marriage  successfully  en- 
gaged in  teaching.  Four  children  have  been  born 
of  their  union.  The  eldest,  Herbert,  aids  in  car- 
rying on  the  home  farm.  The  daughters  are  Clara, 


Laura  and   Olive.     The  family  circle  yet  remains 
unbroken,  all  being  under  the  parental  loof. 

In  1868  Mr.  French  proudly  cast  his  first  Pres- 
idential ballot,  by  which  he  supported  Gen.  U.  S. 
Grant,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  a  stanch 
advocate  of  Republican  principles.  He  has,  how- 
ever, never  sought  public  ollice,  but  was  elected 
and  served  as  a  member  of  the  Count}'  Board  of 
Supervisors.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  he  dis- 
charged his  duties  in  a  prompt  and  able  manner, 
for  the  merits  of  Mr.  French  are  too  well  known 
in  this  locality  to  need  further  praise.  Fie  has 
made  the  most  of  his  opportunities  through  life, 
and  the  success  which  has  crowned  his  efforts  is 
but  the  just  reward  of  his  labors. 


JOSEPH  CLOUGH  TUCKER,  a  retired  far- 
mer residing  in  lllini  Township,  just  out- 
side   the    city  limits  of    Warrensburg,    is 
^^  '    widely  and  favorably  known,  not  only  in 
Macon  County,  but  throughout  this  part  of  the 
State,  and  we  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his 
life  will  be  received  with  interest  by  many  of  our 
readers  who  belong  to  his  circle  of  friends.     He 
has  resided  here  since  January,  1861,  and  in  the 
third  of  a  century  which  has  just  passed  he  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  community  in   which  he  has 
made  his  home. 

In  Merrimack  Count}'  of  the  old  Granite  State 
Mr.  Tucker  was  born  December  19,  1838,  in  the 
same  house  where  his  father,  Maj.  Cyrus  Tucker, 
first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day.  The 
grandfather,  Rev.  Jedediah  Tucker,  was  a  native 
of  Massachusetts,  and  became  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  New  Hampshire  of  1784.  He  was  a  Congrega- 
tional minister  and  served  as  pastor  of  one  church 
for  thirty  years.  His  son  Cyrus  grew  to  manhood 
in  his  native  county  and  there  married  Fannie  J., 
daughter  of  Jacob  Hoyt,  who  came  of  one  of  the 
.early  Puritan  families  of  the  Granite  State.  The 
latter  reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


697 


years.  The  young  couple  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  the  old  homestead,  and  there  reared  their 
family  of  four  sons,  but  only  Joseph,  and  Charles, 
a  farmer  of  Coos  County,  N.  H.,  are  now  living. 
The  father  died  November  12,  1850,  and  the  mo- 
ther passed  away  October  1,  1843.  Mr.  Tucker 
was  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  and  while 
serving  in  the  State  militia  won  the  rank  of  Ma- 
jor. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  good  educa- 
tional privileges,  his  primary  studies  being  supple- 
mented by  a  two-years  course  in  the  Quaker  Col- 
lege of  Providence,  R.  I.,  where  he  completed  a 
course  in  mathematics.  He  then  engaged  in  teach- 
ing for  two  seasons  in  New  Hampshire.  The  en- 
terprising young  man,  who  was  ambitious  to  win 
success,  determined  to  seek  a  home  and  fortune  in 
the  West,  and  in  1861  took  up  his  residence  in 
Illini  Township,  Macon  County,  111.  Purchasing 
a  quarter-section  of  land,  that  fall  he  planted  the 
greater  part  of  it  in  wheat.  Later  he  sold  that 
farm  and  bought  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  raw  land,  which  he  transformed  into  fertile 
fields.  He  again  sold  and  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  in  1865.  The  following  spring  he 
disposed  of  that  property  and  became  owner  of  a 
tract  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  which  is 
still  in  his  possession.  His  arduous  labors  and  un- 
tiring efforts  have  transformed  it  into  one  of  the 
best  farms  of  the  county,  and  a  glance  at  its  well- 
tilled  fields  and  substantial  buildings  indicates  the 
careful  supervision  of  the  owner.  The  place,  how- 
ever, which  is  supplied  with  two  sets  of  farm 
buildings,  is  now  rented.  Since  renting  that  place 
Mr.  Tucker  has  purchased  and  improved  the  one 
on  which  he  resides.  It  comprises  fourteen  acres, 
upon  which  is  a  pleasant  residence  and  other  sub- 
stantial buildings  and  a  good  orchard.  He  has 
made  his  home  thereon  since  the  1st  of  April, 
1872. 

Mr.  Tucker  was  married  in  this  county,  Febru- 
ary 5,  1868,  to  Miss  Emma  Ferree,a  native  of  Pike 
County,  111.  She  died  November  5,  1883,  leaving 
five  children:  Cyrus  ,1.,  a  well-educated  young 
man  now  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Warrens- 
burg;  Benjamin  F.,  who  is  employed  as  a  book- 
keeper in  a  commission  house  in  Morton,  111.;  Jo- 


seph T.,  an  ambitious  and  enterprising  young 
man,  who  holds  the  position  of  Town  Clerk  of 
Warrensburg;  J.  Guy  and  Charles,  at  home.  For 
his  second  wife  Mr.  Tucker  chose  Mrs.  Martha  K. 
Clough.  She  died  April  30,  1886,  and  Mr.  Tucker 
was  married  February  12,  1891,  to  Mrs.  Mary  J. 
Ferry,  nee  Clark,  who  was  born  in  New  Hamp- 
shire and  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents,  Brad- 
bury and  Mary  (Proctor)  Clark,  when  a  maiden  of 
ten  summers.  She  is  a  highly  cultured  and  edu- 
cated lady  and  previous  to  her  marriage  success- 
fully engaged  in  teaching.  By  her  first  marriage 
she  had  a  son,  Leroy  Ferry,  now  a  youth  of  ten. 

Our  subject's  fellow-citizens,  recognising  his 
worth  and  ability,  have  several  times  elected  Mr. 
Tucker  to  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He 
served  three  years  as  Assessor,  was  Supervisor  for 
several  years,  and  also  filled  the  office  of  Township 
Trustee  for  a  time,  discharging  his  duties  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  He  has  frequently 
been  a  delegate  to  the  county  and  State  conven- 
tions of  the  Democratic  party,  of  which  he  is  a 
stalwart  advocate.  Socially,  he  is  a  Knight-Tem- 
plar Mason.  In  manner,  Mr.  Tucker  is  unassum- 
ing, devoid  of  all  ostentation,  and  yet,  though  he 
has  never  thrust  himself  upon  the  notice  of  others, 
he  has  gained  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  brought  in  contact.  His  success  in  life 
has  been  achieved  entirely  through  his  own  efforts, 
and  for  it  he  deserves  great  credit,  as  he  began  life 
in  limited  circumstances  and  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward  to  a  position  of  affluence. 


LIVER  II.  DRAPER,  who  resides  in  Macon 
and  is  now  serving  as  Supervisor  of  South 
Macon  Township,  is  a  native  of  the  sister 
State  of  Indiana,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  De- 
catur  County  on  the  6th  of  February,  1846.  His 
parents,  Benjamin  and  Elizabeth  ( Wheelen)  Draper, 
were  both  natives  of  Dearborn  County,  Ind.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Draper,  was  born  in 


698 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Virginia,  and  was  of  English  descent,  but  the 
mother  of  our  subject  was  of  Holland-Dutch 
extraction. 

Oliver  Draper  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his 
life  in  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  then  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Johnson 
County,  where  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads 
he  was  reared  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  Excited 
and  interested  in  the  events  of  the  times,  for  the 
Civil  War  was  then  in  progress,  and  prompted  by 
patriotic  impulses,  he  entered  the  service  of  his 
country  in  February,  1864,  and  was  assigned  to 
Company  D,  Seventeenth  Regiment  of  Indiana 
Mounted  Infantry.  Going  to  the  front, he  was  with 
Sherman  until  after  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  when,  with 
his  company,  he  returned  to  Louisville  under  Gen. 
Wilson  and  aided  in  the  capture  of  Selma,  Ala. 
For  a  year  and  a-half  he  was  in  active  service, 
faithfully  defending  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  and  then 
the  war  having  closed,  he  was  honorably  discharged 
at  Macon,  Ga.,  on  the  8th  of  August,  1865.  Mr. 
Draper  then  returned  to  his  father's  home  in 
.lohnson  County,  Ind.,  where  he  gave  his  attention 
to  farming  until  1872. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1871,  was  celebrated 
the  marriage  of  our  subject  with  Miss  Martha  Banta, 
who  was  born  in  Johnson  Count3',  April  8, 1848,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Abraham  Banta.  Seven  children 
were  born  to  them  but  four  died  in  childhood. 
Those  still  living  are:  Lillie  M.,  who  was  born 
October  26,  1873,  in  Johnson  County;  Leta  L., 
born  in  Johnson  County,  January  4,  1879;  and 
Lena  B.,  born  in  Macon,  October  29,  1883. 

In  1872,  Mr.  Draper  removed  with  his  young 
wife  to  Randolph  Chunty,  Mo.,  where  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land.  There  he  engaged  in  farming 
until  1874,  when  he  returned  to  Indiana,  where  he 
carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1880.  In 
that  year  he  came  to  Macon  and  embarked  in  the 
drug  and  grocery  trade,  which  he  still  carries  on 
under  the  firm  name  of  Draper  &  Webb.  They 
are  enjo3'ing  a  good  trade,  and  the  liberal  patron- 
age is  well  deserved,  for  their  business  dealings  are 
marked  by  honor  and  uprightness,  and  they  do  all 
in  their  |H>wer  to  please  their  customers. 

Mr.  Draper  has  Iteen  a  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party  since  casting  his  first  Presiden- 


tial vote  for  U.  S.  Grant,  in  1868.  His  fellow- 
townsmen,  appreciating  his  worth  and  ability,  have 
called  upon  him  to  (ill  various  public  offices.  For 
two  terms  he  served  as  Township  Assessor  in 
Indiana,  and  in  South  Macon  Township,  where  he 
now  resides,  he  has  been  chosen  Township  Col- 
lector four  terms,  is  now  serving  his  second  term 
as  Supervisor,  and  is  Chairman  of  the  County 
Board. 


HRISTIAN  SCHWAB,  who  makes  his  home 
in  the  village  of  Boody,  claims  Germany 
as  the  land  of  his  birth,  which  occurred  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  in  the  kingdom  of  Prussia,  March 
20,  1880.  His  parents  were  Ludwig  and  Katrina 
Schwab.  He  is  the  youngest  of  ninechildren,and 
is  the  only  one  of  the  family  who  came  to  Amer- 
ica. One  brother,  George,  is  still  living  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Prussia. 

In  the  schools  of  his  native  land  our  subject  ac- 
quired a  good  education,  and  upon  his  father's 
farm  was  reared  to  manhood,  becoming  familiar 
with  all  the  details  of  agricultural  life.  Believing 
that  the  New  World  furnished  better  advantages 
than  the  old  countries  of  Europe,  he  resolved  to 
try  his  fortune  in  America,  and,  embarking  on  a 
Westward-bound  sailing-vessel,  landed  in  New 
York,  after  a  voyage  of  forty-two  days.  He  imme- 
diately went  to  Beardstown,  111.,  where  he  had  an 
uncle  living,  for  whom  he  worked  for  about  a  year. 
During  that  time  he  chose  as  a  companion  and 
helpmate  on  life's  journe}'  Miss  Elizabeth  Suppes, 
also  a  native  of  Germany.  He  had  brought  a  small 
capital  with  him  to  this  country,  and,  havingcaro- 
fully  saved  his  earnings,  which  he  added  to  his 
former  possessions,  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  he 
had  enough  to  begin  farming  in  his  own  interests. 
For  six  years  he  cultivated  land  near  Beardstown. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  changed  his 
location,  corning  to  Macon  County.  Here  lie  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  land,  hut  almost  immediately 
afterward  sold  it,  as  he  could  do  so  at  a  good  profit. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  invested  in  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
Blue  Mound  Township,  where  he  made  his  home 
until  18!)1.  His  fields  were  well  tilled,  the  place 
well  kept,  :md  its  neat  appearance  and  many  im- 
provements indicated  the  careful  supervision  of  a 
thrifty  owner.  On  selling  his  farm  in  1891,  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
in  Shelby  County,  and  removed  to  Boody,  where 
he  now  makes  his  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schwab  have  reared  two  children. 
They  adopted  George  W.  Soland  when  he  was  two 
and  a-half  years  of  age,  and  tenderly  cared  for 
him  until  he  had  arrived  at  man's  estate.  He  is 
now  a  merchant  of  Boody.  Their  adopted  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Lena  Bulk,  is  now  living  in  Shelby 
County,  111.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schwab  are  both  faith- 
ful and  consistent  members  of  the  German  Meth- 
odist Church,  and  are  active  workers  in  both  Sun- 
day-school and  church.  The  former  has  served  as 
Sunday-school  Superintendent  and  Trustee.  They 
are  generous,  benevolent  people,  and  the  poor  and 
needy  find  in  them  a  friend.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Schwab  has  long  been  a  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  but  has  never  been  an  office-seeker, 
the  political  arena  having  no  attractions  for  him. 
His  life  has  been  that  of  a  successful  farmer.  Start- 
ing out  with  little  capital  he  has  managed  to  se- 
cure a  handsome  competence,  which  is  the  just  re- 
ward of  his  well-directed  efforts,  his  labor  and  per- 
severance. 


i  NTON  VOLLMER,  who  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing  and  stock-raising  on  section  32,  South 
Macon  Township,  is  one  of  the  worthy 
German  citizens  of  the  county.  He  was 
born  in  Baden  December  31,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of 
Sebastian  and  Magdelena  (Slather)  A' ollmer.  The 
father  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  also  followed 
farming.  The  family  numbered  six  children,  of 
whom  Anton  is  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  All 
are  now  deceased  with  the  exception  of  himself 
and  one  sister,  who  is  now  living  in  St.  Louis. 
Our  subject  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years  crossed 


the  briny  deep,  and  after  a  voyage  of  fifty-four 
days  landed  in  New  Orleans.  He  worked  in  the 
Crescent  City  until  he  could  secure  money  to  con- 
tinue his  travels,  when,  after  a  few  months,  he 
started  for  Missouri,  locating  in  Barry  County. 
There  he  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand, 
and  in  the  winter  chopped  wood  on  the  Missis- 
sippi'bottoms  in  order  to  get  a  start.  After  seven 
years  spent  in  Missouri,  during  which  time  he  be- 
came possessor  of  $600  and  a  two-year-old  horse, 
lie  went  to  St.  Louis.  lie  was  a  faithful  worker, 
always  serving  his  employers  to  the  best  of  his 
ability,  and  when  his  services  were  no  longer 
needed  he  could  easily  obtain  another  position. 
During  all  this  time  Mr.  Vollmer  was  away  from 
friends,  and  he  went  to  St.  Louis  in  order  to  get 
acquainted  with  some  of  his  countrymen.  After 
visiting  there  for  a  short  time  he  went  to  Belle- 
ville, 111.,  and  in  connection  with  some  men  se» 
cured  a  farm. 

After  two  years  Mr.  Vollmer  was  married,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Mary  Swart/,  who 
was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  August  5,  1841,  but 
was  then  working  in  Belleville.  The  young  cou- 
ple began  their  domestic  life  upon  the  rented  farm 
before  mentioned,  his  partner  removing  to  another 
farm.  This  was  located  near  Muscotah.  and 
Mr.  Vollmer  operated  that  land  for  nine  years, 
when  it  was  sold  and  he  rented  another  farm 
for  a  year.  He  then  purchased  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  sold  after  two 
years  at  a  loss  of  $3,000.  He  then  engaged  in 
renting  once  more,  and  during  thesucceeding  five 
years  he  more  than  retrieved  his  lost  possessions. 

On  coming  to  Macon  County  in  1876,  our  sub- 
ject rented  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
near  Decatur,  and  after  a  year  purchased  a  quarter- 
section,  which  he  owned  and  operated  for  five 
3'ears,  when  he  sold  and  bought  his  present  farm 
of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  His  residence  is 
just  within  the  corporation  limits  of  Macon.  Upon 
his  farm  is  a  good  barn,  windmill,  vineyard  and  or- 
chard. The  two  last  were  put  out  by  himself.  In  fact, 
the  greater  part  of  the  improvements  upon  the 
place  are  his  own  handiwork,  and  stand  as  monu- 
ments to  his  thrift  and  enterprise,  lie  has  been 
successlul  in  his  undertakings  and  has  accumu- 


700 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


lated  a  comfortable  competence,  which  numbers 
him  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the  com- 
munity. Mr.  Vollmer  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  having  been  continued  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen. In  politics  lie  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  now 
serving  as  an  Alderman  of  the  city.  He  need 
never  have  occasion  to  regret  his  emigration  to 
America,  for  he  has  here  met  with  prosperity  and 
has  gained  a  pleasant  home  and  many  friends. 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vollmer  are  as 
follows:  Susannah  Ida,  now  Mrs.  John  Iluber; 
Philip  Jacob,  who  resides  near  Dalton  City;  Ed- 
ward, a  farmer;  Sophia  Elizabeth,  Frank  Anton, 
Mary  Magdelena,  Joseph  Benedict,  Johann  Xavier, 
Gottfred  Wilhelm  and  Otto  Erwin,  all  at  home. 
They  lost  two  girls,  Mary  Louise,  in  her  fifteenth 
year,  and  an  infant,  Mary  Magdelena. 


MEKY  JANVRIN,  who  carries  on  general 
farming  on  section  8,  Illini  Township,  has 
;JL  -*«  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  made  his  home 
in  this  locality,  and  like  many  of  the  residents  of 
the  community  he  came  from  New  Hampshire,  the 
proud  old  Granite  State  having  furnished  to  east- 
ern Illinois  many  of  her  best  citizens.  Our  sub- 
ject was  born  in  Rockingham  County  July  7, 
1833.  The  Janvrin  family  was  originally  of 
French  origin,  but  the  first  ancestor  to  come  to 
America  came  from  the  Isle  of  Guernsey,  and  set- 
tled in  New  Hampshire  in  its  pioneer  days.  The 
grandfather,  Capt.  Joshua  Janvrin,  was  lost  at  sea 
December  13,  1816,  while  sailing  to  the  Newfound- 
land cod-fisheries.  He  was  a  retired  vessel-owner 
and  sea-captain.  His  brother,  John  Janvrin,  with 
his  ship  and  caigo  of  dried  fish  were  captured 
by  the  French  during  the  war  and  his  ship  sold, 
and  he  sent  home  in  a  small  vessel,  but  he  died  en 
route.  The  famous  French  spoliation  claims  in- 
clude this  claim  and  Mr.  Janvrin  is  one  of  the  heirs, 
. 

should  settlement  IK;  effected.  Mr.  Janvrin  has 
some  heirlooms  in  the  shape  of  one  of  the  first 
coffee  mills  ever  made,  which  was  owned  by  his  j 


grandfather,  also  his  old  sea  chest,  and  an  old  roll- 
ing-pin. The  great-grandfather  also  lived  in  New 
Hampshire,  and  the  father  of  our  subject,  Joshua 
Janvrin,  was  a  native  of  Rockingham  County,  that 
State.  The  latter  was  a  tanner  and  currier  by 
trade  and  also  a  shoemaker.  He  carried  on  quite 
a  business  in  that  line,  and  in  the  legitimate  chan- 
nels of  trade  acquired  a  good  fortune.  He  wed- 
ded Miss  Mary  Fifield,  who  was  torn  and  reared  in 
the  adjoining  town  of  Hampton  Falls.  Her  death 
occurred  when  our  subject  was  only  eight  years  of 
age.  The  father,  however,  long  survived  his  wife, 
and  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty. 

Emery  Janvrin  is  one  of  two  sons  and  three 
daughters  who  lived  to  mature  years,  but  he  and 
his  sister,  Mrs.  Josephine  Beck  man,  of  Rocking- 
ham County,  N.  H.,  are  now  the  only  survivors. 
Under  the  parental  roof  he  was  reared  to  man- 
hood, and  in  the  public  schools  he  began  his  edu- 
cation, which  was  completed  by  study  in  the  acad- 
emy of  Hampton  Falls.  In  his  earlier  years  his 
labors  were  devoted  to  farming  in  the  summer 
months  and  to  shoemaking  in  the  winter  season. 
Hoping  to  better  his  financial  condition,  he  de- 
termined to  remove  to  the  West  in  1868,  and,  act- 
ing on  this  resolution,  became  a  resident  of  Macon 
County.  With  the  capital  that  he  had  acquired 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  his 
present  farm.  This  place  is  a  monument  to  the 
good  management  and  enterprise  of  the  owner,  and 
the  many  improvements  upon  it  tell  of  the  busy 
and  useful  life  he  has  led.  The  boundaries  of  his 
farm  have  been  extended  until  it  n'ow  comprises 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  arable  land, 
which  is  enclosed  with  a  fine  hedge  fence.  Many 
rods  of  tiling  have  been  laid,  and  there  are  gdod 
barns  and  outbuildings  and  a  commodious  and 
pleasant  residence.  All  kinds  of  small  fruits  fur- 
nish the  table  with  many  delicacies  in  their  season, 
and  a  good  bearing  orchard  adds  its  store.  Orna- 
mental and  forest  trees  increase  the  beauty  and 
attractive  appearance  of  the  place,  and  .in  the 
summer  months  under  their  protecting  branches 
the  inmates  of  the  home  find  cooling  shelter. 

The  lady  who  bears  the  title  of  Mrs.  Janvrin 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Theresa  Blake.  She  was 
born  and  reared  in  Rockmgham  County,  N.  II.,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


701 


is  a  daughter  of  Moses  Blake.  Their  union  was 
celebrated  in  their  native  county  November  lo, 
18;~>7,  and  unto  them  have  been  born  ten  children: 
George  P..' who  is  married  and  follows  farming  in 
this  county;  Harriet,  wife  of  Warner  T.  Bullaid; 
Lester  L..  who  aids  in  the  operation  of  the  home 
farm;  William  Henry,  an  agriculturist  of  the  com- 
munity; Harrison,  a  representative  farmer;  Mary, 
wife  of  Frank  Hunker,  of  Decatur;  Charles,  Lu- 
ella,  Frank  Kel»ey  and  Grace,  who  complete  the 
family. 

Mr.  Jan  vi  in  is  a  public-spirited  and  progressive 
citizen,  and  the  best  interests  of  the  community 
find  in  him  a  friend.  lie  may  truly  be  called  a 
self-made  man,  as  he  started  out  in  life  with  no 
capital.  Industry  and  energy  are  numbered  among 
his  chief  characteristics,  and  by  his  diligent  efforts 
he  has  won  the  prosperity  which  numbers  him 
among  the  substantial  citizens  of  his  adopted 
county. 


,  OBERT  BIVANS,  a  farmer  and  insurance 
agent  residing  in  Macon,  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  leading  and  influential  citizens 
)  of  the  county.  He  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Ohio,  May  14, 1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Ann  (Gundy)  Bivans.  The  Gundy  family 
were  of  Pennsylvania-Dutch  descent  and  the 
mother  was  born  in  the  Keystone  State.  The  fa- 
ther was  born  near  Dover,  Del.,  and  when  a  lad  of 
ten  went  to  Ohio  with  his  parents.  The  two  were 
reared  on  farms  in  the  same  neighborhood  and 
were  married  in  Franklin  County.  The  mother 
died  iu  1845,  and  the  father  passed  away  in  1847. 
leaving  our  subject  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  five 
years. 

After  one  year  spent  in  the  home  of  his  uncle, 
Robert  Bivans  of  this  sketch  went  to  live  with  his 
paternal  grandfather,  with  whom  he  remained  un- 
til 1859,  when  lie  removed  to  Vermilion  County, 
111.,  with  Thomas  Gundy,  his  mother's  brother. 
His  educational  privileges  were  quite  limited.  In- 


Seplember,  1859,  he  came  to  Macon  County,  and 
during  the  fall  worked  on  a  farm  and  in  the  win- 
ter gathered  corn.  With  his  hard-earned  savings 
he  rented  a  farm  the  next  spring  of  John  Cooli- 
lan,  who  furnished  all  the  necessary  implements 
and  gave  Mr.  Bivans  half  of  the  proceeds.  In  the 
fall  our  subject  went  to  Fulton  County,  111.,  and 
made  his  home  with  his  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Hey, 
wife  of  Milton  Hey,  who  also  befriended  the  or- 
phan boy.  Mr.  Bivans  then  worked  for  John  Cline 
one  season,  and  during  the  summer  of  1862  for 
Robert  Yates. 

In  August  of  that  year,  our  subject  became  a 
member  of  Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Fif- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  participating  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Franklin,  Tenn.,  Duck  River  and  Chicka- 
mauga,  where  he  was  severely  wounded  in  the 
right  elbow.  This  caused  the  removal  of  the  elbow 
joint  and  left  the  lower  part  of  the  arm  nearly  at 
right  angles  with  the  upper.  Only  four  such  op- 
erations were  performed  during  all  the  war,  and 
two  of  the  patients  died.  Mr.  Bivans  was  wounded 
Sunday  evening,  September  20,  1863,  and  was  in 
the  hospital  until  February,  1864,  when  lie  re- 
turned home.  The  following  fall  he  reported  at 
the  hospital  at  Camp  Butler,  and  was  transferred 
to  Quincy,  111.  During  this  time  he  was  suffering 
much  with  his  elbow,  which  with  the  entire  arm  is 
almost  wasted  away.  Erysipelas,  resulting  from 
the  wound,  caused  an  abscess  in  the  left  chest,  de- 
stroying permanently  the  left  lung.  Mr.  Bivans 
certainly  sacrificed  much  in  the  service  of  his  coun- 
try, and  the  debt  of  gratitude  due  to  suoh  as 
he  can  never  be  repaid.  Our  subject  remained 
in  Quincy  until  March  23,  1865,  when  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  on  account  of  disability. 

During  the  following  summer  Mr.  Bivans  made 
his  home  with  his  sister,  Mrs.  Hey,  and  while  there 
was  nominated  and  elected  Collector  of  South 
Macon  Township,  which  office  he  filled  two  years. 
In  1867  he  began  painting  wagons  and  buggies 
with  his  left  hand,  his  right  arm  being  carried  in 
a  frame,  the  bone  still  sticking  through  the  flesh. 
For  three  years  he  followed  that  business.  In 
May.  1868,  through  the  influeiiceof  hisold  Colonel, 
Jesse  11,  Moore,  who  was  then  Congressman,  he 


702 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


was  appointed  Postmaster  by  President  Johnson 
and  serve'd  until  1874,  when  he  resigned.  He  had 
previously  been  engaged  in  the  drug  and  grocery 
trade  with  Mr.  Biddle,  but  they  sold  out  in  1873. 
In  the  year  1871,  at  the  time  the  Chicago  fire  was 
raging,  they  lost  their  building  and  stock  by  fire, 
and  no  insurance  was  upon  cither. 

Mr.  Bivans  was  married  May  25,  1871,  to  Flora 
A.,  daughter  of  M.  K.  and  Elizabeth  (Tenbrook) 
Sweeney,  of  Fulton  County.  After  the  fire  he 
found  he  had  his  little  dwelling,  on  which  he  still 
owed  $500,  and  the  position  of  Postmaster,  but 
the  postoftice,  which  was  in  the  store,  had  been 
destroyed.  Mr.  Hight,  the  banker,  came  to  him 
and  told  him  he  could  move  into  his  store 
until  he  could  get  a  better  place.  Mr.  Biddle, 
our  subject's  partner,  proposed  that  they  build  at 
Mr.  Biddle's  expense  and  start  business  again  as 
equal  partners.  They  erected  a  brick  building 
22x60  feet,  and  together  carried  on  operations 
until  1873,  when  our  subject  sold  out.  He  traded 
his  farm  for  fifty  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  vil- 
lage of  Macon,  and  in  1878  removed  to  his  present 
home,  which  was  the  last  house  he  had  painted  be- 
fore going  into  the  postoftice.  Subsequently  lie 
purchased  another  stock  of  drugs  and  groceries 
and  carried  on  business  until  1876,  when  he  went 
on  the  road  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  firm 
of  Frank  Field  &  Co.,  wholesale  confectioners,  of 
Peoria.  In  1887  he  returned  home  and  resumed 
farming  and  trading,  and  in  1888  he  became  in- 
surance agent,  which  work  he  has  since  followed. 

In  1893,  the  subject  of  a  canning  factory  was 
agitated,  and  Mr.  Bivans  took  stock  in  it  and  was 
elected  a  Director.  In  1870  and  1871,  he  became 
agent  for  the  Prairie  Farmer  and  had  the  pleasure 
of  knowing  that  he  secured  the  largest  club  in  the 
United  States,  while  in  the  three  years,  1891, 1892 
and  1893,  he  had  the  largest  list  in  the  country 
for  the  Orange  Judd  Farmer.  His  first  premium 
was  a  "  Western  "  cottage  organ,  worth  $275.  The 
next  year  he  was  entitled  toa"Goodhue"  windmill, 
but  took  instead  another  organ,  and  for  the  thiid 
year  he  received  a  "Conover"  piano,  worth  $800. 
He  is  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  sagacious 
and  far-sighted,  enterprising  and  industrious.  In 
manner  he  is  genial  and  pleasantand  makes  friends 


wherever  he  goes.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864,  and  was  a  Re- 
publican until  1884,  since  which  time  he  has  voted 
with  the  Prohibition  party.  He  served  three  years 
as  Collector,  has  also  been  Township  Clerk,  was 
Alderman  for  six  years,  and  is  now  Notary  Pub- 
lic. The  trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow-citi- 
zens has  never  been  belied,  and  in  a  prompt  and 
faithful  manner  he  always  discharges  his  duties. 
He  and  his  wife  are  consistent  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  are  faithful  and 
active  workers  in  both  church  and  Sunday-school. 


I'  LBION  DAGGETT,  insurance  agent  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Macon.  comes  from 
the  northeastern  extremity  of  the  Union- 
vj  He  was  born  in  Piscataquis  County,  Me., 
September  4,  1833,  and  comes  from  an  old  Puritan 
family,  that  was  established  in  America  at  the 
landing  of  the  "Mayflower."'  His  parents  were 
Elisha  and  Martha  (Bolster)  Daggett,  and  the  latter 
was  of  Irish  descent.  The  father  was  a  farmer  In- 
occupation, and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy -eight 
years. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,  Albion  spent 
his  boyhood  days.  He  has  one  sister  still  living 
Mrs.  Ruth  A.  Briggs,  of  Urnana,  111.,  who  has  two 
daughters.  In  the  common  schools  our  subject 
received  his  primary  education,  which  was  supple- 
mented by  attendance  at  the  academy  in  Foxcroft, 
where  he  spent  two  winters.  At  the  age  of  twenty 
he  began  teaching  in  Maine,  but  in  1856  left  the  Pine 
Tree  State  and  emigrated  to  Illinois.  The  follow- 
ing winter  was  spent  as  a  teacher  in  Lee  County. 
Renting  land,  he  operated  the  farm  during  the 
summer  months,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  was 
employed  in  the  schoolroom.  For  four  years  he 
remained  in  Lee  County,  and  then  removed  to 
Champaign  County,  where  he  carried  on  farming 
for  four  years,  when,  on  account  of  an  accident,  he 
was  forced  to  abandon  agricultural  pursuits  and 
turn  his  attention  to  painting. 


LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

URBANA 


CLAYBOURN    JONES 


MRS.  CLAYBOURN     JONES 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


707 


Mr.  Daggett  was  married  in  October,  1866,  to 
Miss  Emma  L.  Innis,  of  Champaign  County,  who 
was  born  in  New  Jersey  April  15,  1842,  and  comes 
of  New  England  ancestry.  Of  their  children,  two 
died  in  infancy.  Those  living  are  as  follows: 
Ernest  L.,  born  in  Macon  County  January  28, 
1869,  married  Miss  Minnie  Merris,  and  is  a  farmer  of 
Soutli  Macon  Township;  Jesse  A.,  born  in  this 
county  August  16,  1871,  was  graduated  from  the 
business  college  of  Decatur  in  1892,  is  now  em- 
ployed in  his  father's  office,  and  is  insurance  ad- 
justor  for  central  Illinois;  Daisy  was  born  in 
Macon  March  27,  1876;  Ora  E.  was  born  May  24, 
1880;  and  Carl  R.  in  1883. 

Soon  after  their  marriage,  Mr.  Daggett  and  his 
wife  came  to  Macon,  where  he  followed  painting 
for  some  seven  years,  and  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  He  is  now  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business,  and  the  energy  which  he  devotes  to  this 
undertaking  has  made  him  very  successful.  In 
politics,  he  has  always  been  identified  witli  the 
Republican  party  and  has  acceptably  and  credit- 
ably filled  the  offices  of  Constable,  City  Marshal 
and  Alderman.  He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  three  terms  and  is  the  present  incumbent  of 
that  office.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  Himself  and  wife  belong 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  are  earnest 
laborers  in  the  Master's  vineyard,  doing  all  in 
their  power  to  promote  the  cause  of  Christianity. 
Mr.  Daggett  serves  as  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
church,  and  in  business  and  social  circles  he  is  alike 
esteemed. 


LAYBOURN  JONES,  who  owns  and  operates 
one  hundered  and  seventeen  acres  of  fine 
land  on  section  12,  Mt.  Zion  Township,  is 
one  of  the  leading  agriculturists  and  stock-raisers 
of  the  community.  The  neat  appearance  of  his 
place  indicates  his  thrift  and  enterprise;  the  fields 
are  well  tilled  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 

34 


tion,  and  a  fine  grade  of  horses  and  cattle  is 
raised.  The  home  is  a  comfortable  one,  and  here 
Mr.  Jones  expects  to  spend  his  declining  years. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Shelby  County,  Ky., 
August  10,  1811,  and  came  with  his  parents  to 
Illinois  when  ten  years  of  age.  His  father,  Will- 
iam Jones,  was  born  and  reared  on  a  farm  about 
nine  miles  from  the  city  of  Richmond,  Va.,  and, 
having  arrived  at  man's  estate,  married  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Sutherland,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky.  They 
became  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  all  of  whom 
are  now  deceased  with  the  exception  of  Catherine, 
who  is  living  in  Macon  County;  Cynthia,  who  re- 
sides in  Missouri;  and  Claybourn,  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Jones  whose  name  heads  this  record  came 
to  Illinois  in  1821  with  his  parents,  the  family  lo- 
cating in  Crawford  County,  where  they  remained 
for  about  six  3'ears.  They  then  removed  to  Ver- 
milion County,  where  they  spent  the  succeeding 
five  years,  and  thence  came  to  Macon  County, 
where  the  parents  spent  their  remaining  daj's.  The 
father  was  called  to  his  final  rest  in  1873,  and  the 
mother  departed  this  life  in  1877,  their  remains 
being  interred  in  Oakley  Cemetery. 

In  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  Mr.  Jones 
spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  attend- 
ing the  common  schools  in  the  winter  months  and 
aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  farm  during  the  sum- 
mer. No  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
during  that  period,  but  after  arriving  at  man's  es- 
tate he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Matilda 
Davis,  who  was  born  September  1,  1820,  and  mar- 
ried our  subject  on  the  22d  of  June,  1837.  Eleven 
children  graced  their  union.  Angeline  died  and 
was  buried  in  Long  Creek  Township;  Melissa,  who 
also  died,  was  laid  to  rest  in  White  Water,  Wis.; 
Sarah  is  the  wife  of  James  Wilson,  who  is  living 
in  Decatur;  Annie  is  the  wife  of  David  Foster,  also 
of  Decatur;  Mollie  is  deceased  and  sleeps  in  Mt. 
Zion  Cemetery;  Bessie  is  the  wife  of  A.  Hodge,  a 
resident  of  Mt.  Zion  Township;  George  is  living 
in  Mt.  Zion  Township;  John  makes  his  home  in 
California;  and  the  other  children  died  in  early 
childhood.  Mr.  Jones  has  two  grandchildren, 
who  have  lived  with  him  since  small  children, 
Walter  Spencer  aged  fifteen,  and  Mary  aged  thir- 
teen, the  children  of  his  daughter  Melissa  and  her 


708 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


husband,  John  F.  Ames,  both  of  whom  are  deceased. 
They  have  two  sisters,  Cora  and  Anna. 

Mrs.  Jones  is  a  sister  of  Hon.  John  Davis,  mem- 
ber of  Congress  from  Kansas,  who  was  reared  in 
Macon  County.  Her  parents  were  Joseph  and 
Sarah  (Myers)  Davis,  natives  of  Daviess  County, 
Ky.,  who  settled  in  Sangamon  County,  111.,  in 
1825,  and  in  1830  came  to  Macon  County,  during 
the  winter  of  the  deep  snow.  They  settled  in 
Long  Creek  Township,  where  he  died  in  1880, 
aged  eighty-two.  His  wife  had  died  several  years 
before,  aged  seventy-five.  They  had  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children,  one  of  whom  is  Lydia,  Mrs. 
John  Riser,  of  Docatur,  and  another  is  Henry 
Davis,  a  liveryman,  also  of  Decatur. 

Mr.  Jones  started  out  in  life  without  money  or 
influence  to  aid  him  in  its  battles,  and  all  his  suc- 
cess therefore  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  efforts. 
His  industry,  perseverance  and  honesty  have  made 
his  career  a  prosperous  one,  and  at  one  time  he 
was  the  owner  of  some  six  hundred  acres  of  valu- 
able farming  land,  but  as  the  children  grew  and 
started  out  in  life  for  themselves  he  not  only  gave 
them  excellent  advice  and  counsel,  but  divided 
with  them  his  property.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones 
are  worthy  and  consistent  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and,  in  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat. 
Together  these  worthy  people  have  traveled  life's 
journey  for  more  than  half  a  century.  They  are 
now  numbered  among  the  oldest  settlers  of  this 
community  and  are  justly  classed  among  its  best 
citizens,  their  lives  having  been  honorable  and  up- 
right and  a  benefit  to  the  world. 


ISAAC  SHELLABARGER,  who  has  been  one  of 
the  leaders  in  business  circles  and  interests  of 
Decatur,  and  has  been   prominent   and  influ- 
ential in  many  public  affairs,  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  at  No.  453  North  Franklin  Street.    A  native  of 
the  Keystone  State,  his  birth  occurred  in   Cumber- 
land County    March  3,  1815.     The  family  is  of 
Swissorigin,and  was  founded  in  America  by  Martin 


Schallenberger,  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1770. 
During  the  residence  of  the  family  in  Pennsylvania 
the  English-speaking  people  pronounced  the  name 
Shellabarger  and  when  Martin  learned  to  write  the 
English  language  he  used  the  spelling  that  is  now 
given.  The  parents  of  our  subject,  Isaac  and 
Christina  (Kaufman)  Shellabarger,  were  both  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania.  The  father  of  the  former 
served  as  a  teamster  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
Isaac  followed  milling  in  Cumberland  County  on 
Conodoguin met  Creek.  He  there  died  in  1852,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife  was  called  to 
her  final  rest  in  1839,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 
In  the  family  were  five  sons  and  four  daughters, 
namely:  Jacob,  Mary,  David,  Elizabeth,  Christina, 
Ann,  Martin,  Isaac  and  John.  Our  subject  has 
now  only  one  brother  and  one  sister  living. 
Christina  is  the  widow  of  Martin  Shellabarger  and 
is  now  living  near  Mansfield,-  Ohio,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years;  Ann  is  the  widow  of  Armstrong 
Black  and  resides  in  Newville,  Cumberland  County, 
Pa.,  at  the  age  of  eighty;  Mary,  wife  of  David 
Bowers,  died  in  Belleville,  Ohio,  in  1892.  She  was 
the  mother  of  William  Bowers,  of  Decatur. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  second  youngest 
of  the  family  and  is  now  in  his  seventy-ninth  year. 
During  his  boyhood  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in 
his  father's  mill  in  Cumberland  County.  He 
conned  his  lessons  in  the  old-time  log  schoolhousc, 
sitting  upon  a  slab  bench,  and  when  his  education 
was  completed  he  engaged  in  teaching  school. 
When  a  young  man  of  twentj'  he,  in  1836,  with 
his  brother  John  came  to  Illinois  on  horseback. 
Together  they  entered  about  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land,  mostly  timber,  in  Macon  Count}',  a 
part  of  which  Mr.  Shellabarger  still  owns.  In  those 
early  days  he  had  little  means  and  had  to  work 
hard  to  secure  a  start,  but  as  he  increased  his 
finances  he  made  judicious  investments  in  land, 
until  his  possessions  now  aggregate  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  He  has  also  given  a  considerable 
amount  to  the  Indianapolis  Railroad.  After 
coining  to  the  county,  however,  and  entering  his 
land,  he  did  not  make  a  permanent  location  until 
1852,  when  he  brought  his  family  in  a  carriage  to 
the  home  which  has  since  been  their  place  of  resi- 
dence. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


709 


On  the  24th  of  January,  1846,  Mr.  Shellabarger 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Ann 
Weaver,  daughter  of  Michael  and  Mary  (Riegel- 
nian)  Weaver.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, born  of  German  parentage,  and  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812.  Her  mother  was  of  German 
and  French  descent.  In  religious  belief  they  were 
Lutherans,  and  both  died  in  Pennsylvania.  Six 
children  were  born  unto  our  subject  and  his  wife: 
Alice  Carey,  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  C.  Hall,  of 
Decatur,  by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Isaac  Shella- 
barger Cortney;  Anna  Laura,  who  became  the  wife 
of  William  Hunt,  of  Springfield,  Ohio,  who  died  in 
Wichita,  Kan.,  in  1879,  leaving  a  son,  Sheila 
Leigh;  John,  who  died  in  childhood;  Frank,  who 
also  died  in  early  childhood;  Helen  Augusta,  wife 
of  Ernest  William  Cooke,  of  Liverpool,  England, 
now  of  Spokane,  Wash.,  by  whom  she  has  one  son, 
Wilfred  Stewart;  and  Frances  Virginia,  wife  of 
Charles  S.  Cairns,  of  Minneapolis.  Minn.  They 
have  two  sons,  Millard  Shellabarger  and  Carl 
Albert. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Shellabarger  has  long 
been  identified  with  the  business  interests  of 
Decatur.  He  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for 
some  years,  and  he  first  bought  lumber  in  Chicago, 
shipping  it  by  canal  and  then  hauling  it  from 
Springfield  and  Bloomington  by  wagon  to  this 
place.  After  a  time  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
his  nephew,  D.  S.  Shellabarger,  and  purchased  a 
large  flouring  mill,  which  is  now  operated  by  the 
firm  of  D.  S.  Shellabarger  &  Sons.  Our  subject 
was  connected  with  that  business  many  years,  build- 
ing up  a  fine  trade;  he  also  assisted  John  Leidigh 
in  the  lumber  business  at  various  points  in  Kan- 
sas, carrying  on  trade  in  that  line  in  Topeka  and 
Wichita.  His  partner's  health  failing,  which 
necessitated  his  removal  to  Colorado,  Mr.  Shella- 
barger afterwards  established  A.  W.  Oliver  in  busi- 
ness at  Wichita,  and  the  latter  became  a  wealthy 
man.  He  afterwards  bought  an  interest  in  the 
mill  in  Wichita  built  by  his  nephews,  William  Bow- 
ers &  D.  S.  Shellabarger.  He  became  president  of 
the  company  and  managed  the  business  for  some 
years,  but  at  length  sold  his  interest.  During  all 
this  time  he  never  left  his  home  in  Decatur.  He 
retired  from  active  life  about  twenty  years  ago, 


although   he  did   not  dispose  of  his   interests   in 
Wichita  until  1892. 

In  early  life,  Mr.  Shellabarger  was  a  Whig  and 
supported  that  party  until  its  dissolution,  when  he 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  new  Republican  party,  of 
which  he  has  since  been  a  stalwart  advocate.  Our 
subject  has  aided  in  establishing  in  successful  busi- 
ness a  number  of  his  nephews,  together  with  other 
parties.  He  is  a  man  of  excellent  executive  and 
business  ability,  and  his  good  judgment  and  keen 
foresight,  combined  with  well-directed  efforts,  have 
brought  him  a  high  degree  of  prosperity.  What- 
ever he  undertakes  he  carries  forward  to  a  success- 
ful completion.  Deterred  by  no  obstacles,  but 
overcoming  by  perseverance  and  industry  the 
difficulties  in  his  path,  he  has  worked  his  way  stead- 
ily upward  to  a  position  of  wealth  and  affluence,  and 
through  it  all  has  maintained  the  respect  and  high 
regard  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in 
contact.  He  occupies  one  of  the  most  handsome 
residences  in  the  city. 


ANIEL  MOORE,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
cooperage  business  in  Decatur,  is  one  of 
the  honored  veterans  of  the  late  war,  well 
deserving  of  a  representation  in  the  his- 
tory of  his  adopted  county.  He  was  born  in  Leb- 
anon, Pa.,  October  18,  1837,  and  when  a  year  old 
was  taken  to  Youngstown,  Westmoreland  County, 
Pa.,  by  his  parents.  His  father,  John  Moore,  who 
was  a  cooper,  came  from  Germany  and  settled  in 
Baltimore,  Md.  He  took  part  in  the  War  of  1812, 
and  had  the  honor  of  sending  eight  sons  to  the 
defense  of  the  Union  in  the  Civil  War,  viz.:  Ben- 
jamin, Cornelius  and  George,  who  were  three- 
months  men;  William,  Daniel,  John,  Alexander 
and  James  served  for  three  years;  and  John  and 
Alexander  re-enlisted  and  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  Alexander  endured  as  great  hardships 
as  any  soldier  in  the  service,  having  been  a  pris- 
oner at  the  infamous  Belle  Isle.  When  he  was  be- 
ing taken  to  Andersonville,  lie  cut  his  way  through 


710 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  car  floor  with  a  penknife,  and  after  much  suf- 
fering and  hairbreadth  escapes  he  found  the  Union 
lines  near  the  Big  Muddy  River,  just  above  Cin- 
cinnati. Here  he  met  Mr.  Grant,  the  father  of 
Gen.  Grant,  and  he  was  made  the  recipient 
of  $20  in  greenbacks  by  the  old  gentleman.  He 
was  in  the  engagement  at  Gettysburg,  and  was 
again  captured  and  paroled.  He  was  with  Grant 
all  through  the  campaign  of  the  Wilderness  and 
was  seriously  wounded  at  Petersburg,  the  effects 
of  which,  together  with  his  other  sufferings,  have 
made  him  an  invalid  for  life,  he  being  now  a  help- 
less paralytic,  living  at  McGregor,  Iowa.  John 
C.  was  chosen  as  sharp-shooter  on  account  of  his 
superior  marksmanship,  seiving  as  such  during  the 
war,  and  he  was  twice  seriously  wounded.  He  is 
now  living  at  Latrobe,  Pa.  On  the  10th  of  March, 
1856,  our  subject's  father  came  to  Decatur,  where 
eight  years  before  his  brother  William  had  opened 
a  cooper-shop.  It  was  located  at  the  corner  of 
Jefferson  and  Main  Streets,  and  was  the  first  one 
in  the  city.  William  Moore  came  to  Illinois  in 
1846,  locating  in  Pekin.  He  was  there  married, 
and  in  1848  came  to  this  city,  where  he  remained 
until  1865.  He  is  now  a  resident  of  Benton,Tenn. 
When  the  subject  of  this  sketch  started  out  in 
life  for  himself,  he  worked  in  a  brickyard  for  one 
summer,  and  then  entered  his  brother's  cooper- 
shop,  where  he  served  a  regular  apprenticeship. 
He  was  employed  in  that  line  of  business  until 
entering  the  service  of  his  country,  July  16,  1862, 
as  a  member  of  Company  G,  One  Hundred  and 
Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry,  lie  remained  in  camp 
until  September,  and  with  his  company  then  went 
to  Cairo,  and  from  there  to  Memphis,  after  which 
he  participated  in  the  Tallahootchie  campaign. 
When  a  boy  his  heel  was  injured,  and  on  this  ac- 
count he  could  not  stand  the  long  marches,  so  he 
was  detailed  to  serve  in  the  regiment  hospital  by 
Surgeon  Barnes.  His  regiment  was  in  the  battle 
of  Walnut  Hills,  where  he  cared  for  the  sick,  and 
in  the  engagement  of  Arkansas  Post.  He  remained 
with  his  command  all  through  the  Vicksburg  and 
Atlanta  campaigns,  serving  :is  nurse  in  the  regi- 
mental hospital.  He  assisted  Dr.  Barnes  in  the 
field  hospital  at  C'hick.'iniuuga,  and  subsequently 
he  placed  all  the  hospital  supplies  upon  a  boat  and 


floated  them  down  the  river.  About  thirty  miles 
from  Larkinsville,  Ala.,  he  was  stopped  and  was 
forced  to  carry  the  supplies  overland  to  that  place, 
where  he  remained  until  the  following  spring.  He 
was  with  the  regiment  during  all  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign in  its  marches  and  battles,  caring  for  the 
sick  and  wounded.  During  the  march  to  the  sea 
he  was  detailed  to  act  in  the  division  hospital 
headquarters.  Many  rebel  soldiers  were  received 
into  the  hospital,  but  the  blue  and  the  gray  were 
all  treated  alike.  When  the  war  was  over,  our 
subject  participated  in  the  Grand  Review  at  Wash- 
ington, and  later,  returning  to  Springfield,  was 
mustered  out  of  the  service. 

On  again  reaching  home  Mr.  Moore  resumed 
work  at  his  trade,  being  thus  employed  for  eight 
years.  In  1873  he  started  in  business  for  himself, 
buying  out  his  old  employer.  For  the  business 
and  stock  he  paid  $2,000,  from  which  beginning 
his  trade  has  constantly  increased.  He  now  em- 
ploys some  twenty  men,  and  turns  out  from  four 
to  five  hundred  barrels  per  day.  His  is  the  only 
exclusive  coopering  shop  in  Decatur.  As  he  turns 
out  only  first-class  work,  he  has  been  able  to  se- 
cure a  liberal  patronage  and  build  up  a  thriving 
business.  Mr.  Moore  owns  a  lot  with  a  frontage 
of  eighty  feet,  where  his  factory  now  stands,  to- 
gether with  a  neat  residence  and  some  other  real 
estate  in  this  city. 

Mr.  Moore  was  united  in  marriage  December  22, 
1859,  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Culver,  daughter  of 
Isaac  Watts  and  Jane  L.  Culver.  The  mater- 
nal grandfather  of  Mrs.  Moore,  Philip  Dickinson 
Williams,  came  from  Virginia  to  Illinois  with  a 
colony  of  settlers  about  1825,  and  entered  land 
east  of  Decatur,  now  known  as  the  Spangler  Farm. 
He  built  the  first  house  in  Decatur — a  hewcd-log 
house,  one-story  high,  and  consisting  of  one  room. 
It  was  located  on  the  corner  of  East  Main  and 
South  Water  Streets.  The  second  house  was  built 
by  James  Renshaw  on  North  Main,  where  the  Ar- 
cade now  stands.  Mr.  Williams  came  from  Vir- 
ginia in  a  "Virginia  schooner"  and  was  six  weeks 
on  the  road.  The  first  manufacturing  institution 
erected  in  Decatur  was  a  mill  built  by  him,  a  two- 
story  and  a-half  frame  building,  including  the 
dome,  and  from  this  dome  it  took  the  name  "The 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


711 


Round  Top  Mill."  The  machinery  was  mostly  lo- 
cated on  the  second  story,  and  was  run  by  horse 
power.  Here  the  neighbors  brought  their  corn 
and  wheat  to  be  ground  into  meal  and  Hour.  The 
first  schoolhouse  erected  in  Decatur  was  located 
on  West  Main,  near  the  location  of  Dr.  Cassidy 
Chenoweth's  residence.  It  was  a  hewed-log  house, 
and  in  it  school  was  opened  in  the  spring  of  1831 
by  the  first  teacher,  a  gentleman  whose  name  was 
Daniel  McCall.  Mr.  Williams  taught  school  in 
this  building  for  a  number  of  j'ears,  and  was  the 
first  Justice  of  the  Peace,  his  office  being  in  his 
home.  He  married  Miss  Jane  Bryant,  also  a  native 
of  Virginia.  He  was  one  of  the  .most  prominent 
and  influential  citizens  of  the  county  in  an  early 
day,  and  is  numbered  among  its  honored  pioneers. 
Mr.  Culver,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Moore,  was  a  con- 
tractor and  builder  and  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  died 
when  his  daughter  was  only  ten  years  old.  Mrs. 
Culver  was  brought  to  Decatur  when  a  babe  of  six 
months,  and  is  still  living  in  this  vity.  Three  of 
her  children  are  living.  Elmer  is  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  in  Decatur;  and  Aurilla  J.  is  the 
wife  of  Frank  Blain,  a  druggist  of  this  city.  One 
son,  Silas  Culver,  enlisted  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years  as  a  drummer  in  the  late  war,  and  served  for 
three  years.  He  died  of  consumption  at  the  age 
of  thirty-three. 

Our  subject  has  been  blessed  with  a  large  family, 
who  have  been  trained  from  the  beginning  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  be  of  much  help  to  the  parents  as 
well  as  to  themselves.  All  the  sons  are  working 
with  their  father  at  a  salary,  the  same  as  strangers. 
A  unique  feature  in  the  character  of  Mr.  Moore  is 
the  fact  that  he  never  exacts  anything  from  his 
children  without  an  equivalent,  and  he  expects 
the  same  of  them.  The  eldest,  Viola,  died  in  July, 
1885,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  and  eleven 
months;  Laura,  the  second  daughter,  married  No- 
vember 16,  1892,  in  her  twenty-sixth  year,  Robert 
McGarrahan,  of  East  St.  Louis,  an  engineer  on  the 
Wabash  Railroad;  Daniel  was  born  June  9,  1870; 
Kdward  was  born  August  11,  1872;  Ettie,  Septem- 
ber 28,  1874;  Roy,  November  30, 1877;  and  Eliza- 
beth, the  youngest,  April  30,  1881.  The  children 
are  all  at  home  with  the  exceptions  mentioned. 
All  who  have  the  pleasure  of  meeting  them  are  of 


one  expression,  "What  a  charming  family!"  Mr. 
Moore  and  wife  are  both  most  generously  disposed, 
and  though  of  clear  ideas  and  definite  in  business 
pursuits,  yet  whatever  they  see  is  for  the  advance- 
ment of  society  in  its  literary  and  historical  de- 
velopment they  heartily  enter  into.  It  is  a  pleas- 
ure to  present  them  to  our  readers. 

Mr.  Moore  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows'  society,  and  was  the  first  Noble  Grand  of 
Progress  Lodge  of  the  Rebecca  Chapter.  He  has 
served  as  representative  of  the  Encampment,  and 
was  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge  for  four 
years.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Decatur  Post  No. 
141,  G.  A.  R.  Although  his  injury  did  not  per- 
mit him 'to  participate  in  all  the  battles  in  which 
his  regiment  engaged,  he  was  none  the  less  a  vali- 
ant and  faithful  soldier,  and  he  saw  much  hard 
service.  He  is  an  enterprising  and  active  business 
man,  and  has  the  confidence  and  good-will  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact. 


RS.  ELIZABETH  TURPIN  has  long  been 
a  resident  of  Macon  County,  and  is  well 
deserving  of  representation  in  its  history. 
She  was  born  in  South  Carolina  on  the 
22d  of  March,  1810,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Fanny  (Benison)  Wallace,  who  were  natives 
of  Abbeyville  County,  S.  C.  When  their  daugh- 
ter was  not  quite  five  years  old,  they  removed  with 
their  family  to  Franklin  County,  Ind.,  by  team, 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  dense  forest  of  birch  and 
poplar  trees  the  father  cleared  and  developed  a 
farm,  upon  which  he  made  his  home  for  four  years. 
He  then  removed  to  Henry  County,  Ky.,  whence 
he  came  to  Illinois  in  1821,  becoming  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  of  Sangamon  County.  He  located 
on  Government  land  and  opened  up  a  farm,  upon 
which  he  made  his  home  until  his  death,  at  the  age 
of  forty-five  years.  The  mother  afterwards  bought 
the  land  and  resided  there  about  one  year,  but  later 
deeded  it  to  her  two  sons.  Their  children  were: 
John,  who  served  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  as  a  mu- 


712 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


sician  and  afterwards  as*  Captain,  and  died  in  this 
county;  William,  who  died  in  Arkansas;  Rosaunn, 
wife  of  Randall  Davis,  of  Long  Creek  Township; 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Turpin;  Sarah,  who  died  in  her 
twenty-second  year;  Melinda,  who  became  the  wife 
of  William  Hawks  and  is  deceased,  as  is  also  her 
husband;  Isaac,  twin  brother  of  Melinda,  who  died 
in  Arkansas;  James,  who  died  in  Long  Creek  Town- 
ship; Samuel,  who  died  in  Shelby  County;  and 
Nancy,  who  died  in  Kentucky  when  an  infant. 

Mrs.  Turpin  was  a  child  of  only  eleven  summers 
when  the  family  came  to  Illinois,  and  was  a  young 
lady  of  twenty-two  when  she  came  to  Macon 
County.  She  was  reared  to  industrious  and  fru- 
gal habits,  and  learned  to  spin  and  weave  as  well 
as  to  perform  the  other  duties  of  the  household.  In 
1835,  she  became  the  wife  of  Edmon  Turpin,  who 
was  born  in  Grayson  County,  Ky.,  in  1809,  and 
when  a  young  man  emigrated  to  this  county.  He 
learned  the  brick-maker's  trade,  but  after  his  mar- 
riage settled  on  Big  Creek,  in  Mt.  Zion  Township, 
and  began  the  development  of  a  farm.  There  he 
made  his  home  for  eight  years,  after  which  he  re- 
moved to  the  prairie.  Later  Mr.  Turpin  started 
for  Oregon,  but  on  reaching  St.  Jo  he  was  taken 
sick,  and  so  returned  to  Illinois.  From  that  time 
until  his  death  he  continued  to  reside  upon  the 
farm,  and  made  it  one  of  the  valuable  and  desir- 
able places  of  the  community.  His  death  occurred 
May  23,  1879,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  He 
was  a  successful  business  man,  and  had  the  respect 
of  all  who  knew  him. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turpin  were  bom  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Amanda,  wife  of  Joseph  Blythe, 
a  farmer  of  Long  Creek  Township;  Susan,  wife  of 
William  Balch,  who  died  in  Kansas  in  December, 
1892;  Melinda,  who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years; 
Emily,  who  is  at  home;  and  Hulda,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Joseph  Roby,  and  is  living  on  a  part  of  the  old 
farm. 

Mrs.  Turpin  is  numbered  among  the  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  the  State,  where  she  has  made  her  homo 
for  more  than  seventy  years.  She  did  trading  in 
Spiingfield  in  a  little  log  cabin  store,  which  was 
the  only  mercantile  establishment  in  the  place. 
She  came  to  Macon  County  before  it  was  organized, 
and  has  therefore  witnessed  its  entire  growth  and 


development.  When  she  first  came  here  the  place 
contained  a  few  log  cabins,  with  one  little  store,  in 
which  there  were  but  three  pieces  of  calico  and 
but  a  small  stock  of  other  goods. 


C  Sla  I 


eHARLES  F.  WISE,  a  prominent  citizen  and 
a  retired  farmer  of  Boody,  came  from  Ger- 
many. Born  in  Saxony,  on  the  9th  of  No- 
vember, 1822,  he  is  a  son  of  John  C.  and  Sophia 
(Boschwitz)  Wise.  The  first  fifteen  years  of  his 
life  were  spent  in  his  native  land,  during  which 
time  his  mother's  death  occurred.  The  father 
then  brought  the  children,  Charles  F.  and  a  sister 
older  than  our  subject,  to  America.  For  thirty- 
nine  days  they  were  upon  the  bosom  of  the  At- 
lantic, but  at  length  safety  arrived  at  New  York, 
whence  they  went  to  St.  Louis,  locating  soon  after 
in  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  where  the  father  followed 
his  trade  of  shoe-making  for  ten  years. 

In  his  native  land  Charles  Wise  received  excel- 
lent educational  privileges  and  became  familiar 
with  not  only  his  mother  tongue,  but  the  Latin, 
Greek  and  French  languages  as  well.  After  com- 
ing to  the  New  World,  he  obtained  no  educational 
advantages  in  the  English  language,  but  through 
his  own  efforts  he  managed  to  gain  a  knowledge  of 
our  tongue,  and  has  become  a  man  of  wide  in- 
formation, who  keeps  himself  well  posted  on  all 
general  affairs.  With  his  father  he  learned  the 
shoe-maker's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  a  num- 
ber of  years. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  in  St.  Clair  County, 
111.,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Wise  and 
Miss  Henrietta  Putch,  a  native  of  Germany,  who 
came  to  this  country  on  the  same  vessel  on  which 
her  future  husband  made  the  vo3'age.  Their 
union  was  blessed  with  a  family  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, eight  of  whom  are  still  living,  four  of  the 
number  being  now  residents  of  Blue  Mound  Town- 
ship, while  the  remaining  four  reside  in  Nebraska. 
With  the  exception  of  two  all  are  now  married. 
Charles,  the  eldest,  is  a  farmer  of  Nebraska;  Otto 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


713 


is  living  in  Blue  Mound  Township;  Sophia  is  at 
home;  Barney  is  an  agriculturist  of  Nebraska; 
Richard  follows  carpentering  in  Boody;  Theodore 
is  living  in  Blue  Mound  Township;  and  Edward 
makes  his  home  in  the  West. 

In  1863,  Mr.  Wise,  accompanied  by  his  family, 
left  St.  Clair  County,  and  came  to  Macon  County, 
where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  on  section  22,  Blue  Mound  Township,  for 
$11  per  acre.  Owing  to  the  natural  rise  in  value 
and  to  the  many  excellent  improvements  that 
have  been  placed  upon  the  farm,  the  land  is  now 
worth  $80  per  acre  and  yields  to  the  owner  a  good 
income.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  he 
there  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits,  and  was 
very  successful  in  his  undertakings,  his  farm  be- 
coming one  of  the  best  and  most  desirable  in  the 
locality,  but  at  length  he  determined  to  lay  aside 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  in  1890  he  removed  to 
the  village  of  Boody,  where  he  has  since  lived  a 
retired  life.  His  rest  is  well  earned,  for  it  comes 
after  years  of  arduous  labor  and  unremitting  toil. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Wise  is  a  Republican.  For  nine 
years  he  served  as  School  Director,  and  for  four 
years  filled  the  office  of  Assessor.  He  is  highly 
esteemed  for  his  sterling  worth,  and  with  pleasure 
we  give  him  a  place  in  the  history  of  his  adopted 
county. 


ENRY  SMULL,  a  retired  farmer  now  resid- 
ing in  Macon  County,  is  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  State.  He  was  born  in  Centre 
County,  Pa.,  February  23,  1842,  and  is  a 
son  of  Peter  and  Mary  (Waggoner)  Smull,  who 
were  also  born  in  Pennsylvania.  The  latter  was 
of  German  descent.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject  was  a  hero  of  the  Revolution.  He  left 
the  Old  Country  to  avoid  entering  the  army,  and 
arrived  in  the  United  States  just  in  time  to 
aid  the  Colonists  in  their  struggle  for  indepen- 
dence. For  seven  years  he  participated  in  the 
Revolution.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born 


February  27,  1796,  and  died  in  February,  1869, 
being  buried  in  Rock  Grove,  Stephenson  County, 
111.  His  wife,  who  was  born  February  4,  1801, 
died  and  was  buried  in  the  same  place  in  Septem- 
ber, 1878.  Mr.  Smull  was  always  a  supporter  of 
the  Democratic  party.  He  was  a  mechanic,  and 
always  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  He 
came  to  Illinois  when  Heniy  was  a  lad  of  twelve 
years,  and  located  upon  a  farm  in  Stephenson 
County,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days. 

Our  subject  there  grew  to  manhood,  and  in  the 
public  schools  acquired  a  good  education.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen,  he  began  working  by  the  month 
as  a  farm  hand,  and  was  thus  employed  for  five 
years.  Between  the  ages  of  twentj'-one  and 
twenty-three  he  also  followed  carpentering.  As 
a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey,  he 
chose  Miss  Lizzie,  daughter  of  John  S.  and  Cath- 
erine Smith.  She  was  born  August  23,  1846,  in 
Stephenson  Country,  and  their  marriage  was  there 
celebrated  November  4,  1864.  They  began  their 
domestic  life  in  that  county,  and  there  continued 
to  reside  until  1875,  when  they  came  to  Shelby 
County,  where  Mr.  Smull  purchased  eighty  acres 
of  land.  He  stills  owns  his  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  To  its  cultivation  and  improvement 
he  devoted  his  energies  until  1891,  when  he  deter- 
mined to  lay  aside  business  cares  and  remove  to  Ma- 
con, where  he  has  purchased  property  and  erected 
a  pleasant  home.  Here  he  expects  to  spend  his 
remaining  days  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of 
his  former  toil. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smull  were  born  six  chil- 
dren: William,  who  was  born  in  Stephenson  Coun- 
ty, November  21,  1865,  and  with  his  wife  and  two 
children  lives  on  the  home  farm  in  SheJb}'  County; 
Henry  A.,  who  was  born  in  Stephenson  County, 
in  December,  1867,  and  with  his  wife  and  child 
lives  on  the  homestead  farm;  Bertha  C.,  who  was 
born  in  Stephenson  County,  September  7,  1872; 
Lizzie  E.,  born  in  Shelby  County,  July  28,  1876; 
Charles  C.,  born  in  Shelby  County,  February  24, 
1879;  and  Pet,  who  was  born  in  Shelby  County, 
March  22,  1883,  and  died  on  the  25th  of  the  same 
month. 

Mr.  Smull  is  independent  in  politics.  He  has 
never  been  an  office-seeker,  in  fact,  has  always 


714 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


avoided  office,  and  though  twice  elected  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  refused  to  serve.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  the  fam- 
ily is  one  widely  and  favorably  known,  for  their 
excellencies  of  character  have  gained  them  high 
regard.  Mr.  Smull  is  a  self-made  man,  and  the 
competency  which  he  has  acquired  is  the  reward 
of  his  own  efforts. 


EV.  MONTGOMERY  M.  GOODWIN,  who 
is  now  rector  of  St.  John 's  Episcopal  Church 
of  Decatur,  but  will  soon  accept  a  call  from 
St.  Luke's  Church,  in  Ypsilanti,  Mich.,  is 
widely  known  as  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Episcopal  clergy,  and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we 
present  to  our  readers  this  record  of  his  life.  He 
was  born  in  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  December  19,  1858, 
and  is  a  descendant  of  the  Earl  of  Goodwin,  of 
the  fifteenth  century,  who  is  prominent  in  Eng- 
lish history.  The  family  was  founded  in  New 
England  at  an  early  day,  and  numbers  among  its 
members  such  men  of  prominence  as  Dr.  Good- 
win, of  Chicago;  Dr.  Goodwin,  of  Philadelphia; 
and  Dr.  Hannibal  Goodwin,  of  Newark,  N.  J. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  the  Hon.  William  II. 
Goodwin,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  was  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  became  a  leader  in  the  Methodist 
Church,  of  which  he  was  a  minister  for  many 
years.  He  was  graduated  from  Genesee  College 
with  the  degree  of  A.  M.,  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 
was  conferred  by  Hobart  College,  and  that  of 
D.  D.  by  Dickinson  College.  He  served  as  State 
Senator  of  New  York  from  the  Twenty-ninth  Dis- 
trict, and  in  1866  was  elected  Regent  of  the  State 
University,  a  life  position.  As  such  he  had  part 
in  the  supervision  of  the  educational  interests  of 
the  State  and  of  the  State  Library.  He  was  an  in- 
timate friend  of  the  Hon.  Charles  J.  Folger,  by 
whom  he  was  nominated  for  the  Senate  and  for 
Regent,  and  who  succeeded  Dr.  Goodwin  in  the 
former  position.  The  father  of  our  subject  died 
February  17,  1876, at  his  home  in  Dryden  Springs, 


N.  Y.     He  was  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  and  his 
prominence  was  won  by  the  highest  merit. 

Rev.  Montgomery  Goodwin,  whose  name  heads 
this  record,  attended  Cazenovia  Seminary,  and 
Syracuse  University  of  New  York,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '81,  with  the  de- 
gree of  B.  A.  Three  years  later  he  took  the  post- 
graduate course  and  received  the  degree  of  A.  M. 
He  was  President  of  the  class  during  a  part  of 
the  time,  and  was  Class  Orator  in  the  senior  year. 
Wishing  to  enter  the  ministry,  he  became  a  stu- 
dent in  the  theological  department  of  Harvard 
University,  and  was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '84 
with  the  degree  of  S.  T.  B.  In  November  of  the 
same  year,  he  was  ordained  as  an  Episcopal  min- 
ister in  Camdeu,  N.  Y.,by  the  Rt.  Rev.  F.  D.  Hunt- 
ington,  S.  T.  D. 

On  the  22d  of  November,  1884,  Mr.  Goodwin 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Dora  B.  Crom- 
well, who  was  living  in  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio,  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage,  but  is  a  native  of  the 
Empire  State.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
one  son,  Montgomery  M.,  Jr.,  now  a  bright  lad  of 
seven  summers.  Mr.  Goodwin  and  his  wife  have 
made  many  friends  in  the  communities  where 
they  have  resided,  and  have  gained  the  high  re- 
gard of  all  with  whom  the}'  have  been  brought  in 
contact. 

The  first  parish  over  which  the  Rev.  Mr.  Good- 
win presided  was  in  Norwich,  N.  Y.  In  1885  he 
became  Rector  of  Emmanual  Church,  and  was  its 
pastor  five  years.  He  found  a  beautiful  stone 
church,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  seven  hundred, 
but  it  had  a  debt  upon  it  of  $16,000.  During  his 
pastoi-ate  there  Mr.  Goodwin  entirety  raised  the 
debt  and  doubled  the  membership.  Entirely  un- 
solicited by  him,  he  received  a  call  from  St. 
John's  Church,  of  Decatur,  and  accepted  it  and 
became  its  pastor  on  the  6th  of  January,  1889. 
The  property  was  a  wooden  chapel  and  the  mem- 
bership was  about  two  hundred.  Through  the  un- 
tiring efforts  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Goodwin  a  beautiful 
red  sandstone  church  has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$40,000.  It  has  a  seating  capacity  of  six  hun- 
dred and  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
State,  both  as  regards  the  exterior  and  the  in- 
terior. About  one  hundred  members  have  been 


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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


717 


added  to  the  congregation.  The  church  is  thor- 
oughly organized,  has  about  eight  good  working 
societies,  and  is  in  a  thriving  condition.  A  fine 
pipe  organ  has  been  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $4,000. 
Mr.  Goodwin  is  a  prominent  Mason,  probably 
being  the  only  Thirty-third  Degree  Mason  in  this 
part  of  the  State.  He  took  that  degree  in  the  Val- 
ley of  New  York.  He  has  been  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  Consistory,  and  is  now  Prelate  of 
Benumanoir  Commandery.  Mr.  Goodwin  is  a 
member  of  the  standing  committee  of  the  dio- 
cese, which  is  composed  of  six  members,  three 
clergymen  and  three  laymen.  In  politics  he  is 
a  stalwart  Republican.  He  is  a  man  of  fine 
personal  appearance,  self-possessed,'  and  his  elo- 
quence and  logic  have  made  him  a  power  in 
the  pulpit.  He  is  a  worthy  representative  of  the 
talented  family  to  which  he  belongs,  and  his  loss 
to  St.  John's  Church  will  be  deeply  regretted,  not 
only  by  his  members  but  by  many  outside  of  his 
congregation. 


MOSER,  who  owns  and  operates 
«=*  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on 
section  18,  Decatur  Township,  one  mile 
oast  of  Decatur,  on  Williams  Street,  is  one  of  the 
representative  farmers  of  the  community.  He  has 
a  good  home,  and  the  neat  and  thrifty  appear- 
ance of  the  place  indicates  that  the  owner  is  a 
practical  and  progressive  man,  who  carefully  su- 
pervises his  farm.  His  residence  is  a  substantial 
one,  and  it  is  supplemented  by  all  the  necessary 
buildings.  The  many  improvements  and  the  well- 
tilled  fields  make  this  one  of  the  valuable  and  de- 
sirable places  in  the  neigborhood. 

Mr.  Moser  is  a  native  of  Germany.  He  was 
born  in  Baden  on  the  16th  of  September,  1843, 
and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Joseplia  (Beirly)  Moser. 
The  father  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  village  of 
Kappel,  where  he  controlled  a  vineyard.  He  also 
served  in  the  German  army.  His  death  occurred 


when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years,  but 
his  wife  survived  until  1881,  dying  at  the  age  of 
eighty-one  years.  Both  were  members  of  the 
Catholic  Church.  Their  family  numbered  nine 
children:  Frederick,  who  died  in  Germany;  Con- 
nel,  a  farmer  of  Summerville,  N.  J.;  George,  who 
died  in  1890;  Frank,  of  this  sketch;  Celia,  Fran- 
cisca  and  Barbara,  who  live  in  Germany;  and  Jo- 
seph and  Joseplia,  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  his  parents'  home  Mr.  Moser  spent  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  and,  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  his  native  land,  attended  school 
between  the  ages  of  six  and  fourteen  years.  Dur- 
ing his  boyhood  he  was  employed  in  his  father's 
vineyard  and  worked  hard.  He  remained  at  home 
until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  in  1867  he 
started  for  the  New  World  on  a  vessel  which 
sailed  from  Havre,  and  after  seventeen  days 
reached  the  harbor  of  New  York,  having  experi- 
enced some  severe  weather. 

Mr.  Moser  at  once  began  work  in  New  Jersey, 
obtaining  his  situation  in  three  days.  He  spent 
two  years  in  that  State,  and  on  the  3d  of  May, 
1869,  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  he  married  Miss  Julia 
Donner,  who  was  born  in  West  Prussia,  and  when 
a  young  lady  of  nineteen  years  came  to  America. 
Their  union  was  blessed  with  the  following  chil- 
dren: Frederick,  Joseph,  George;  William,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  a  year  and  a-half ;  Annie  Mary 
and  Mary;  Frank  (who  is  deceased)  and  Miller, 
twins;  Julia;  Eddie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four; 
Charles,  also  deceased;  Albert,  Lewis,  Clara,  Min- 
nie, Rosa  Louisa,  Bertha,  John  and  Margarette. 
The  children  were  all  born  and  reared  in  this 
county,  and  have  been  educated  in  English  and 
German  in  the  public  and  parochial  schools,  and 
so  far  none  have  left  the  parental  home. 

It  was  in  1870  that  Mr.  Moser  started  for  the 
West,  and  after  tnree  weeks  he  went  to  Decatur, 
where  he  worked  in  a  foundry  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  spent  a  year  and  a-half  as  an  em- 
ploye in  a  furniture  factory.  During  the  succeed- 
ing three  years  he  worked  in  an  iron  foundry, 
and  for  seven  years  carried  on  a  dairy.  He  at 
first  had  but  one  cow,  but  his  business  steadily  in- 
creased and  he  afterward  kept  fifty  cows.  He  met 
with  good  success  during  his  career  in  Decatur, 


718 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and,  aside  from  so  rapidly  increasing  his  business, 
lie  bought  a  lot  and  erected  a  house  in  the  city. 
About  nine  years  ago  he  removed  to  the  farm, 
and  has  since  successfully  carried  on  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Gen.  Grant,  and  has  since  voted  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Himself  and  family  are  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 


ON.  WILLIAM  B.  CHAMBERS,  ex-Mayor 
of  Decatur.  is  one  of  the  prominent  citizens 
of  the  county  seat  of  Macon  County.  On 
several  different  occasions  he  has  filled  the 
executive  chair  of  the  city,  and  for  many  years  he 
has  been  connected  with  its  educational  interests. 
He  is  one  of  the  stockholders  in  the  Chambers-Ber- 
ing-Quinlan  Company,  proprietors  of  the  largest 
agricultural  implement  works  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Chambers  was  born  near  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  in 
Caroline  Township,  Tompkins  County,  March  16, 
1838.  Four  months  after  his  birth  his  father,  Will- 
iam II.  H.  Chambers,  removed  with  his  family  to 
Kane  County,  111.  The  Chambers  family  was  one 
of  the  old  Dutch  families  of  the  Empire  State.  In 
New  York,  Mr.  Chambers  married  Adeline  Booth, 
who  came  of  an  old  English  family.  After  their 
removal  Westward  they  spent  a  short  time  upon  a 
farm  twelve  miles  west  of  St.  Charles,  and  then,  in 
1842,  went  to  Batavia,  III.,  where  the  father  worked 
at  his  trade  of  wagon-making  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  The 
family  numbered  six  children. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  resided  in  Batavia 
until  1855,  when,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he 
went  to  Mendota,  111.,  where  he  was  employed  as 
clerk  in  a  general  store.  In  1857  he  embarked  in 
the  hardware  business,  which  lie  carried  on  until 
1862,  when  he  sold  out  and  engaged  as  traveling 
salesman  for  Bniber  «fe  Hawley,  of  Pekin,  111.,  man- 
ufacturers of  agricultural  implements.  In  1863, 


when  Barber  &  Hawley  removed  to  Decatur,  our 
subject  accompanied  them.  His  employers  failed 
in  1867,  and  Mr.  Chambers  assisted  in  settling 
up  the  business.  By  this  time,  he  aspired  to  set 
up  a  business  of  his  own,  and  was  joined  by 
two  wealthy  and  well-known  citizens  of  Decatur, 
Mr.  Bering  and  Mr.  Quinlan.  A  partnership  was 
formed  by  the  three  gentlemen  in  1876,  for  the 
purpose  of  manufacturing  agricultural  implements. 
They  were  the  first  to  manufacture  the  wire  check 
rower  and  soon  became  leaders  in  their  line,  par- 
ticularly in  check  rowers  and  corn  planters.  In 
1882,  the  partnership  was  changed  into  a  stock 
company,  and  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the 
Chambers-Bering-Quinlan  Company.  The  stock- 
holders are  Messrs.  Chambers,  Bering  and  Quinlan, 
who  were  the  former  partners,  and  they  are  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  a  full  line 
of  corn  planters,  check  rowers,  hay  loaders  and  side 
delivery  hay  rakes.  Thej-  employ  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  men,  and  do  a  constantly  increas- 
ing business.  This  industry  stands  at  the  head  of 
Decatur's  enterprises. 

On  Christmas  Day  of  1857,  our  subject  married 
Miss  Adclia  Guiles,  daughter  of  Daniel  D.  Guiles, 
a  merchant  of  Mendota.  Unto  them  have  been 
born  three  children.  Annie,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife 
of  Albert  Barnes,  manager  of  the  Macon  County 
Abstract  and  Title  Company;  Cora  is  the  wife  of 
L.  L.  Race,  a  prominent  young  citizen  of  Decatur; 
Jennie  is  now  attending  St.  Mary's  School,  in 
Knoxville,  111. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Chambers  is  a  Republican  and 
warmly  advocates  the  principles  of  his  party. 
For  twelve  years  he  has  served  on  the  School 
Board.  In  1876  he  was  first  elected  Mayor  of  the 
city  and  was  re-elected  the  following  year.  In 
1888  he  was  elected  for  a  two-years  term,  and  in 
1891  was  again  called  to  the  same  office  for  asini- 
ilar  length  of  time.  The  people  of  Decatur  gave 
him  their  trust  and  found  it  was  not  betrayed,  for 
in  all  possible  ways  he  advanced  the  best  interests 
of  the  city  and  carefully  looked  after  its  welfare. 
He  is  a  man  of  excellent  judgment,  sincere,  gen- 
erous, modest,  yet  withal  manly.  He  is  one  of 
Decatur's  most  popular  as  well  as  highly  respected 
citizens. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


719 


\T  OHN  M.  RA1NEY,  who  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  the  city  of  Decatur,  was  born 
in  Randolph  Count}',  111.,  in  February, 
1822.  He  is  a  representative  of  one  of 
the  pioneer  families  of  the  State.  His  parents 
were  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Waggoner)  Rainey.  His 
father,  who  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  moved 
to  Georgia,  near  Milledgeville,  and  thence  to  Ten- 
nessee, and  from  that  State  entered  the  War  of 
1812.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Horseshoe 
Bend,  on  the  Coosa  River,  in  Alabama.  This  will 
be  remembered  as  the  last  and  most  sanguinary 
battle  fought  with  the  Creek  Indians,  who  are 
known  as  the  most  formidable  and  brutal  of  the 
Indian  tribes.  Immediately  after  enlisting,  he 
started  to  report  for  duty  at  Fayetteville,  Tenn., 
and  while  on  his  way  he  passed  by  Ft.  Mimms, 
where  the  great  massacre  had  occurred.  He  saw 
men,  women  and  children  hanging  indiscrimin- 
ately on  fence  stakes,  writhing  in  the  utmost  pain 
and  agony.  The  Indians,  having  sharpened  the 
stakes,  thrust  them  through  their  victims'  bodies, 
pinioning  them  and  leaving  them  to  die  a  lingering 
and  horrible  death.  The  Ensign  of  the  regiment 
had  entered  the  service  out  of  a  spirit  of  vengeance, 
on  account  of  the  slaughter  of  his  whole  family, 
but  was  also  killed  while  waiting  for  Gen.  Cof- 
fee to  reinforce  them  prior  to  the  charge  upon  the 
works  at  Horseshoe  Bend.  lie  came  into  camp  after 
he  had  been  shot,  saying:  "Boys,  they  have  given 
it  to  me,"  and  then  sank  down  and  died  on  the 
ground. 

After  the  war  was  over  and  peace  declared, 
desiring  to  seek  a  home  elsewhere,  Mr.  Rainey 
came  to  Illinois,  in  1818,  and  voted  at  the  first 
election  for  the  admission  of  Illinois  into  the 
Union  as  a  State.  He  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming,  and  ere  his  death  he  reached  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  nearly  four-score  years.  In  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth. 
When  about  nine  years  of  age  he  accompanied  hie 
parents  to  St.  C'lair  County,  111.,  the  family  locat- 
ing near  Belleville.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
John  Rainey,  with  hopefulness  of  spirit  and  vigor 
of  body  and  mind,  began  life  for  himself  and 
turned  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  oper- 


ating land  which  he  had  secured  from  the  Gov- 
ernment about  twenty  miles  southeast  of  Belle- 
ville. He  continued  his  residence  in  St.  Clair 
County  until  1869,  and  he  placed  his  farm  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  making  many  im- 
provements upon  it. 

The  year  1869  witnessed  our  subject's  arrival 
in  Decatur.  Previous  to  this  time  he  was  married, 
in  1863,  to  Miss  Mary  Anna  Challenor,  a  native 
of  England,  born  in  Liverpool  July  27,  1838.  Her 
father,  Thomas  Challenor,  of  Belleville,  111.,  be- 
longs to  one  of  the  noble  families  of  Wales. 
One  member  of  his  family  was  honored  with  a 
seat  in  the  House  of  Commons,  but,  on  account 
of  their  opposition  to  the  oppressive  "Corn  Laws" 
and  their  advocacy  of  the  principles  of  liberty, 
Mr.  Challenor  and  his  friends  were  condemned  to 
be  banished  to  Van  Dieman's  Land.  Anticipating 
his  arrest,  however,  he  Bed  to  America,  preferring 
"to  crusade  for  Freedom  in  Freedom's  holy  land." 
Asa  proof  that  he  was  in  earnest  he  enlisted  in  the 
late  war  and  remained  in  the  service  until  the 
flag  floated  triumphantly  over  the  entire  nation. 
He  participated  in  many  of  the  great  battles,  and, 
though  wounded  several  times,  he  was  always 
found  at  the  front  until  mustered  out  of  the" ser- 
vice at  the  close  of  the  war.  The  manner  of  his 
entering  the  service  is  remarkable,  and  shows  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  by  his  neighbors.  At 
the  call  for  volunteers  the  citizens  of  Belleville 
organized  a  compan}'  and  sent  word  to  Mr.  Chal- 
lenor that  they  had  chosen  him  Captain,  so  that  he 
arose  from  a  civilian  to  be  Captain,  and  from  this 
position  to  Major,  and  he  now  lives  among  his 
old  comrades  who  returned  from  the  wearv 
march  and  strife. 

During  her  early  childhood  Mrs.  Rainey  came 
to  America.  By  their  union  have  been  born  four 
children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  as  follows: 
Florence,  Anna  E.,  John  C.  and  Lewis  T.  The 
family  circle  yet  remains  unbroken  and  the  chil- 
dren are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  The  fa- 
ther is  a  member  of  St.  Patrick's  Catholic  Church, 
and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 
Before  his  removal  to  Decatur  Mr.  Rainey  had 
purchased  land  in  Macon  County.  After  coming 
here  he  bought  the  St.  Clair  Mill,  in  the  city, 


720 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


which  he  operated  for  a  few  years,  and  then  re- 
moved it  to  Kansas,  and  operated  it  at  Ft.  Dodge, 
but  sold  it  some  ten  years  since.  He  is  now  en- 
joying the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  A  good  in- 
come is  yielded  him  by  his  acquisitions,  which  in 
land  amount  to  at  least  seven  hundred  acres, 
within  a  few  miles  of  Decatur.  He  is  associated 
with  his  son  John  C.  in  the  Hickory  Point  Stock 
Farm,  where  they  make  a  specialty  of  draft  horses. 
Besides  this  Mr.  Rainey  owns  several  valuable 
residences  and  other  city  property  in  Decatur, 
and  large  landed  interests  in  the  West,  and  thus 
rightfully  is  considered  one  of  the  leading  spirits 
of  Macon  County. 

In  politics  Mr.  Rainey  is  a  supporter  of  Demo- 
cratic principles,  and  warmly  advocates  the  meas- 
ures of  that  party,  but  has  never  been  a  politic- 
ian in  the  sense  of  desiring  public  office.  His 
entire  life  has  been  passed  in  Illinois,  and  for  al- 
most a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has  made  his  home 
in  Decatur.  He  is  a  good  citizen,  a  man  of  ster- 
ling worth,  and  himself  and  wife  have  many 
warm  friends  throughout  this  community. 


>ILLI AM  B.  CORMAN,  traveling  agent 
for  the  F.  B.  Tail  &  Co.  Check  Rower, 
makes  his  home  in  Decatur.  A  native  of 
Illinois,  he  was  born  in  Jonesboro,  Union  County, 
February  8,  1848.  His  father,  Abram  B.  Covman, 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  his  mother,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Caroline  C.  Sharp,  was 
born  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters, 
but  two  died  in  infancy,  and  Sarah  died  at  the 
age  of  five  years.  The  mother,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  was  called  to 
her  final  rest  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five 
years.  Her  father,  William  Sharp,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  died  in  De  Soto,Ill..at  an  advanced  age. 
He  was  a  Methodist  minister  and  used  to  travel 
with  Peter  Cartwright  when  the  latter  did  circuit- 
riding.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 


was  born  in  Penns3'lvania  and  there  followed 
farming  throughout  his  entire  life.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Germany  and  was  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  America. 

Abram  Gorman  survived  his  wife  until  Novem- 
ber, 1891.  when  he  lost  his  life  by  being  thrown 
out  of  a  wagon  and  breaking  his  neck.  During 
the  late  war  he  served  as  one  of  the  boys  in  blue 
of  the  Fifty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  disability.  He  was  a  car- 
penter and  also  learned  the  baker's  trade  in  Ohio. 
About  1837  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  drove  a  ped- 
dler's wagon  through  the  State  before  the  day  of 
railroads.  In  this  way  he  sold  goods  for  Deschon 
&  Provost,  of  Jonesboro,  then  the  county  seat  of 
Union  County.  In  1854,  on  the  building  of  the 
railroads,  he  took  a  contract  to  board  railroad 
hands  while  the  Illinois  Central  was  being  con- 
structed. While  working  near  De  Soto,  an  engine 
was  brought  up  the  Mississippi  River  on  a  flatboat 
in  pieces,  unloaded  and  taken  through  the  brush 
to  the  tracks  and  there  put  together.  It  was  one 
of  the  first  used  by  the  Illinois  Central.  While  at 
DeSotoa  number  of  hands  got  into  a  fight  and 
several  were  killed.  Some  of  the  participants  were 
arrested,  tried  and  sent  to  the  penitentiary.  The 
family  made  their  home  in  De  Soto  until  1857, 
when  the}'  became  residents  of  Jacksonville.  Mr. 
Gorman  then  acted  as  foreman  of  the  carpenter 
department  until  1860,  when  he  returned  to  De 
Soto  and  located  upon  a  farm,  where  lie  made  his 
home  until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  army. 
The  following  year  his  wife  and  family  returned 
to  Jacksonville,  and  there  Mrs.  Gorman  died. 

Our  subject  had  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  various  removals  up  to  this  time,  but  he  now 
started  out  in  life  for  himself.  In  the  fall  of  1863 
he  went  to  Decatur  and  for  one  season  worked  on 
a  farm  in  Macon  County.  He  then  went  to  Mur- 
physboro,  111.,  and  in  the  spring  of  1865  began 
serving  as  teamster  in  connection  with  the  Com- 
missary Department  of  the  Federal  Government 
in  Nashville,  Tenn.  After  the  war  he  remained 
in  Nashville  for  some  time,  and  then  spent  about 
four  months  in  De  Soto.  In  1868  he  again  came 
to  Decatur,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
Securing  a  position  as  salesman  in  a  dry-goods 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


721 


store,  he  was  thus  employed  until  1872, after  which 
he  acted  as  agent  for  the  Singer  Sewing  Machine 
Company  for  two  years. 

On  the  12th  of  November,  1873,  Mr.  Gorman 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  W.  Skin- 
ner, a  native  of  this  State  and  a  daughter  of  George 
W.  and  Minerva  J.  (Beckwith)  Skinner,  the  former 
a  native  of  Clark  County,  Ky.,  and  the  latter  of 
Brecken ridge  County,  Ky.  Three  children  have 
been  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gorman,  all  sons, 
William  II.  H.,  S.  Wilbur  and  Earl  Washington. 
The  parents  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  Mr.  Gorman  is  a  menber  of  Macon 
Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Macon  Chapter  No. 
21,  H.  A.  M.;  and  Beaumanoir  Commandery  No. 
9,  K.  T.  lie  also  belongs  to  the  Iowa  State  Trav- 
eling Men's  Association.  He  has  now  traveled  in 
the  interest  of  the  F.  B.  Tait  Check  Rower  for 
twelve  years  and  is  a  successsful  and  popular  sales- 
man and  a  trusted  agent  of  the  company.  He  has 
had  a  successful  business  career,  and  is  a  pleasant, 
genial  gentleman,  who  makes  friends  wherever  he 
goes. 


BRAIIAM  L.  GEPFORD  AND  CHARLES 
F.  McELROY  are  the  managers,  owners 
and  publishers  of  the  Blue  Mound  Leader, 
of  Blue  Mound,  111.  They  are  wide-awake 
and  enterprising  young  men,  and  the  paper  which 
they  publish  is  not  only  a  credit  to  themselves 
but  to  the  city  as  well.  In  January,  1892,  it  was 
purchased  by  the  present  firm  from  Messrs.  Spooner 
&  Nicholls,  Mr.  Spooner  having  been  its  editor 
since  1887, and  Mr.  Nicholls  for  about  six  months. 
Mr.  Gepford  also  owns  a  hardware  store  in 
Findlay,  111.,  and  makes  his  home  in  that  place, 
while  Mr.  McElroy  is  the  resident  partner  and 
manager  of  the  Blue  Mound  Leader.  The  latter  is 
a  young  man  of  only  seventeen  years,  but  he  has  al- 
ready had  five  years'  experience  in  the  newspaper 
business,  and  the  paper  which  he  publishes  would 
do  credit  to  many  an  older  editor.  He  possesses 
the  ambition  and  enterprise  of  youth,  and  these 


are  plainly  shown  in  the  bright  and  newsy  col- 
umns of  the  Leader.  This  paper  is  independent 
in  politics  and  is  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the 
community  in  which  it  is  published,  but  it  also 
gives  a  sj-nopsis  of  the  important  events  winch 
ti  (inspire  all  over  the  country.  The  paper  is  pub- 
lished on  Thursday  of  each  week  and  has  a  cir- 
culation of  about  five  hundred.  Mr.  McElroy  well 
deserves  success,  and  the  energy'  and  enterprise 
which  seem  to  be  among  his  leading  characteris- 
tics will  no  doubt  make  for  him  a  prosperous 
career. 


J"  OSEPII  BROWN  carries  on  general  farming 
on  section  16,  lllini  Township.  He  was 
born  in  Kensington,  Rockingham  County, 
N.  H.,  September  24,  1847.  His  father, 
grandfather  and  great-grandfather  were  all  born 
on  the  same  farm.  Stephen  Brown,  the  father, 
still  holds  the  original  deed  to  the  homestead.  In 
the  old  Granite  State,  Stephen  Brown  married 
Dolly,  daughter  of  Reuben  Batcheldcr.  He  came 
to  Illinois  in  1866,  and  spent  about  one  rear  in 
Macon  County,  purchasing  a  half-section  of  land, 
which  his  sons  now  own  and  occupy.  He  then 
returned  to  his  native  State,  and  is  now  residing 
upon  the  old  homestead,  to  the  ownership  of  which 
he  succeeded  by  inheritance.  Although  seventy- 
six  years  of  age,  he  is  still  hale  and  hearty. 

No  event  of  special  importance  occurred  during 
the  boyhood  of  our  subject,  which  was  quietly 
passed  under  the  parental  roof.  His  early  school 
privileges  were  supplemented  by  a  year's  study  in 
the  High  School  of  Newburyport,  Mass.  It  was  in 
the  spring  of  1868  that  he  came  West  and  joined 
his  brother  in  Macon  County,  locating  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  resides.  It  was  then  wild 
prairie,  but  he  soon  plowed  and  planted  it,  and 
built  a  substantial  residence,  barn,  carriage  and 
tool  house.  A  grove  of  maples  surrounds  the 
home,  which  is  very  pleasantly  located  about  three 
miles  southwest  of  Warren sburg. 


722 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


On  the  19th  of  January,  1871,  Mr.  Rrown  was 
united  in  marriage  in  Newburyport,  Mass.,  with 
Emma  D.  Pettingell,  a  native  of  the  Bay  State, 
and  a  daughter  of  Cnpt.  Richard  Pettingell,  who 
went  to  sea  when  a  lad  of  ten  years.  For  many 
years  he  sailed  on  the  ocean,  but  is  now  living  re- 
tired. In  1849,  he  went  to  California  in  search  of 
gold.  He  has  made  fourteen  voyages  around  Cape 
Morn  and  was  captured  June  3,  1863,  during  the 
late  war  by  the  rebel  ship,  ''Georgia." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  three  sons:  Forest  P., 
Richard  S.  and  Edward  P.  The  eldest  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Decatur  Business  College.  They  aid 
the  father  in  carrying  on  the  home  farm,  all  being 
still  under  the  parental  roof. 


ACOI5  TROUTMAN,  who  is  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  on  section  7,  Decatur  Town- 
ship, was  born  on  the  2d  of  October,  1848, 
in  Fulton  County,  Ind.  His  father,  Peter 
Troutman,  was  a  native  of  Henry  County,  Ky., 
and  in  1832,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  went  to 
Indiana.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Michael  Trout- 
man,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  who,  having  emi- 
grated to  America  in  Colonial  days,  served  under 
Washington  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  faith- 
fully aided  in  the  struggle  for  independence. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  after  his  removal  to 
the  Hoosier  State,  hewed  out  a  farm  in  the  midst 
of  a  heavy  forest  and  devoted  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  also  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  for  twenty-five  years,  but 
on  account  of  his  health  he  was  forced  to  abandon 
the  profession.  In  Indiana  he  wedded  Miss  Maty, 
a  daughter  of  Abraham  Bruce,  and  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  Her  father,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, crossed  the  Atlantic  and  settled  in  the  Key- 
stone State,  and  from  there  went  with  his  family 
to  Indiana,  becoming  one  of  its  early  settlers.  He 
was  a  farmer  and  millwright  and  became  a  wealthy 
man.  The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in  Macon 
County  in  1869.  His  father  is  still  living,  and  is 


now  engaged  in  the  real-estate  and  loan  business 
in  Victor,  Kan.,  where  he  has  been  living  for 
twelve  years.  The  members  of  the  family  are: 
Elizabeth  Jane,  wife  of  J.  II.  Cox,  a  farmer  of 
Sumner,  Kan.;  Joseph,  who  served  throughout  the 
war  as  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Six- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry,  participating  in  thirty- 
two  battles,  and  who,  after  his  return  home,  fell 
from  a  tree  and  broke  his  leg,  which  superinduced 
general  debility  and  resulted  in  his  death;  Samuel, 
who  was  in  the  same  regiment  as  his  brother  and 
went  with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march  to 
the  sea,  and  who  is  now  living  in  Bearsdale;  Sam- 
uel, a  farmer  of  Hickory  Point  Township;  Phil-be, 
the  wife  of  Jeremiah  Miller,  of  Decatur;  Jacob, 
who  is  the  next  in  order  of  birth;  Julia,  the  wife 
of  Asa  Gulick,  who  resides  on  the  old  Troutman 
Farm  in  Harristown  Township;  John,  who  is  in 
Kansas  with  his  father;  and  Levi,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years.  All  of  the  children  were 
born  in  Indiana.  The  father  was  one  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Fulton  County,  and  is  a  self-made 
man,  who  by  his  own  efforts  has  become  well-to- 
do.  Since  a  young  man  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  served  as 
Class-leader  and  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  for  many  years,  and  he  and  his  family  were 
the  principal  contributors  to  the  building  of  the 
Sharon  Church,  he  being  the  principal  Trustee. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  so- 
ciety, and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  He  takes 
great  interest  in  political  affairs,  and  voted  for 
"Hickory  "  Harrison  and  for  his  grandson,  Ben- 
jamin, and  is  proud  of  it. 

Mr.  Troutman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  was 
a  lad  of  five  years  when  he  came  to  Illinois  with  the 
family.  The  journey  was  made  by  team,  and  on 
reaching  their  destination  they  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  a  two-roomed  log  house  with  puncheon 
floor.  Upon  the  old  homestead  our  subject  was 
reared  to  manhood,  experiencing  the  hardships 
and  trials  of  frontier  life  as  well  as  its  pleasures 
and  privileges,  such  as  are  unknown  at  this  day. 
He  acquired  a  good  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  and  in  Decatur.  He  early 
learned  to  swing  the  axe  and  cradle,  and  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  began  following  the  old  McCor- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


723 


mick  Reaper,  and  later  helped  to  turn  the  sod  and 
haul  logs  for  fencing  purposes. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  with  one  horse,  Mr. 
Troutman  began  farming  for  himself  where  he 
now  lives.  He  bought  the  farm  when  it  was  wild 
land,  entirely  unimproved.  He  now  owns  seventy 
acres  and  operates  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
more.  Upon  his  place  is  a  good  residence,  to- 
gether with  substantial  barns  and  all  modern  equip- 
ments and  conveniences.  In  connection  with  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  he  has  served  as  Postmaster  and 
Station  Agent  at  Troutman  since  1888.  He  keeps 
a  stock  of  general  merchandise  at  that  place  and 
also  buys  grain  and  stock. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1876,  Mr.  Troutman 
married  Miss  Sarah,  n  daughter  of  Joel  Morrison, 
and  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Unto  them  have 
been  born  five  children:  Fred  B.,  who  has  charge 
of  the  store  in  Troutraan;  Carrie,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Nora,  Samuel  J.  and  Minnie  Jane,  all  at 
home.  The  parents  are  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  this  community  and  are  people  of  ster- 
ling worth,  well  deserving  the  high  regard  in 
which  they  are  held.  In  politics,  Mr.  Troutman 
has  been  a  Republican  since  casting  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  Grant.  Socially,  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  fraternity  and  the  Ma- 
sonic lodge.  He  has  witnessed  almost  the  entire 
growth  and  development  of  the  county,  has  seen 
the  wild  lands  transformed  into  beautiful  homes 
and  farms,  has  watched  the  introduction  of  rail- 
roads and  all  the  other  improvements  known  to 
civilization,  and  has  taken  an  active  and  com- 
mendable interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community  and  its  upbuilding. 


ydLLIAM  H.  BRAMBLE  is  one  of  Macon 
County's  honored  pioneers,  also  a  promi- 
nent architect,  contractor,  builder  and  in- 
ventor of  Decatur.     That  he  is  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinal-}'  ability  is  a  fact  widely  recognized,  his  in- 
ventive genius  having  placed  him  among  the  fore- 


most men  of  the  State.  He  was  born  in  Piketon, 
Pike  County,  Ohio,  September  19,  1821,  and  is  the 
youngest  of  three  children.  James  died  in  early 
childhood,  and  Rebecca  is  now  the  wife  of  Dr.  Ly- 
man,  of  Chicago.  The  father,  Henry  Bramble,  was 
born  and  reared  in  Maryland,  and  there  learned  the 
stone-cutter's  trade.  When  a  young  man  he  re- 
move'd  to  Pike  County,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade  for  a  time,  and  for  a  number  of  years  en- 
gaged in  keeping  hotel  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio.  Later 
he  carried  on  a  hotel  for  a  number  of  years,  after 
which  he  removed  to  Delphi,  Ind.,  where  for  some 
time  he  engaged  in  merchandising.  His  next  ven- 
ture was  at  farming.  In  connection  with  his  son- 
in-law,  he  bought  a  large  farm  near  La  Fayette, 
Ind.,  but  after  several  years  sold  his  interest  in  it 
and  purchased  land  elsewhere,  making  his  home 
theredn  until  after  his  sons  were  both  married.  He 
then  went  to  live  with  his  son-in-law,  Dr.  Lyman, 
in  whose  home  he  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty- 
six  years.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Sarah  Turner,  was  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State, 
and  died  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  when  William  was 
quite  a  young  child. 

Mr.  Bramble  whose  name  heads  this  record  spent 
his  earl}7  life  in  his  father's  hotel  and  store.  He 
attended  school  until  about  sixteen  years  of  age 
and  then  went  onto  the  farm  with  his  father.  He 
is  a  natural  inventor,  and  his  gift  in  this  direction 
was  shown  in  his  early  boyhood.  While  working 
in  the  fields  he  would  think  of  some  improvement 
on  the  farm  implements,  and  go  and  embody  his 
idea  in  material  form,  much  to  the  detriment  of 
the  field  which  perchance  he  was  weeding.  When 
about  fifteen  years  of  age  he  invented  a  corn- 
planter,  and  when  about  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
while  lying  in  bed  one  night,  he  suddenly  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  making  a  giain  scale  that  would 
receive,  weigh  and  discharge  the  grain  and  add  up 
the  amount.  This  idea  took  complete  possession 
of  him.  In  order  to  carry  out  the  invention  he 
sold  his  farm,  erected  a  hotel  near  La  Fayette,  Ind., 
and  built  a  little  workshop.  There  hour  after  hour 
was  passed,  working  and  toiling  to  makon  perfect 
machine.  His  mind  became  completely  absorbed 
in  the  project  and  the  money  he  receivi'd  from  the 
sale  of  his  farm  was  soon  spent.  People  almost 


724 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


believed  that  he  had  lost  his  reason,  so  completely 
did  he  devote  himself  to  his  invention,  but  after 
eleven  years  of  labor  it  was  completed.  Going  to 
Washington,  he  received  a  patent,  and  on  his  re- 
turn began  the  sale  of  the  automatic  grain  scale, 
and  at  one  time  sold  $80,000  worth.  The  success 
of  the  invention  was  astonishing.  A  machine  was 
placed  on  exhibition  at  La  Fayette,  which  received 
and  measured  the  grain,  gave  the  number  of  bushels, 
and  calculated  the  amount  it  came  to  at  the  cur- 
rent price.  From  the  receipt  of  his  sales,  Mr.  Bram- 
ble erected  a  large  hotel  in  La  Fayette,  I  nd.,  which 
still  bears  his  name.  He  had  sold  his  patent  from 
a  model,  but  when  the  purchaser  came  to  put  it  in 
use  it  was  worthless,  so  his  property  was  returned 
and  he  handed  back  the  money.  He  then  borrowed 
money  to  improve  his  machine,  and  after  six 
months  went  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  remodeled  and 
perfected  his  invention.  While  there  he  received 
a  gold  medal  upon  it,  and  one  in  Baltimore  and 
the  World's  Fair  in  New  York.  The  scale  being 
perfected,  Mr.  Bramble  took  a  partner  in  business^ 
opened  an  office  in  Cincinnati,  and  began  selling 
the  same.  He  sold  about  $100,000  worth  of  terri- 
tory, but  through  the  rascality  of  his  partner  he  lost 
all  he  had  made,  save  about  sixteen  hundred  acres 
of  wild  land  near  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  The  ma- 
chine was  exhibited  in  every  State  of  the  Union 
and  received  premiums  at  hundreds  of  fairs,  and  a 
gold  medal  at  the  New  York  American  Institute. 

In  the  spring  of  1857,  Mr.  Bramble  went  to  his 
property  in  I  owa,  but  it  and  the  country  all  around 
were  wild  and  unsettled  and  he  did  not  care  to 
make  it  a  place  of  residence.  He  then  went  to  St. 
Louis,  with  the  intention  of  returning  to  Spring- 
field, Ohio,  but,  coming  to  Decatur,  he  determined 
to  locate  in  this  city.  It  was  then  a  very  small 
place,  but  witli  remarkable  foresight  he  believed 
that  it  had  a  future  before  it.  He  bought  an  acre 
of  land  and  upon  it  built  a  brick  house,  which  he 
afterward  sold  for  $8,000.  He  then  purchased  six 
and  a-half  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  has  since 
built  a  number  of  houses  that  he  has  sold  at  differ- 
ent, times.  He  now  owns  thirteen  residences,  all 
on  two  blocks.  He  has  done  considerable  contract- 
ing and  building  in  this  city,  a  business  which  re- 
sulted from  the  erection  of  his  first  brick  house. 


Mr.  Bramble's  inventive  genius,  however,  has 
been  the  controlling  influence  in  his  life.  Not 
content  to  engage  in  the  usual  routine  of  business 
affairs,  his  genius  at  one  time  found  expression  in 
an  improved  bedstead,  known  as  Bramble's  Spring 
Rockaway  Bed.  This  proved  successful  and  met 
with  quite  a  sale.  Many  of  the  beds  are  still  used 
in  Decatur.  One  of  his  most  important  inventions, 
however,  is  the  Yale  Postottice  Lock  Box,  which  is 
used  in  hundreds  of  towns  throughout  America  and 
Europe.  He  receives  a  royalty  on  every  one  sold, 
and  this  has  brought  him  a  princely  income.  He 
secured  his  patent  on  the  same  in  1865.  He  showed 
the  invention  to  the  Postmaster  of  Boston,  who 
agreed  to  adopt  the  box.  Trouble  concerning  this 
invention  followed.  The  Yale  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  Stamford,  Conn.,  adopted  his  ideas 
and  began  manufacturing  the  boxes  in  the  face  of 
Mr.  Bramble's  patent.  A  long  contest  followed, 
and  the  United  States  Court  decided  that  he 
should  receive  a  royalty  on  every  postoflice  box. 
He  has  also  invented  a  padlock  that  brings  him  in 
a  large  income,  and  he  is  the  original  inventor  of 
twenty-seven  different  styles  of  locks.  A  manu- 
factory was  established  at  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  the 
Bramble  Lock  Company,  of  which  he  was  Super- 
intendent, and  from  whose  manufactures  he  was 
to  receive  a  royalty,  but  this  went  out  of  existence 
after  some  months.  He  has  received  twelve  medals 
on  his  inventions,  and  his  genius  has  placed  him 
among  the  most  prominent  inventors  of  the  coun- 
try. 

Turning  from  business  to  private  life,  we  chron- 
icle the  marriage  of  Mr.  Bramble  and  Miss  Ann 
Slayback,  a  native  of  Ohio.  Three  children  have 
been  born  of  their  union:  Oneis  N.,  who  is  now  em- 
ployed in  the  carriage  factory  in  Decatur;  Edward 
G.,  who  is  mailing  clerk  in  the  postofflce  and  also 
owns  a  store;  and  Estella  F.,  wife  of  A.  F.  Jennison, 
of  Decatur,  who  is  employed  asa  railway  mail  clerk. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Bramble  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  served  as  Alderman  in  the  ward  in  which  he 
lived  for  thirty-live  years,  and  is  now  filling  that 
position.  No  man  in  thecit}'  is  more  popular  with 
voters, a  fact  which  shows  the  high  regard  in  which 
he  is  held.  He  has  had  success  in  election  matters 
and  for  a  long  time  was  the  only  man  the  Uepub- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


725 


licans  could  elect.  He  stands  high  with  all  the 
laboring  classes  and  has  been  an  extensive  employer 
of  labor.  He  has  contracted  on  railroad  work  and 
graded  the  line  between  Decaturand  Monticello — 
finishing  the  road  in  ninety  days,  besides  which 
he  has  done  much  grading  of  residence  lawns.  He 
has  recently  platted  a  new  addition  to  Decatur  of 
four  acres.  He  is  a  friend  to  all  educational,  so- 
cial and  moral  interests,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  most  progressive  and  public-spirited  citizens 
of  Decatur.  His  support  and  co-operation  are 
never  withheld  from  any  enterprise  calculated  to 
promote  the  general  walfare,  and  though  not  a 
member  he  was  for  years  a  trustee  in  the  Baptist 
Church. 


UGH  L.  ODER,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  came 
to  this  county  and  settled  with  his  parents 
on  a  farm  in  South  Wheatland  Township 
when  a  lad.  His  father,  George  C.  Oder, 
also  a  native  of  Kentucky,  was  born  May  24,  1814, 
and  married  Mrs.  Sarah  (Logan)  Phillips,  widow  of 
Madison  D.  Phillips,  of  Kentucky.  This  marriage 
was  celebrated  January  31,  1839.  The  children  of 
this  union  were  as  follows:  Timothy,  who  was 
born  in  November,  1839,  and  died  October  7, 
1861;  Hugh  L.,  born  August  23,  1841,  died  De- 
cember 9,  1875;  Clara  E.,  born  January  7,  1843, 
married  Hiram  Ward,  a  farmer  of  South  Wheat- 
land  Township;  Lucy  A.,  born  November  2,  1852, 
married  John  H.  Jones,  a  farmer  of  South  Wheat- 
land  Township;  James  Nelson,  born  November  24, 
1844,  also  a  resident  of  South  Wheatland  Town- 
ship; William  S.,  born  August  15,  1846,  who  now 
resides  in  Webster  City,  Iowa;  Thomas  J.,  born 
May  28,  1849,  who  resides  in  Decatur;  and  Mary 
Jane,  born  April  15,  1851,  died  August  15,  1851. 
Our  subject  was  graduated  in  the  High  School 
of  Decatur,  and  then  read  law  with  Judge  Nelson 
for  two  years.  He  immediately  entered  the  Law 
School  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  was  graduated  from 
that  school  in  1866  with  high  honors.  His  father 

35. 


dying  when  he  was  young,  he  was  compelled  to 
devote  the  most  of  his  time  to  farming,  but  he 
would  teach  as  circumstances  offered,  and  finally 
he  worked  his  way  to  the  front,  and  came  forth  as 
one  most  gifted  for  his  age. 

Our  subject  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Deca- 
tur in  1866,  and  the  following  year  he  chose  for 
his  companion  Miss  Sue  F.  Tyler,  daughter  of 
Elder  John  W.  Tyler,  one  of  the  pioneer  ministers 
of  this  county,  whose  sketch  appears  in  another 
place  in  this  RECOKU.  The  wedding  was  celebrated 
at  the  Tyler  homestead,  five  miles  east  of  Decatur. 
Mrs.  Oder  comes  from  a  very  celebrated  family, 
her  great-great-grandfather  being  a  brother  of 
John  Tyler,  the  tenth  President  of  the  United 
States.  Her  father  was  an  earnest  and  able  minis- 
ter of  the  Gospel  for  sixty  years,  and  two  broth- 
ers also  were  early  led  to  consecrate  their  lives  to 
the  ministry — Rev.  B.  B.  Tyler,  one  of  the  ablest 
preachers  of  the  Christian  Church,  now  located  in 
New  York  City,  and  the  Rer.  J.  Z.  Tyler,  Pastor 
of  the  Euclid  Avenue  Christian  Church,  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and  one  of  the  permanent  officers  of 
the  National  Society  of  Young  People's  Society 
of  Christian  Endeavor.  Mrs.  Oder's  mother's 
maiden  name  was  Sarah  Roney,  and  her  sketch  ap- 
pears in  connection  with  her  husband's. 

After  his  marriage  with  Miss  Tyler,  our  subject 
continued  about  one  year  alone  in  the  practice  of 
law.  He  then  formed  a  partnership  with  John  W. 
Smith,  now  an  attorney  in  Chicago,  which  contin- 
ued about  one  year.  After  that  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Hon.  John  R.  Eden,  M.  C.,  which  contin- 
ued about  three  years.  Mr.  Eden  moving  away,  a 
partnership  was  formed,  known  as  Oder,  Eldridge 
&  Hostetter,  which  continued  until  failing  health 
compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  active  practice  of 
law,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  regain  his  health. 
In  the  spring  of  1875  he  began  traveling,  going 
first  to  the  Northern  Lakes;  then  he  sought  the  ad- 
vice and  skill  of  a  specialist  in  Louisville,  Ky.  He 
afterward  went  to  the  Southern  States,  and  finally 
at  Denison,  Tex.,  his  demise  occurred  very  sud- 
denly, occasioned  by  rupture  of  the  membrane  of 
the  stomach,  caused  by  chronic  dyspepsia.  He 
died  December  9,  1875,  and  his  faithful  compan- 
ion brought  back  the  body.  The  fuperal  serv- 


726 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ices  were  conducted  by  the  Christian  minister, 
other  clergymen  assisting  in  the  services,  and  the 
members  of  the  legal  fraternity  attended  in  a  body. 
The  interment  took  place  at  Greenwood  Cemetery, 
Decatur,  111.  The  following  extract  from  a  resolu- 
tion will  give  some  idea  of  the  high  standing  al- 
already  attained  by  Mr.  Oder  among  his  fellow- 
citizens,  although  a  young  man:  "As  an  exemplary 
Christian  attorney,  his  character  is  worthy  the 
emulation  of  every  young  man  who  enters  the 
arena  to  maintain  equity  and  justice  as  well  as  the 
authority  of  law." 


NDREW  MOOTHART  was  born  in  Shelby 
County,  Ohio,  February  12, 1836,  and  died 
on  the  17th  of  March,  1886,  at  fifty  years 
of  age.  He  had  come  to  this  county  in 
1854,  and  on  account  of  a  useful  and  well-spent 
life  he  had  endeared  himself  to  many  friends,  and 
his  death  was  therefore  widely  regretted.  On  ac- 
count of  the  high  regard  in  which  he  was  held, 
and  the  prominent  part  which  he  took  in  the 
affairs  of  the  community,  it  is  but  just  that  he 
should  be  represented  in  this  volume. 

Mr.  Moothart  was  one  of  nine  children  born 
unto  John  and  Mary  Moothart.  His  boyhood 
days  were  passed  in  a  quiet  manner  upon  the  home 
farm,  and  in  the  public  schools  he  acquired  his 
education.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until 
his  father's  death,  which  occurred  when  he  was 
seventeen  years  of  age.  He  then  started  out  to 
make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and,  believing 
that  he  could  better  win  success  in  a  more  Western 
field,  he  went  by  team  to  Whitely  County,  Ind., 
where  he  secured  work  as  a  farm  hand  by  the 
month.  Remaining  in  the  Hoosier  State  until 
1854,  he  then  came  to  Macon  County, III.,  locating 
in  Whitmore  Township,  where,  as  he  was  unable 
to  purchase  land,  he  operated  a  rented  farm  for 
several  years.  Practicing  economy  and  industry, 
however,  he  soon  won  enough  to  buy  a  tract  of 
land  and  became  owner  of  eighty  acres,  upon  which 


he  made  his  home  until  1875,  when  he  removed  to 
the  farm  on  which  his  widow  now  resides,  on  sec- 
tion 10,  Whitmore  Township.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  owned  a  valuable  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres,  which  he  had  placed  under  a  high  stale  of 
cultivation,  making  it  a  very  productive  and  val- 
uable tract. 

Mr.  Moothart  was  twice  married,  his  first  union 
being  with  Hannah  Kiser.  who  died  in  1872,  leav- 
ing four  children:  Sarah  C.,  wife  of  Fred  E.  Gets; 
John  H.,  Clara  B.  and  Maggie  M.  Three  children 
of  that  union  are  deceased,  and  in  1872  the  mother 
of  the  family  was  called  to  her  final  rest.  In 
1873,  Mr.  Moothart  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Ann  L.,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Fur- 
ringer)  Zorger.  She  was  one  of  eight  children, 
who  in  order  of  birth  were  as  follows:  Elizabeth 
and  Caroline,  twins,  the  former  now  deceased; 
Andrew;  Mrs.  Ann  Moothart;  John  and  Mary, 
twins;  and  Susan.  Mrs.  Moothart  was  born  in 
York  County,  Pa.,  September  29,  1834,  and  with 
her  parents  and  two  other  families  came  to  this 
State  in  1839.  They  located  first  in  Oakley  Town- 
ship, Macon  County,  where  the  father  entered  land. 
He  then  made  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  in  Whitmore  Township,  and  devel- 
oped the  farm  on  which  his  daughter  is  now  liv- 
ing. He  made  his  home  with  Mrs.  Moothart  un- 
til his  death,  which  occurred  January  18,  1886. 
His  wife  passed  away  May  29,  1876, and  both  were 
buried  in  Union  Cemetery. 

In  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Moothart  was  a 
Republican  and  always  took  a  great  interest  in 
everything  tending  to  build  up  the  county,  pro- 
mote its  growth  or  insure  its  success.  He  was 
never  an  office-seeker,  however.  In  all  church 
and  religious  work  he  was  warmly  interested.  He 
belonged  to  the  Christian  Church,  and  was  a  man 
of  great  benevolence  and  kindness,  one  who  in  his 
everyday  life,  by  good  deeds,  embodied  his  pro- 
fessions, and  throughout  life  he  made  the  most  of 
his  opportunities.  His  career  was  a  busy  one,  yet 
he  always  found  time  to  faithfully  discharge  his 
public  duties.  He  passed  away  March  17,  1886, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Union  Cemetery.  His  wife 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  like 
her  husband  delights  in  doing  good, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


727 


»ILLIAM  B.  STRINGER,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Macon  County  and  a  well- 
known  and  popular  citizen,  is  now  liv- 
ing a  retired  life  in  Decatur.  Many  changes  have 
taken  place  since  his  arrival.  He  has  witnessed 
the  growth  of  Decatur  from  a  town  to  one  of  the 
flourishing  cities  of  Illinois,  has  seen  the  develop- 
ment of  the  county,  and  has  ever  borne  his  part 
in  the  work  of  progress  and  upbuilding.  As  Mr. 
Stringer  has  a  wide  acquaintance  throughout  the 
county,  we  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his  life 
will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers. 

Born  in  Montgomery  Count}',  Ky.,  November 
25,  1823,  he  was  the  fourth  child  in  a  family  of 
four  sons  and  two  daughters,  whose  parents  were 
James  and  Fanny  (Kelley)  Stringer.  The  father 
was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  there  spent 
his  entire  life.  By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer. 
He  served  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-six  j'ears.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
Edward  Stringer,  was  also  born  in  Kentucky,  and 
was  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  prominent 
men  of  the  State.  The  family  is  of  French  extrac- 
tion. The  mother  of  William  was  also  born  in 
the  State  of  his  nativity,  and  was  called  to  the 
home  beyond  at  the  age  of  sixty-five. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  upon  the 
old  homestead  near  Alt.  Sterling,  Ky.,  and  ac- 
quired a  good  education.  His  knowledge  has  been 
supplemented  by  reading,  experience  and  observa- 
tion, and  he  is  now  a  well-informed  man,  who 
maintains  his  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  day 
and  keeps  well  informed  on  all  general  subjects. 
Learning  the  mason's  trade,  he  followed  that 
pursuit  for  a  number  of  years,  and  then  became 
overseer  of  the  slaves  on  a  large  plantation,  hold- 
ing the  position  for  several  years.  It  was  in  1855 
that  he  left  Kentucky  and  removed  to  Indiana, 
settling  near  Greencastle,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm,  upon  which  he  resided  until  1863.  He  then 
came  to  Illinois  and  embarked  in  general  merchan- 
dising in  Moweaqua,  where  he  carried  on  busi- 
ness successfully  for  about  fifteen  years.  Remov- 
ing to  Blue  Mound,  he  there  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  for  thirteen  years,  enjoying  a  large  and 
lucrative  trade,  which  yielded  him  a  good  income 
and  made  it  possible  for  him,  at  the  expiration  of 


that  period,  to  lay  aside  business  cares.  Remov- 
ing to  Decatur,  he  has  since  lived  a  retired  life. 

In  1858  Mr.  Stringer  married  Miss  Mary  Ann 
Ribelin,  of  Montgomery  County,  Ky.,  and  unto 
them  were  born  two  children:  Lidie,  wife  of  Rob- 
ert Ralings,  a  large  merchant  of  Kansas,  by  whom 
she  has  one  daughter;  and  Mary,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Stringer  is  a  stanch 
Democrat  in  national  affairs,  but  at  local  elections 
votes  independently.  For  thirty  years  he  has  been 
a  member  of  Decatur  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M., 
and  is  also  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows'  So- 
ciety. He  now  owns  a  highly  improved  farm  of 
eighty  acres,  just  across  the  line  in  Christian 
County,  besides  his  pleasant  home  in  Decatur, 
where  he  and  his  wife  reside.  The  name  of  "Uncle 
Bill"  Stringer  is  familiar  throughout  the  county. 
He  is  a  worthy  representative  of  one  of  the  best 
known  Kentucky  families.  Honorable  and  upright 
in  his  business  dealings,  and  pleasant  and  genial 
in  manner,  he  has  won  a  host  of  friends,  who  es- 
teem him  very  highly. 


ENRY  W.  DAVIS  is  the  owner  of  a  livery, 
feed  and  sale  stable  at  Decatur.  He  has  the 
honor  of  being  a  native  of  the  county 
which  is  still  his  home.  He  was  born  No- 
vember 2,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Sarah 
(Myers)  Davis,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  the  latter  of  South  Carolina.  The  Davis  fam- 
ily is  of  Scotch  and  Welsh  descent,  and  the  Myers 
are  of  German  lineage.  The  father  of  our  subject, 
who  was  a  farmer  and  stock-dealer,  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1828,  and  for  about  a  year  made  his  home 
in  Sangamon  County,  whence  he  came  to  Macon 
County  in  1829.  He  here  entered  land  from  the 
Government  and  also  purchased  some  in  what  is 
now  Long  Creek  Township,  where  he  lived  for 
many  years.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War.  Although  he  could  ride  the  wildest  pony 


728 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


that  could  be  found,  he  never  rode  on  a  railroad 
train.  A  few  years  before  his  death  he  removed 
to  Mt.  Zion  Township,  where  lie  passed  away  in 
1877,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  His  wife, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
died  at  the  age  «f  seventy-two.  Their  family  num- 
bered seven  sons  and  six  daughters,  but  seven 
died  in  early  childhood.  Those  who  grew  to  ma- 
ture years  were  Matilda,  wife  ef  Claybourn  Jones, 
of  Mt.  Zion;  Lydia,  wife  of  John  S.  Kizer,  of  De- 
catur;  John,  who  married  Miss  Martha  Powell, 
and  lives  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  being  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  from  Kansas;  Mary, 
deceased,  who  was  the  wife  of  Abel  Camp,  of  Long 
Creek  Township;  Henry,  of  this  sketch;  and  Lou- 
isa, also  deceased. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a 
native  of  Virginia  and  served  in  the  War  of  1812. 
By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer,  and  followed  that 
pursuit  throughout  his  entire  life.  He  reared  a 
large  family,  and  died  in  Macon  County  at  the  age 
of  ninety  years.  The  maternal  grandfather  was  a 
South  Carolina  farmer,  and  spent  his  entire  life  in 
that  State,  dying  at  an  advanced  age. 

Henry  Davis,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  at- 
tended the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
during  his  early  boyhood,  and  afterwards  became 
a  student  in  the  Illinois  College,  of  Jacksonville. 
After  his  college  course  was  completed  he  engaged 
in  farming  during  the  summer  season  and  taught 
school  during  the  winter  months  for  seven  con- 
secutive years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  engaged  in  the  nursery  business  in  connection 
with  farming,  devoting  his  time  and  attention  to 
that  work  for  eighteen  years.  He  was  very  suc- 
cessful and  built  up  an  excellent  trade.  In  1881, 
he  came  to  Decatur  and  opened  a  feed  and  livery 
stable  which  he  sold  out  after  two  years.  He  then 
carried  on  a  stable  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city 
for  two  years,  subsequent  to  which  time  he  em- 
barked in  the  hotel  business  and  ran  a  livery  sta- 
ble in  connection  with  it  for  two  and  a-half  years. 
Going  to  Shelbyville,  he  there  carried  on  a  livery 
stable  for  four  years,  and  on  his  return  to  Deca- 
tur leased  a  very  large  livery,  feed  and  sale  stable, 
which  he  is  now  conducting.  He  can  accommo- 
date from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred 


horses,  and  has  all  kinds  of  vehicles  and  every- 
thing found  in  a  first-class  barn. 

The  lady  who  now  bears  the  title  of  Mrs.  Davis 
was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Martha  Stickel,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Mary  A.  (Kizer)  Stickel,  of  Long 
Creek  Township.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  the 
parents  of  five  children.  Ivan  M.,  the  eldest, 
married  Miss  Edith  Harrington,  of  Texarkana, 
Tex.,  and  is  employed  as  book-keeper  for  the  Kizer 
Lumber  Company,  of  that  place.  They  have  one 
child.  Rowena  became  the  wife  of  William 
Hughes,  who  died  leaving  a  daughter,  Ruby  M. 
She  then  became  the  wife  of  George  L.  Douthitt, 
of  Shelbyville,  111.  Byrd  L., Minnie  S.  and  Charles 
R.  are  still  at  home. 

Mr.  Davis  manifested  his  loyalty  during  the  late 
war  by  enlisting  in  the  three-months  service  as  a 
member  of  Company  A,  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry. 
In  politics  he  was  a  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party,  but  now  votes  the  Prohibition  ticket.  He 
and  his  wife  hold  membership  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  His  business  career  is  charac- 
terized by  straightforward  and  upright  dealings, 
his  life  has  been  well  and  worthily  passed,  and  he 
has  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  business  or 
social  relations  have  brought  him  in  contact. 


>ILLIAM  L.  BROCK  is  a  retired  farmer  and 
highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Niantic  Town- 
ship, his  home  being  on  section  10.  Owing 
to  a  life  of  enterprise  and  industry  he  lias  acquired 
a  competency  that  enables  him  in  his  declining 
years  to  enjoy  a  well-earned  rest.  We  take  pleas- 
ure in  presenting  this  record  of  his  life  to  our 
readers,  by  many  of  whom  he  is  well  and  favor- 
ably known. 

Mr.  Brock  claims  Indiana  as  the  State  of  his  na- 
tivity, his  birth  having  occurred  in  Montgomery 
County,  November  10,  1839.  His  grandfather, 
Elijah  Brock,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  became 
one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  Montgomery 
County,  where  was  born  S.  W.  Brock,  the  father  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


729 


our  subject.  In  that  county  he  was  reared  to  man- 
hood, and  in  Wayne  County  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Mary  A.  Palmer.  Mr.  Brock  was  a  car- 
penter and  joiner  by  trade  and  followed  contract- 
ing and  building  in  Indiana  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  also  owned  and  operated  a  farm.  In  1857  he 
came  with  his  family  to  Maeon  County,  and  set- 
tled in  Niantic  Township,  where  he  entered  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment and  bought  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  adjoining.  His  death,  however,  occurred  the 
same  year,  at  the  age  of  fifty -nine  years,  and  his 
remains  were  interred  in  Long  Point  Cemetery. 
His  wife  survives  him  and  is  living  in  Niantic,  a 
well-preserved  lady  of  eighty-one  years.  Their 
family  numbered  three  sons  and  a  daughter  who 
grew  to  mature  years.  The  latter,  Martha  P.,  is 
the  wife  of  Isaiah  Ilallett,  of  Macon  County.  W. 
L.  is  the  next  younger.  George  W.  is  a  resident 
farmer  of  Douglas  County,  111.;  and  S.  H.  is  a  far- 
mer of  this  county,  residing  in  Niantic. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  seven- 
teen years  of  his  life  in  Indiana,  and  in  the  public 
schools  acquired  a  good  English  education.  He 
also  learned  the  cabinet-maker's  trade,  and  from  an 
early  age  has  been  familiar  with  farm  labor.  In 
1859  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  father  and  helped 
to  open  up  and  improve  a  farm,  but  after  a  time 
lie  returned  to  the  Hoosier  State,  where  he  worked 
for  two  winters  as  a  cabinet-maker.  From  his  fa- 
ther he  received  a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  and 
as  he  has  sin.ce  bought  other  lands  he  now  owns  a 
fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  lying 
near  Niantic.  He  has  erected  a  neat  and  substantial 
residence  and  a  good  barn  and  planted- an  orchard 
and  has  his  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
•  In  former  years  he  also  engaged  quite  extensively 
trading  and  dealing  in  stock,  but  he  has  now  prac- 
tically retired  from  business  cares,  leaving  his  farm 
to  the  management  of  his  son. 

In  Logan  County,  III.,  February  14,  1861,  Mr. 
Brock  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Mc- 
Farland,  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  and  a 
daughter  of  James  McFarland.  Her  father  went 
to  California  in  1849,  and  died  in  that  State. 
Unto  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
three  children:  Lillie,  wife  of  William  Erismau,  a 


farmer  of  Maco-n  County;  C.  G.,  who  is  married 
and  resides  on  the  home  farm,  which  he  operates; 
and  Nora,  who  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  Brock  has  been  a  resident  of  Macon  County 
for  thirty-six  years,  and  though  lie  came  here 
empty-handed,  he  has  acquired  a  valuable  propert}'. 
He  and  his  wife  are  numbered  among  the  best  citi- 
zens of  the  community,  and  their  home  is  the 
abode  of  refinement,  culture  and  hospitality,  its 
doors  being  ever  open  for  the  reception  of  their 
many  friends.  True  worth  is  the  only  passport 
they  require.  In  politics  Mr.  Brock  has  been  a 
stalwart  Republican  since  casting  his  first  Presi- 
dential vole  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860. 


ISS  NORA  PARKER,  who  resides  at  No. 
1679  North  Water  Street,  Decatur,  is  a 
representative  of  one  of  the  prominent 
families  of  Macon  County.  She  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  city  which  is  yet  her  home,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Mandless  and  Susan  Ellen  (Trotter) 
Parker,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  the 
latter  of  Illinois.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  followed  that  pursuit  throughout 
the  greater  part  of  his  business  career.  He  came 
to  this  State  in  1865,  locating  in  Macon  County, 
and  soon  after  his  marriage  began  farming  upon  a 
tract  of  land  of  eighty  acres  near  Harristown, 
which  was  owned  by  his  wife.  Her  death  occur- 
red in  1874.  She  was  a  member  of  what  was  then 
known  as  Stapp's  Chapel,  but  is  now  Grace  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  Miss  Parker  was 
Caleb  Parker,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  He  served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  also  defended 
his  country  in  the  Mexican  War.  He  died  when 
more  than  ninety  j'ears  of  age.  Of  his  family  of 
five  children  only  one  is  now  living,  Mandless, 
father  of  Miss  Parker.  The  maternal  grandfather 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent,  while  his  wife  was  of  Irish  lineage.  By 
trade  the  former  was  a  carpenter  and  followed 


730 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


that  pursuit  in  early  life.  At  a  very  early  day  he 
came  to  Illinois,  locating  near  Jacksonville,  where 
he  lived  for  many  years  and  followed  agricultural 
pursuits.  About  1870  he  removed  to  Decatur, where 
he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business.  He  died  on 
the  5th  of  March,  1891,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years.  He  was  a  member  of  Grace  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

Miss  Parker,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  was 
reared  in  Decatur,  and  acquired  her  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  this  city.  She  is  an  only 
child.  Her  mother  died  when  she  was  quite  young, 
and  she  was  reared  by  her  grandparents,  her 
father  having  married  again  and  removed  to 
Georgetown,  Ky.  Miss  Parker  is  a  member  of  the 
Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  She  owns 
forty-three  acres  of  valuable  land,  situated  two 
miles  northwest  of  the  city,  and  also  a  fine  home 
property  in  Decatur.  She  is  a  lady  of  pleasant 
address,  genial  in  manner,  and  has  many  warm 
friends  throughout  the  community. 


RTHUR  O.  BOLEN  has  been  a  resident  of 
Illinois  since  his  eighth  year,  and  is  now 
HI  It  engaged  in  the  real-estate,  loan  and  in- 
surance business  at  No.  104  North  Water 
Street,  Decatur.  He  is  a  successful  and  substantial 
business  man  and  prominent  citizen.  The  birth 
of  Mr.  Bolen  occurred  in  Washington  County. 
Ohio,  October  15,  1858.  His  parents  were  Andrew 
C.  J.  and  Lydia  (Baker)  Bolen,  who  were  also  na- 
tives of  the  Buckeye  State.  Their  family  com- 
prised five  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters, 
namely:  Arthur  O.;  Armenia  M.,  wife  of  Henry 
Funk,  of  Maroa,  111.;  Hester  A.;  wife  of  John  M. 
Funk,  of  the  same  place;  Maggie  M.,  wife  of  Silas 
Schenck,  of  Maroa;  and  Robert  D.,  a  icsident  of 
Greeley,  Colo.  The  father  of  these  children  was 
a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  followed  that  calling  in 
early  life.  He  later  devoted  himself  to  farming, 
and  in  1866  came  Westward  to  Illinois,  settling 
first  at  Hay  worth,  McLean  County.  After  a  resi- 


dence there  of  six  years,  Mr.  Bolen  removed  to 
Maroa,  111.,  where  he  had  control  of  the  David 
Davis  land,  which  he  managed  successfully  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1880,  at  which  time 
he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  were  devoted  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  Four  years  after  the  death  of  her 
first  husband  Mrs.  Bolen  became  the  wife  of  Abra- 
ham Long,  of  Maroa,  where  she  still  resides.  The 
paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Enoch  Bolen, 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  came  to  this  country 
at  an  early  day.  He  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and 
followed  that  occupation  in  Kentucky,  where  he 
made  his  home  for  many  years.  His  death  oc- 
curred while  he  was  still  in  the  prime  of  life. 
Isaac  Baker,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Illinois,  having  located  in  DeWitt  County 
in  the  early  30's.  He  died  at  an  advanced  age, 
greatly  respected  and  beloved.  While  a  resident 
of  Ohio,  he  held  a  number  of  public  offices,  but 
while  in  Illinois  devoted  himself  to  his  farm.  Of 
his  thirteen  children  our  subject's  mother  was  the 
eldest.  Two  of  her  brothers,  Charles  and  Samuel, 
were  in  active  service  during  the  late  war,  and  the 
latter  received  wounds  from  the  effects  of  which 
he  afterward  died. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  his 
father's  farm  and  received  such  school  advan- 
tages as  the  district  afforded.  He  remained  with 
his  parents  until  attaining  his  majority,  when 
he  rented  a  farm,  which  he  operated  for  a  year. 
His  next  venture  was  that  of  going  to  Maroa, 
where  he  bought  out  a  dray  line,  which  he  carried 
on  successfully  until  his  father's  death.  The  care 
of  the  home  farm  then  fell  upon  his  shoulders,  and 
for  two  years  he  was  thus  employed.  Next  going 
to  Clinton,  111.,  he  took  charge  of  the  implement 
store  of  Leavitt  <fe  Royal,  and  remained  in  the  em- 
ploy of  that  firm  for  one  year.  About  1881  Mr. 
Bolen  came  to  Decatur,  and  was  in  the  employ  of 
Jesse  Fisher,  a  dealer  in  farm  and  general  imple- 
ments, continuing  with  him  for  a  year.  The  two 
years  succeeding  he  traveled  between  New  York 
and  Denver  selling  goods.  Some  time  afterward 
Mr.  Bolen  entered  into  partnership  with  George 
W.  Lehman.  They  opened  a  grocery  store,  doing 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


731 


business  under  the  firm  name  of  Lehman  ife  Bolen 
for  four  years.  Since  that  time  the  latter  has  been 
engaged  in  the  real-estate,  loan  and  insurance 
business.  In  addition  to  his  pleasant  residence  at 
No.  1249  North  Water  Street  and  other  good  city 
property  in  Decatur,  Mr.  Bolen  owns  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  near  Arcola,  Doug- 
las County.  It  is  to  his  own  industry  and  good 
management  that  he  owns  the  comfortable  fortune 
that  he  now  possesses,  for  he  did  not  inherit  anj'- 
thing,  and  has  had  to  make  his  own  way  unas- 
sisted. 

Mr.  Bolen  and  Miss  Emma  Braden  were  united 
in  marriage  May  16,  1881.  The  lady  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  David  Braden,  of  Maroa.  Her 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  Myers. 
Mrs.  Bolen  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  is  a  lady  of  much  refinement  and  culture.  In 
his  political  affiliations  our  subject  is  a  Democrat. 
In  his  business  dealings  he  is  noted  for  his  integ- 
rity and  high  sense  of  honor,  and  is  widely  and 
favorably  known. 


S.  SIMPSON  has  for  many  years 
been  connected  with  the  firm  of  Haworth 
&  Sons  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
check-rowers  and  corn-planters.  He  is  the  origi- 
nator of  improvements  on  the  check-rower  which 
are  still  indispensable  in  the  use  of  its  manufacture. 
His  long  service  is  a  high  testimonial  to  his  fidel- 
ity to  the  interest  of  the  firm. 

Mr.  Simpson  was  born  in  Indiana  County,  Pa., 
May  13,  1843.  He  came  to  Decatur  in  the  fall  of 
1859,  and  has  resided  here  ever  since.  His  parents, 
Nathaniel  and  Margaret  (Sprankle)  Simpson,  were 
also  natives  of  the  Keystone  State.  The  Simpson 
family  is  of  Irish  origin,  and  was  founded  in 
America  by  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  David 
Simpson,  a  farmer  and  miller,  who  was  born  in  the 
North  of  Ireland.  When  a  young  man  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  located  in  Indiana  County,  Pa., 
where  he  reared  a  family  of  three  sons  and  one 


daughter.  The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, Frederick  Sprankle,  was  of  German  birth.  He 
too  was  a  young  man  when  lie  left  the  Fatherland 
and  cast  in  his  lot  with  a  people  strange  to  him, 
in  Jefferson  County,  Pa.  Like  Mr.  Simpson,  he 
followed  the  occupations  of  farming  and  milling. 
The  father  of  our  subject  carried  on  agricult- 
ural pursuits  in  the  Keystone  State  until  18f>5, 
when  he  emigrated  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  he 
made  his  home  for  a  year.  He  then  removed  to 
Assumption,  111.,  but  a  short  time  before  the  war 
went  to  Denver,  Colo.  He  formerly  had  served  as 
a  scout  with  Buffalo  Bill.  After  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Rebellion,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the 
Seventh  Colorado  Cavalry,  but  his  meritorious 
conduct  won  him  promotion  to  the  rank  of  Major, 
a  title  he  did  not  long  enjoy,  however,  as  he 
never  returned  from  the  struggle.  lie  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  served  as 
Deacon  of  his  congregation  while  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  wife  belongs  to  the  same  church.  She 
is  now  living  with  her  son  George  and  is  seventy- 
eight  years  of  age.  Their  four  children  are  Agnes, 
wife  of  R.  C.  Cochrane,of  Assumption,  111.;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  Robert  C.  Laforgee,  of  Decatur;  Em- 
ma C.,  wife  of  Elmer  R.  Culver,  of  this  city;  and 
George  S. 

Our  subject  was  only  thirteen  years  old  when 
with  his  parents  he  came  to  Illinois.  His  educa- 
tional privileges  were  very  meagre,  but  he  pos- 
sesses an  observing  eye  and  retentive  memory, 
and  by  his  experience  he  has  gained  a  practical 
and  useful  knowledge.  Various  pursuits  engrossed 
his  time  and  attention  until,  as  before  stated,  he 
formed  a  connection  with  Haworth  &  Sons,  since 
which  he  has  employed  part  of  his  time  in  sell- 
ing their  check-rowers  and  corn-planters,  travel- 
ing through  Indiana,  Kentucky,  Ohio,  Michigan, 
Illinois  and  Iowa. 

On  the  26th  of  April,  1866,  Mr.  Simpson  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  P.  Haworth, 
daughter  of  Mahlon  and  Sarah  (Woolman)  Ha- 
worth, of  Decatur.  She  is  the  youngest  child  liv- 
ing of  her  father's  family,  and  was  born  in  Port 
William,  Clinton  County,  Ohio.  She  came  to  De- 
catur in  1856,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  Two  children  have  been  born  unto  Mr, 


732 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  Mrs.  Simpson,  George  II.  and  Fred,  the  latter 
of  whom  is  at  home.  The  former  married  Miss 
Grace  Blume,  daughter  of  George  P.  Blume,  of 
Decatur,and  they  have  one  son,  George  15.  George 
II.  is  in  the  real-estate  and  insurance  business. 
Mrs.  Simpson  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Mr.  Simpson  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
ties, having  supported  that  party  since  he  cast  his 
first  Presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1864.  He  has  served  six  years  in  the  city  coun- 
cil and  has  taken  a  decided  stand  in  favor  of 
public  improvements,  having  been  an  untiring 
worker  in  the  advancement  of  the  city's  inter- 
ests. Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  a  comfort- 
able home  at  No.  367  West  Main  Street,  which  is 
the  abode  of  hospitality,  and  he  also  owns  other 
city  property.  He  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
in  business  circles,  and  is  a  popular  and  genial 
gentleman. 


JOHN  L.  CONNELLY,  M.  D.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Har- 
ristown,  was  born  in  the  capital  city  of  Illi- 
nois March  18,  1846.  His  father,  George 
It.  Connelly,  was  a  native  of  the  District  of  Co- 
lumbia, and  during  his  residence  in  Springfield 
carried  on  a  grocery  store.  He  died  of  cholera 
.June  9,  18o4.  The  Doctor  spent  the  days  of  his 
boyhood  under  the  parental  roof,  and  at  the  age 
of  twelve  began  clerking  in  his  uncle's  store.  He 
had  conceived  the  idea  of  entering  the  medical 
profession,  and  during  that  time  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Rj'an.  He  also  pur- 
sued his  studies  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  J.  B. 
Smith,  and  subsequently  entered  Rush  Medical 
College,  of  Chicago,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1878,  after  pursuing  a  four-years  course. 
Dr.  Connelly  had  worked  his  own  way  through 
college  by  keeping  books;  in  fact,  he  has  been  de- 
pendent upon  his  own  exertions  since  the  age  of 
eleven  years,  and  therefore  deserves  great  credit 
for  the  success  that  he  has  achieved  in  life. 


In  June,  1878,  Dr.  Connelly  came  to  Harristown, 
where  he  has  since  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  profession,  enjoying  a  constantly  increasing 
trade.  He  is  a  member  of  the  State  Medical  So- 
ciety, and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  its  discus- 
sions and  work.  He  keeps  well  informed  on 
everything  pertaining  to  the  science,  and  his  skill 
and  ability  have  won  him  a  high  reputation.  In 
1882,  the  Doctor  began  breeding  trotting-horses. 
He  owns  forty-seven  acres  of  land,  upon  which  is 
a  half-mile  track.  He  has  thirty-five  head  of  trot- 
ting-bred  horses,  including  the  fine  Ilambletonian 
stallion,  "Mammont,"  No.  2052,  with  a  record  of 
2:17^,  with  six  representatives  in  the  2:30  list.  He 
is  a  full  brother  to  "Piedmont."  He  has  sold 
some  fine  horses  at  high  prices.  For  fifteen  years 
he  has  also  been  engaged  in  breeding  pure-bred 
Jersey  cattle,  but  now  has  only  a  small  herd. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1872,  the  Doctor  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Nancy  L.  Bedford,  a  na- 
tive of  Paris,  Ky.,  and  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  F. 
and  Ann  Maria  Bedford,  of  the  same  State.  Her 
father  was  a  large  breeder  of  Shorthorn  cattle  and 
trotting-horses  of  Kentucky,  and  at  one  time 
owned  a  good  many  slaves.  Coming  to  Illinois, 
he  spent  his  last  days  in  Harristown,  where  Mrs. 
Connelly  was  married  She  was  born  May  8,  1838, 
and  died  of  heart  disease  June  7,  1889.  She  was 
a  consistent  and  leading  member  of  the  Christian 
Church  and  took  an  active  interest  in  all  that  per- 
tained to  its  upbuilding.  Unto  the  Doctor  and 
his  wife  were  born  six  children:  Maggie  P.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Susan  Helen;  George 
S.;  John  Lucian,  Jr.,  who  died  in  infancy;  Alice 
Bedford  and  Laura  Watson.  The  children  are  all 
at  home. 

In  his  social  relations,  Dr.  Connelly  is  connected 
with  Summit  Lodge  No.  431,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.,  of 
Harristown,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  in  April,  1893,  was  elected 
Township  Supervisor,  which  office  he  still  holds. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  everything  pertain- 
ing to  his  town  and  county  and  gives  his  support 
to  those  enterprises  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit.  He  is  a  pleasant,  genial  man  and  his 
worth  and  ability  have  gained  him  many  friends. 


Abrams,  L.  F .579 

Acorn,  Thomas 439 

Adams,  D.  M 684 

Adams,  John 23 

Adams,  John  Q 39 

Alexander,  J.  H 56f> 

Allen ,  Mrs.  Amanda 588 

Allen, S.C 220 

Altgeld,  J.  P 187 

Ammann,  Conrad 293 

Armstrong,  William 581 

Arthur,  Chester  A 99 

Ash,  Josephus 627 


B 


Baker,  J.  N 456 

Baldridge,  W.  M 2*2 

Balmer,  Adam 436 

Barber,  Volney 559 

Barnes,  W  illiam ,  M.  D 279 

Barnett,  G.  M 599 

Barnett,  J.  T 376 

Bnrrackman,  D.  A 546 

Batchelder,  N.  S 364 

Bear,  D.  F 895 

Bear,  Ephraira 426 

Bear.S.  E 653 

Beard,  James 236 

Bell,  A.  W 595 

Betzer,  Keuben 240 

Beveridge,  John  1* 171 

Diddle,  J.  M 545 

Bills.J.N 45'J 

Birks,  J.V 3B8 

Bissell,  William  H 151 

Bivans,  Robert 701 

Black,  George 234 

Black,  N.  J 540 


Black,  R.  M 212 

Blair,  J.  A 385 

Blue  Mound  Leader 721 

Boardman,  C.  M 577 

Bolen,  A.  0 730 

Bommersbach,  Nicholas 430 

Bond,  Shadrach Ill 

Bone.T.  A 345 

Bo  wen ,  A.  G 339 

Bowers,  William 333 

Braden,  J.  Y Big 

Bradley,  William 307 

Brandom,  Morrison,  M.  D...380 

Brelsford,  W.  C 5B5 

Brenneman.D.  W 519 

Brenneinan,  Eli 435 

Brett,  David 648 

Brcwster,  Mrs.E.J 4K6 

Brock,  W.L 728 

Bromley,  F.  D 262 

Brooks,  D  E 521 

Brooks,  W.  A 443 

Brookshier,  W.  F. . . 323 

Broughton,  Wait 665 

Brown,  Davis 392 

Brown,  E.  J.,  M.  D 344 

Brown,  Hon.  J.  A 269 

Brown,  Joseph 721 

Brown ,  J.  W 597 

Brown,  N.  F 583 

Brownback,  J.  M 253 

Brueck,  P.  H 445 

Bryner,  J.  H 417 

Buchanan,  James 75 

Billiard,  C.  S 629 

Bunn.D.  L 335 

Burgess,  Sullivan 204 


Caldwell,  C.  M 252 

Calhoun,  Hon.  W.  F 575 

Camp,  A.  B 515 

Camp,  J.  B 586 

Cannon,  James 349 

Carlin,  Thomas 135 

Carraean.G.  W 460 


Carmean,  W.  H 615 

Carr,  N.  A 308 

Casner,  L.  B 251 

Cassell,  Berry  H 235 

Cassell.B.H '.. 313 

Cassell,  Henry 402 

Catheiwood,  W.  T 678 

Catto,  W.  M.,  M.D 229 

Chambeps,  Mrs.  Elizabeth.  ..413 

Chambers,  Laban  59B 

Chambers,  Thomas 517 

Chambers,  Hon.  W.  B 718 

Chapman,  A.  J 673 

Chenoweth,  Cassuly,  M  D . .  .202 

Chenoweth,  W.  J.,  M.  D 483 

Cherry,  W.  F 360 

Chilson.R.  W 415 

Clark,  Bradbury  610 

Cleveland,  S.  Grover 103 

Clifton,  William 659 

Cloud,  C.  W 206 

Clough,B.J 446 

Coleman.  F.  H 318 

Coleman ,  Theodore 243 

Coles,  Edward 1 15 

Collins,  A.  L.,  M.  D 620 

Collins,  Mrs.  Naomi,  M.  D....445 

Condell,  W.  J 457 

Conely,  J.  A 074 

Connard,  C.  E 406 

Connelly,  J.  L 732 

Conover,  George 622 

Conover,  Tylee 660 

Conradt,  Prof.  J.  H 019 

Cooper,  A.  A 654 

Corman,  W.  B: 720 

Craig,  D.  W 497 

Crocker,  John 550 

Crocker,  John,  Sr 568 

Crocker,  J.  H 535 

Cullom,  Shelby  M 175 

Culp.H.S 636 

Culver,  J.H 362 

Cussins,  W.  T 468 


D 


Daggett,  Albion 702 


Daly,  Hardy 654 

Damcry,  George 21fl 

Davidson, B.W gll 

Davidson,  D.  C 525 

Davidson,  Mrs.  S.  A fi8l 

Davis.H.  W "-jyj 

Davis,  James 473 

Davis,  Mrs.  S.  C.  V RS\ 

Davis,  S.C 473 

Davis,  Thomas 250 

Davis,  W.  H ..  .334 

Dawson.C.H .'.'53,) 

Dawson,  J.  A 434 

Dempsey,  George 393 

Denison.C.  M.,  M.  D 474 

Despres.F.  E 214 

Devore,  C.  W 073 

Dickson,  Adam 281 

Dickson,  Archibald 255 

Diehl,  A.  N .,vl 

Di'l.J.  W V.509 

Dillehunt,  B.  F 224 

Dillehunt.S.  M 876 

Oilier,  John 448 

Diller,  Samuel 353 

Dingman,  James 01 

Docld,  J.  M 434 

Dodson,  William 473 

Donahey,  J.  N 3gl 

Dougherty,  J.  R 311 

Draper,  O.  H 697 

Draper,  T  J 556 

Duncan,  Joseph 131 

Dunham,  Dayton 225 

Durfee,  B.  K 6!H> 

Durning,  James 502 


E 


Ebert,  J.  H 539 

Eckels,  J.  P 677 

Eckert,  Matthias 314 

Edwards,  Ninian 119 

Ehrhart.  G.  W 280 

Eichenger,  Michael 302 

Ewing,  W.  L.  D 127 

Eynian,  A.  H 644 


734 


INDEX. 


...B57 

.  .  .107 

..428 

(>37 

.  ..573 

Harrison,  William  Henry. 
Hartley,  C  J  

..  51 
...419 

Leavitt,  Hon.  T.  N  

..634 

Myers,  N.  D.,  M.  D  

N 

Nap,  Eli  

242 
405 

F 

671 

..438 

Hartwijr,  J.  H  

...381 

..465 

Haworth  J  W 

358 

Lehn  J  P 

520 

...  91 

3°2 

Hays  F  L    

...320 

Lessman,  Rev    H  W.  .   .. 

"41 

Hays  J  R  

.  ...437 

Likens,  J.  R  

.  .403 

Heft,  Samuel  
Heil,H.D.,M.D  
Highly,  H.  L  

...564 
...21H 
.  ..271 

79 

Livingston,  M.  C  
Ixx-khart,  Prof.  M.  E  
Lonersan,  M.  V.,  M.  D.... 
Ix>rd,  Thomas  

...260 
.  .383 
..«I7 

...:;7'.> 

Nelson,  Hon.  W.  E  
Nicholson,  A  R  

....•.':!-.' 
580 

Hight,  J.  L  

...683 

Hight.K.  W  

...258 

Nicholson,  J.  P  

489 

Hill  A    H  

...230 

Loring,  G.  V  

.210 

682 

Fifer,  Joseph  W  

Hill,  A.  T  

...466 

Lyon,  G.  S  

..298 

553 

Hill,  J.  E  

...608 

Lyons,  W.  T  

..504 

Nowlin.J.  B  

5"! 

Hiser.G.  W  

...",73 

M 

Madison,  James  

...  31 

o 

Oder,  H   L              .     . 

725 

T5*i 

Holman,  D.  T  

...467 

Holmes,  J.  P  

...625 

Hopkins,  A.  F  

...317 

Hurt,  W.  J  

...223 

Hunt,  P.  H  

...397 

391 

Hutchin,  Walter  

.  ..414 

J 

43 

Mafflt,  D.  A  

...K43 

Oglesbv,  Richard  J.,  .  .  . 

103 

Major,  J.  W  

..646 

Outten,  W.  C  

.      .199 

G 

Caddis  F    M  

.  ..375 

Markley  J   T  

635 

• 

P 

Page,  H  P 

•'13 

.  .  655 

..326 

Mason,  W.  W  

..603 

377 

..147 

.700 

Matthew,  J.  B.,  M.  D  
May.H.  F  

...281 
...296 

27 

McClellan  ,  fcdmiston  

...305 

.  ..  as 

MeConnell,  W.  S.  ,  M.  D.  .  . 

...357 
..476 

Palmer,  John  M 

167 

...485 

•>S'> 

.  .  .291 

McDonald,  A.  F  

...546 

Parke  V  H 

'MK> 

.  .  .526 

McDonald,  J.  W  

...605 

Parker  J  H 

VJ1J 

...(iO!) 

McDonald,  R.  F  

...543 

7.H) 

...312 

MeElroy.C.  F  

...433 

670 

...593 

..365 

Peck  J    K 

(524 

Good,  J.  C  

...458 

McGorray,  B.  A  

...501 

548 

Goodwin   Rev   M   M  

...714 

Jones,  H.  C.,  M.  1)  

....435 

McKinley  ,  J.  H  

.  .600 

2~*6 

Uorin,  J.  R  

...585 

McKmney,  David  

..325 

Peter,  J.  W  

693 

Gourley  ,  M  .  L  

...640 

i°          r  • 

M.-Kinney,  William  

..325 

Peverly,  H.  E  

.496 

Grady.T.  C  

...088 

McLean,  C.  A.,  M.  D  
McLean,  W.  T.,  M.  D  

..677 
...407 
..348 

71 

...87 

K 

Keister,  J   F    

...524 

Polk  James  K 

.   .      .19 

Grason,  Capt.  William... 

.  .  .574 
..  344 

477 

.  ..554 

'139 

Gray,  J.  M  

...558 

Miller,  F.  W  

...5->7 

408 

508 

Miller  John  

..403 

Greenfield,  Mrs.  Virginia. 
Grimes,  Mrs.  E.  T.(  M.  D.  . 

...638 
...544 

...447 

Miller,  J    H  

..424 

374 

Miller  J  R  

.  ..213 

274 

..266 

Q 

547 

Kennedy,  C.  P.,  M.  D  
Kincaid,  Mrs.  Margaret.  . 
Kin*-  Joseph  M    D.  ..... 

...286 
...663 
205 

Miller   Martin    

..328 

^ 

H 

Hall  Alonzo  M   D 

379 

Mills  A   H    

..381 

Mills  I  R    

..398 

Kin;,',  J.S..M.D  

...200 
388 

..292 

..367 

Kizer  J  S 

561 

MofTett  Flon.  W    T  

..505 

.    522 

Moflltt  Hon.  D.  C  

..301 

Kramer,  Abram  
Krone  N  L 

...3011 
338 

Monroe,  James  

..  35 
..709 

R 

Rainey,  C.  P.  

675 

179 

L 

215 

..726 

211 

Morgan,  E.  A.,  M.  D  

...498 
..538 

Ham*her  B  K       

283 

Hardy  G  P 

479 

..717 

475 

MO-MT  J   R                   ... 

633 

> 

1128 

Mowry  H  C         .        ... 

.  272 

Rainey.J.  M  

719 

Harnstrite.  Edward.  .  . 

...297 

Unix.  Charles.  .  . 

...551 

Mueller.  H.  .  . 

..567 

Ran,  John  

645 

INDEX. 


735 


Ray,  Joseph 555 

Rentro,  A.  A '.'(» 

Reynolds,  John 12:) 

Ritchie,  G.  G 518 

Ritchie,  William CM 

Roberts,  T.  J 41fi 

Rork,  Joseph 623 


Salisbury,  Enoch -282 

Sawyer,  John,  Sr 382 

Schaler,  Theodore '.505 

Schenck,  Daniel 490 

Schenck,  W.  T 509 

Schroll.D.  L 61fi 

Schr,  II,  G.  W 284 

Schroll,  William 233 

Schwab,  Christian 6!>3 

Schwab,  Frederick 676 

Scott,  Adam fi6!l 

Scott,  F.  1) 056 

Scott,  John R62 

Scroggin,T.  J 581 

Seiberling,  P.  M 253 

Semon,  George  516 

Shaddock,  J.  M 241 

Shafer,  Joseph 420 

Shaffer, S.  K 458 

Shastid.J.  S 507 

Shellabarger,  D.  S 462 

Shellabarger,  Isaac 708 

Shelton,  David 414 

Shipley, B.F 560 

S-hlaudcnian,  Frank 254 

Shlaudcman,  Henry 316 

Shorb,  W.H 427 

Sibley,  B.  F.,  M.  D 343 

Sigler,  Reuben 061 

Simpson,  G.S 731 

Sites,  F.  A 626 


Skelley,  L.  F 198 

Smallwood,  J.  P 239 

Smith ,  B.  M 557 

Smith,  Hon.  E.  0 195 

Smith,  H.  B 680 

Smith,  L.  A 261 

Smith,  M.  A 231 

Smith,  W.C 245 

Smull,  Henry 713 

Spangler,  Mrs.  Elizabeth.... 425 

Spangler,  Jacob 401 

Spencer,  Mrs.  Mary 501 

Stafford,  H.  H 221 

Strvtrord,  O.  0 363 

Stahl.B.  M 429 

Stein,  August 617 

Stewart,  A.  L 621 

Stocks,  Joseph 682 

Strever,  H.  M 578 

Stringer,  W.  B 727 

Strope,  T.  B 503 

Stuart,  J.  T 502 

Sullivan,  L.  H 346 

Summers,  A.  T 438 

Swartz,  Mi's.  S.  R  303 


T 


Tait.F.  B 201 

Tait,  J.  D 209 

Tait.J.S 1138 

Taylor,  T.  M 250 

Taylor,  Zachary 113 

Thatcher,  C  P 331 

Thomas,  C.  W 553 

Thompson,  Capt.  G.  W 007 

Thompson.  W.H 453 

Thornhill,  Col.  J.  W 51fl 

Thrift,  A.  J 679 

Tobey,  Robert,  M.  D 328 


Tohill,  John 60fi 

Tohill,  N.  W 542 

Towl,  Levi 450 

Traughber,  A.  C 537 

Traughber,  Mrs.  E.  J 587 

Traver,  William 645 

Trout-man,  Jacob 722 

Troutman,  Michael 495 

Trouttnan,  Samuel 630 

Tucker,  J.  C 69« 

Tully,  W.  J 423 

Turpin,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 711 

Tuttle.B.  B 285 

Tuttle.C.  A 347 

Tuttle.S.  A 355 

Tyler,  J.  W 527 

Tyler,  John 55 


u 


Ulery.Eli 672 


Van  Bnren,  Martin   47 

Veech,  A.  J 004 

Veech,  George 510 

Vollmer,  Anton 699 


Wacker,  John 3.10 

Wadded,  T.  W 387 


Wade,  Edward 304 

Walker,  Elijah 580 

Walston.R,  L.,  M.  D 354 

Ward,  Frank 244 

Ward,  Hiram 4!)9 

Ward,  John 257 

Warnick,  Ira 404 

Warren,  J.  K 394 

Washington,  George 19 

Weatherford,  W.  H  692 

Weaver,  Samuel 625 

Wheeler,  L.  W 404 

W  heeler,  J.D..M.D 321 

Whitley,  W.  L 582 

Whitmer,  H.  M 2«S 

Whitsel,  Daniel S!I4 

WikolI.J.H 610 

Wikoff,  Lemuel 587 

Wikoff,  P.  M 387 

Wikoff,  P.  W 53!) 

Willard.J.  G 270 

Williams,  W.  O W3 

Willis,  Jacob :!2t 

Willoughby,  E.  T 276 

Wilson,  James  A 480 

Wilson,  J.  A 511 

Wilson, H.D 480 

Winslow,  J.  T 598 

Wise.C.  F 712 

Wood,  John 15") 

Woods,  Robert  4A4 


Yates,  Richard 159 

Young,  Benedict 274 

Young,  J.J.H 477 


736 


INDEX. 


Adams,  John 22 

Adams,  John  Q 38 

Altgekl.J.  P ISfi 

Arthur,  Chester  A 98 

Bissell,  William  H 130 

Beveridge,  John  L 170 

Bond,  Shadrach 110 

Bowers,  William 330 

Bowers,  Mrs.  William 331 

Brooks,  W.  A 442 

Brown,  J.  A 268 

Buchanan,  James 74 

Camp,  A.  B 512 

Camp,  Mrs.  A.  B M.I 

Carlin,  Thomas 131 

Carmean,  W.  H 612 

Carmean.Mrs.  W.  H 613 

Cstto,  W.  M.,M.  D 228 

Chambers,  J.  H 410 

Chambers,  Mrs.  Elizabeth.. .411 

Chenoweth,  W .  J 482 

Cleveland,  S.  Grover 102 

Cotes,  Edward 114 

Crocker,  J.  H 5:il 

Crocker,  John,  Sr 570 


Crocker,  Mary  N 571 

Ciillom,  Shelby  M 174 

Davis,  James 470 

Davis,  Mrs.  E.  A 471 

Devore,  C.  W 278 

Diller,  Samuel 352 

Dingman,  James 650 

Dingman,  Mrs.  James 650 

Dougherty,  J.  R 310 

Duncan,  Joseph 130 

Edwards,  Ninhui ..118 

Ewing,  W.L.  D 126 

Fifer.  Joseph  W 182 

Fillmore,  Millard 66 

Ford,  Thomas 138 

Freeland,  D.  J 390 

PYeeland,  Mrs.  Martha 390 

French,  Augustus  C 142 

Garfleld,  James  A 94 

Geddes,  James 288 

Geddes,  Mrs.  James 289 

Good,  John 5UO 

Good,  Mrs.  John 591' 

Grant,  U.  S 86 

Hamilton,  John  M 17S 


Harrison,  Benjamin IOC 

Harrison,  W.H 50 

Hayes,  R.  B ftl) 

Hiscr,  G.  W 370 

Hiser,  Mrs.  G.  W 371 

Heil.H.  D.,  M.D 218 

Jackson,  Andrew 42 

Jefferson,  Thomas 2(1 

Jensen,  Burchard 452 

Jensen,  Mrs.  Burchard 452 

Johnson,  Andrew 82 

Jones,  Clay  bourn 704 

Jones,  Mrs.  Claybourn 705 

Jones,  Lindsay 686 

Jones,  Mrs.  Lindsay 686 

Lincoln,  Abraham 78 

Madison,  James 30 

Mason ,  W.  W 602 

Matteson,  Joel  A 146 

McElroy ,  C.  F. 432 

Moffltt,  Hon.  D.  U 300 

Monroe,  James 34 

Moser,  Frank 716 

Moser,  Mrs.  Frank 716 

Mosser,  J.  R 632 


Oglesby ,  Richard  J 162 

Palmer.  John  M 166 

Pierce,  Franklin 70 

Polk,  J.  K 58 

Reynolds,  John .122 

Sibley,  B.  F.,  M.  D 342 

Smith,  Hon.  E.  0 194 

Spangler,  Jacob 400 

Scott,  Adam B68 

Tait,  Mrs.  C.  R 208 

Tait,  J.  D 208 

Taylor,  Zachary 62 

Troutman,  Michael 492 

Troutman,  Mrs.  Michael 493 

Tully,  W.J 422 

Tyler,  John 54 

Tyler,  J.  W 520 

Tyler,  Mrs.  J.  W 526 

Van  Buren,  Martin 46 

Washington,  George 18 

Wood,  John 154 

Wheeler,  J.  D.,  M.  D 320 

Yates,  Richard 158 


.^x?i. 


>,,„,.;;» 


r*'  ; 


